Men Who Like to Travel - David Latt

In the third part of his series  about  Virginia's Eastern Shore , David Latt describes the accommodations he discovered on a summer road trip. With cooling off-shore breezes,  the Eastern Shore  offers relief from the sticky heat of summer. In close proximity to densely populated cities, the majority of the towns on the peninsula average fewer than seven hundred year-round residents.  People are friendly and life is unhurried. Coming here is a good way to take a break from the demands of work and home.  That's just what my wife and I wanted when we visited the Eastern Shore. We had suggestions for restaurants and reservations for winery tours, kayaking and clamming. All we needed was a pleasant place to stay each night and we were set. Cape Charles Before the seventeen mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was completed in 1964, the ferry terminal in Cape Charles was the busy access point to the peninsula. After the Bridge-Tunnel opened, the econ...

Twenty-five miles west of busy Washington, D.C., Loudoun County is close enough to be far away. Dominated by vineyards and horse farms, the idyllic setting can quiet the mood of anyone wanting to take a break from their over-stimulated life.   Leaving behind turnpikes and highways, travelers enter the slower paced world of small towns like  Middleburg ,  Leesburg ,  Lovettsville  and  Purcellville . Where to Eat Middleburg Equestrian farms surround Middleburg. A road trip on Route 50 takes visitors through beautifully maintained pasture land. There are fast-food outlets, but you are more likely to eat in a small restaurant or market that is soneone’s passion-project. For anyone who enjoys picnicking, Market Salamander  and  Home Farm Store  on Washington Street carry high-quality prepared foods, made-to-order sandwiches, whole cooked chickens, smoked turkey wings, charcuterie, cheese and desserts. Down the block and aroun...

With the start of the Civil War  Sesquicentennial  this year, the war between the states is being commemorated with special events, exhibits and reenactments. There are many well-known battlegrounds to visit: Gettysburg , of course,  Antietam , Bull Run and, where it all began, Fort Sumter . But those memorials can be jammed with tour buses. An alternative is to visit less crowded sites in Virginia where a third of all Civil War  battlefield encounters  took place. That so many battles were fought in Virginia makes sense when you look at the map. If you were the Confederate army, Virginia was the border state that put you within striking distance of Washington, D.C. For the North, the capitol of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia was a tempting target. Twenty five miles west of Washington, Loudoun County offers many advantages for travelers who want to visit Civil War sites.  Even before visiting in person, online sites offer immersiv...

With Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, three states— Delaware, Maryland and Virginia--share the Delmarva Peninsula.  B arely nine miles across,  Virginia’s Eastern Shore occupies the narrowest, southern most portion of the peninsula. The area is easily accessible using major highways including I-95, Amtrak service to nearby Newport News and daily commuter flights to Norfolk, Virginia. To fully explore the peninsula, a car is a necessity. All major national rental car companies have outlets on the mainland. Insider’s Tip: check out Virginia’s Eastern Shore web site for an overview of the peninsula, including lists of seasonal events, park lands, recreational opportunities, accommodations and places to eat. Taking the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel-Bridge to reach the peninsula, you do so not because you expect to see great theater, visit world-class museums, walk busy streets and spend an afternoon in crowded cafes people watching. You drive across s...