Area Information
There is a pleasant surprise waiting for you in the Northern Neck. We are only an hour and a half from Washington, D. C., Richmond or Virginia Beach. This is the land of pleasant living. We offer the Chesapeake Bay with it's boundless fishing and water sports, beautifully restored historic homes and sites, quaint and picturesque villages, farmlands full of fresh produce, endless amounts of fresh seafood and our own Blue Crabs, fresh out of the Bay.
History, nature, boating, fishing, recreation - these are all a part of the Northern Neck. However, they do not tell the whole story. There's more to the area, something that makes visitors want to come back again and again. It's the charm of everyday country life, the lure of bustling country fairs and town market days. It's seafood fresh from the boat, fresh crisp produce at the roadside stands, the local arts, crafts and music. It's the people who smile and wave at you as you drive down the road, and make you feel at home.
The Northern Neck is rich in history. Among other things it is the birthplace of presidents like George Washington and famous people such as Thomas Lee and Robert E. Lee. The history of the "Neck" runs deep in the history of the United States, even North Amercia. Before 1600, before the first English settlement, the Northern Neck was the land between the "River of Swans" to the north and the "Quick-Rising Water" to the South, two loosely translated Indian terms for the Potomac River and the Rappahannock River. To the east lies the Chesapeake Bay, otherwise known as the "Mother of Waters", the "Great Saltwater" or the "Great Shell-fish Bay", the largest estuary in North America. Captain John Smith visited this country in 1607. He was probably one of the area's first tourists. During his first visit he traveled the "Neck" somewhat against his will, as a captive of the Indian Chief Opechacanoough. He returned in 1608 to explore the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers and the rest of the bay region. He made his first map of the Chesapeake Bay region in 1612.