Cape Charles Virginia « Life and Real Estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia

Posts Tagged ‘Cape Charles Virginia’

The First Annual Great Bay Run in Cape Charles, VA

Friday, June 7th, 2013

The Great Bay Run

This summer an exciting new event is coming to the Eastern Shore of Virginia ! On Saturday, June 15, 2013, in conjunction with the Tall Ships at Cape Charles Festival, the town will be the site of the First Annual Great Bay Run.

Organized by race directors Eric Hack, a teacher and coach at the Eastern Shore’s Broadwater Academy and Eva Noonan, an agent at our own Blue Heron Realty Co., this is a first for both of them. Eva also works with Eric as volunteer assistant cross country and track coach at Broadwater. This is expected to be a premier event, kicking off the debut of what they hope will be an exciting annual runner’s challenge.

Cape Charles beach with Victorian homes in background

5k Run will pass along Bay Ave.in Cape Charles, VA

The Great Bay Run in Cape Charles will offer both a 5k race and a 1.25 mile fun run/walk. Both events start at 8:30 AM on Saturday, June 15th, near the Blue Heron Realty office at 113 Mason Avenue. The route will take runners along Bay Avenue, with its grand dame’ Victorian- era homes overlooking beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay and the sparkling sand dunes along the Town’s soft sand beach, weave through the Historic District, then out past the Coast Guard Station and finally into the Cape Charles Harbor of Refuge. By concluding at the Cape Charles Harbor, participants will be able to enjoy all the events at this state of the art marina which will be be filled for the Festival with sailboats of all sizes and descriptions, including three Tall Sailing Ships and a US Navy patrol ship, all of which will be visiting for the entire week-end. The three Tall Ships berthed there will also be offering deck tours and 2 hour day sails all weekend long so it’s a great opportunity to experience maritime history. Additionally, the winners will be presented with their trophies down at the Harbor right after the race.

Eric and Eva look forward to putting on a competitive and fun race experience that the hundreds of athletes of all abilities already signed up will enjoy. Eva has recently started a local women’s running group which has inspired many locals to join the June 15th race as well. And it’s really exciting that runners have signed up to participate from as far away as Ohio and Pennsylvania. For additional information about the race, visit its Facebook site at: https://www.facebook.com/greatbayruncapecharles. Anyone interested in registering for the race can still sign up, registration will be active until 7:30 am on the morning of the race.

Online registration is available on Active.com at this link: http://www.active.com/5k-race/cape-charles-va/the-great-bay-run-in-cape-charles-2013. So, whether you’re interested in being a spectator or a participant, come on down, we think it’s going to be lots of fun.

The Great Bay Run would like to thank it’s sponsors: Blue Heron Realty Co., QS LLC, Eastern Shore Custom Carts, Eastern Shore Signs, Hook U Up Gourmet, Rayfield’s Pharmacy, and Kelly’s Gingernut Pub. The proceeds of the race will be split equally and donated to benefit two causes: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as well as the Broadwater Academy cross country and track & field teams.

Tags: Cape Charles Harbor, Cape Charles Tall Ships Festival, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Great Bay Run, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Tall Ships Cape Charles Festival
Posted in At the Beach, Boating, Entertainment, Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Our Little Towns, Sailing | No Comments »

5 Tips For Investing In A Second Home On Eastern Shore VA & Considering Doing Vacation Rentals To Help Defray Carry Costs

Monday, April 15th, 2013

Aerial view of southern tip of Eastern Shore VA showing Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean

Eastern Shore Virginia Beautiful Southern Tip

For those considering investing in a leisure home, the beautiful southern tip of the Eastern Shore of Virginia offers buyers an amazing variety of lifestyle choices as well as some opportunities to offset mortgage payments with income from weekly vacation rentals. And especially with the great deals and the low interest rates currently available, now is a great time to consider the purchase of a leisure home with a lifestyle that can make you feel like it’s vacation time all year long ! For those seeking to discover their inner mermaid , consider a beach home offering soft sands and pristine swimming waters. For boaters, how about a beautiful waterfront home with a backyard boat dock ? Virginia’s Eastern Shore offers mile upon mile of saltwater shoreline to cruise by power boat, sailboat or kayak. For golfers, what better home course than the Arnold Palmer Signature course and the companion Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Bay Creek ? For those who love small towns and historic homes, consider the fact that settlement of the area which is now Northampton County VA begin before the Mayflower ever hit Cape Cod Bay ! I’m guessing that nearly a thousand historic homes still exist on the Shore, some of which are for sale. Dreaming about a place in the country , on a spacious land parcel ? Got it in spades ! And since the main economic engine for Northampton County is still agriculture, if owning a farm with all the possibilities – from growing crops to raising alpacas or horses- that owning a farm offers, well, we have a few farms for sale too. Soooo……. how to get started ?

Tip # 1. It’ s really important to decide on the lifestyle you want to pursue. I know that this seems like it should be easy and possibly self-evident but it’s not. In fact, in my experience working with our real estate customers, there is usually a lot of soul searching that goes into that decision since so many folks have multiple interests and settling on the main one is not necessarily simply. Especially if the likes and dislikes of multiple people need to be factored into the equation. Nowhere is that more evident than in the choice between a beach home or a boating home. You might wonder why that is– usually it’s because one party prefers beach but the other loves boating and wants a backyard dock, leaving the conumdrum of which person will have to drive to get to the marina and/ or the beach.

Tip # 2. Decide on your purchase price budget. This is a bit easier than it seems because as realtors we can help you with this. Once you decide on the monthly payment amount you don’t want to exceed, we can work forward to give you a general home price range this monthly payment will handle. Given today’s historic low interest rates, I think you will be exceedingly pleased at the price range home that your stipulated payment will control in the current market.

Tip #3. Start previewing homes on- line to get a feel for the homes available in your price range with the lifestyle amenity you selected in step # 1. Blue Heron’s main website, www.blueheronva.com , is organized by lifestyle, we’ve tried to make it easy to locate the type of property you want without searching a hundred other things first. ( In fact, we have gotten a lot of complements on how user- friendly our website actually is.) Each property has an individual data sheet that can be printed or bookmarked, making it easy to keep track of any particular property. And don’t forget to order our free prime property catalogue, on-line from our home page or call 800-258-3437.

Tip#4. Make an appointment to come visit the Eastern Shore and see our beautiful properties for yourself. The Shore is a relaxed, low-key area with wide open green spaces and a comfortable rural feel, interspersed by small coastal towns and historic villages. And for icing on the cake, Northampton County is less than an hour’s drive from the Hampton Roads area ( Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake), the 32nd largest metro area in the US. We’re not for everyone of course, plenty of day-to- day shopping but no huge malls, not much for bright lights and loud music . But if Capt. John Smith’s 1609 comment about the Shore appeals to you: ” Heaven and Earth never agreed better to frame a place for man’s habitation” then you might be a great candidate for the Shore. Life on the Eastern Shore is like having your cake and eating it too, a relaxed lifestyle here but access major shopping, cultural and culinary amenities ( plus an international airport) within 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the neighborhood you select. Many of the folks purchasing a leisure home on the Shore are intending to live here full-time in the future, possibly for retirement or relocation, so then having metro type amenities within easy driving distance becomes more inportant in the overall equation.

Tip#5. Decide if you want to defray some of your carry costs by doing weekly vacation rentals. Blue Heron offers a vacation rental department which can handle rental and most of the management of your vacation home. When you visit the Shore to look at properties we can introduce you to our Vacation Rental Manager who can discuss the program with you. We work with owners to set up a schedule of the weeks during summer that they want personal use of their home and the weeks they want to rent it. May to September is the main vacation season here which leaves plenty of time during the rest of the year for lots of additional personal use. Since Virginia’s Eastern Shore has a terrific climate, with long pleasant Springs and Falls, you can get a lots of use and pleasure out of your vacation home while still defraying some carry costs by doing vacation rentals.

Hopefully these 5 tips were helpful. We would love to hear from you and show you some of the great deals out there right now. With the deals available and the current amazingly low interest rates, we think it’s a great time to consider investing in one of our beautiful Eastern Shore homes regardless of whether or not you are thinking of becoming a part of a vacation rental program. So give us a call at 800-258-3437 to make an appointment or to order your copy of our free prime property catalogue. ( Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo VA )

Tags: Bay Creek Golf Resort real estate, Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Cape Charles Virginia historic home for sale, Chesapeake Bay real estate, Eastern Shore of Virginia, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Real Estate, Virginia beachfront property, waterfront home for sale
Posted in At the Beach, Business, Historic Homes, Just Having Fun, Our Little Towns, Vacation rental homes | No Comments »

Aqua Restaurant- Still Delightful, Delicious, De-lovely

Thursday, April 4th, 2013

Aqua Restaurant Easter Brunch

Having scheduled the family Easter dinner for Saturday, which came off quite well, including trying a new ( new to me anyway) version of ham from costco which everyone loved, an excellent Applewood smoked full length de-boned ham which had been cut in half vertically rather than horizontally, we had decided that brunch at the “new” Aqua would be just the ticket for Sunday. After a winter’s hiatus, which included a change in ownership, a bit of re-decorating and some staff changes, I was curious to see if the beautiful Aqua Restaurant, which overlooks the Chesapeake Bay in Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia just re-opened on Friday, had retained its old charm. And more importantly, its fine flair for preparing regional cuisine. I hoped for the best but feared for the worst as we walked through the door on Sunday but, happily, my fears were for naught as the answer to my first question was a resounding “Yes, Shelly Cusmina is still the head chef.” So, off to a good start in its new iteration, still, as Cole Porter would say, ” Delightful, Delicious, De-lovely.”

Aqua is well known for its tradition of delectable Southern-style cuisine for holiday brunches and Sunday’s food definitely did that tradition proud. If Paula Deen had been there she would have said that they had outdone themselves with this luscious meal, nary a foot put wrong. Although Aqua’s regular lunch and dinner menus are geared towards fine dining, emphasizing the fresh seafood from our Chesapeake Bay region, its brunches often feature some classic Southern dishes that don’t appear on the set menu, including some of the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted, smooth, really creamy. And an ode should have been written to the fried chicken, that’s how good it was, crisp flakes of crunchy coating, mouthwatering tender chicken , accompanied by plenty of spicy Crystal hot sauce. ( You might be a Southerner if you can’t really enjoy fried chicken without an ample sprinkling of pungent hot sauce, preferably Crystal or Texas Pete brand. ) And rounding out the “must-have” trifecta of mac and cheese and fried chicken is, of course, a mess of collard greens. Now the important thing about collards (besides needing to be cooked until very tender ) is that they must be “well seasoned” which is a catch-all description for the rich peppery ham flavor that proper collards are supposed to have. Adding little chunks of smoked country ham or smoked side meat is the best cooking method to give collards the sort of sweet-salty tangy flavor that no holiday table in Virginia is truly complete without. And speaking of not complete, light as air biscuits are also a must serve, in Aqua’s case, feather-light sweet potato biscuits.

There was, of course, a separate omelet station stocked with choices of just about every ingredient one could wish to be added to a fluffy omelet. I’m not really a breakfast person so brunch for me might as well just be called lunch but Hubby is just about the opposite and prefers the breakfast side of a brunch. In addition to the omelet station, a huge poached salmon cleverly decorated with cucumber slice “scales” accompanied by a mellow dill sauce, pan-fried Yukon potatoes, mini- sausage links, fluffy blueberry pancakes, bagels and rich flaky pastries were available for the breakfast foodies. Plus gorgeous fruit trays filled one end of a table, offering a wide selection of fruit including some very tempting strawberries, gorgeous, vivid red with an amazing bouquet and ambrosial Hawaiian pineapple slices, literally dripping with juice, a whole array of delights. It was a lovely event, enjoyed in good company, proving once again that a meal at Aqua’s is still “Delightful, Delicious, De-lovely ” ! (Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7135 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA. )

Tags: Aqua restaurant Cape Charles Virginia, Cape Charles Virginia, Chef Shelly Cusmina, Eastern Shore of Virginia, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Southern style food, Virginia Eastern Shore
Posted in Entertainment, Events In Cape Charles, Fine and Casual Dining, Just Having Fun, Our Little Towns, Regional Foods & Wine | No Comments »

A Wee Bit O’ The Irish On Virginia’s Eastern Shore

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

It’s getting to be that time of year again, the time when we enjoy a wee bit o’ the Irish here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Neither Hubby nor I have any Irish roots nor have we ever been to the Emerald Isle but we love all things Irish. Well, maybe not all— can’t stand smoky pubs, bitter Guinness stout, carrageen moss in food, potatoes mashed with kale or cabbage, called colcannon, etc. But I do love the color green— shamrock green, apple green, sea green, olive green, forest green, all great. The concept of leprechauns and pots of gold at ends of rainbows is truly delightful. And we both really enjoy Irish hardshoe dancing, the amazing sounds of the bodhran, the Irish frame drum, and of course, the favorite drink of the Irish …… tea ! ( Did you think it was beer ? Somewhere I read that the Irish are the world’s biggest tea drinkers, with a per person average of 6 cups a day and that, by law, all restaurants and pubs must serve tea during all open hours. Little trivia, just sayin.)

So, March 17th is fast approaching, the day when I always like to indulge my taste buds with a little Irish cuisine and atmosphere. Haven’t decided yet whether to do Shepherd’s Pie at home or to go out to one of our two Eastern Shore authentic Irish Pubs, Kelly’s Gingernut Pub or The Blarney Stone, both of which serve mouthwatering food accompanied by live traditional music on St. Paddy’s Day.

Kelly’s, located 3 blocks from the beach on Mason Avenue in the historic district in Cape Charles, VA is always a great choice, with some of the Shore’s best fish and chips served daily. On St. Paddy’s Day they go all out with traditional favorites– Corned Beef and Cabbage, a savory Irish Stew served with soda bread, Cottage Pie, a salmon dish, mussels, etc. , all well prepared and scrumptious. And of course, a pint or two of the good stuff with which to wash it all down would be in order, all the while toe tapping to some real Irish jigs.

In Onancock, on North Street, just 3 blocks from the Town Wharf, the Blarney Stone also offers up some great choices. The Pub Steak is great, served with a medley of pan fried potatoes (which I like even better than chips ). Bangers and Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, Fish and Chips are served everyday. But on St Paddy’s Day, other traditional dishes are added to the menu– obviously Irish Stew, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Salmon with Champ, Coddle maybe even Skirts and Kidneys or Bubble and Squeak ( despite the weird name, Bubble and Squeak is really quite tasty ). Plus The Blarney Stone boasts that it has 17 authentic brews on tap, something for every thirsty someone.

So, choices, choices. Good to have, not so easy to make. Home, Kelly’s, Blarney Stone ? ? But nearly a week till The Day, so plenty of time to decide where to go, what to do. As they say, hard choices but someone has to make them. ( Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA )

Tags: Blarney Stone Irish Pub Onancock VA, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Irish food on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Kelly's Pub Cape Charles VA, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, restaurants of the Eastern Shore
Posted in Entertainment, Fine and Casual Dining, Just Having Fun | No Comments »

Time To Start Planning Your Eastern Shore Summer Vacation

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

Charming Historic Cape Charles

We just finished adding a new house, “Seahorse Retreat” to our vacation rental roster (see them all at www.blueheronva.com/vacation_rentals/ ) when it occurred to me that planning an Eastern Shore Virginia summer vacation in the near aftermath of a record breaking blizzard on the East Coast is reminiscent of one of my favorite childhood books. Anyone who has read “The Little House On The Prairie” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder will likely remember the winter delights described of pouring over seed catalogues, winds howling outside, fire crackling inside, planning the spring garden, imagining the delights of fresh cantaloupe, tomatoes, sweet corn. It was a necessary task but it was also pure, unvarnished pleasure, mentally transporting them to a future time of warm weather, outdoor breezes and chunks of crisp, cool watermelon. Meanwhile, the reality was that Pa would soon have to wade out into the driving snow, through Lord knows how many heavy drifts, to get to the barn to milk the cows, holding on to the rope stretched between the house and the barn so as to not get disoriented, lost and frozen to death within 40 feet of the front door. I loved those books about settling the West, practically wore them out with re-reading, especially “Farmer Boy”, what a wonderful world it seemed to be. And I longed to be able to have a big piece of apple pie for breakfast, just like Almanzo almost always did, redolent with sweet spices and covered in heavy cream. But, different time, different place, and in general, pie was not allowed on my childhood breakfast table. ( Happily, now that I am nearly 100, I can have pie for breakfast if I want to. So let it be known that from time to time, for breakfast both Hubby and I do indulge in a thick slice of Kate’s Kupboard’s delicious apple pie, fresh from her warm and cozy Belle Haven, VA bakery, topped with an ample wedge of sharp cheddar, gently heated in the toaster oven, accompanied by a fresh cup of steaming hot vanilla hazelnut coffee. And I won’t even disclose how old I was before it finally dawned on me that I didn’t have to continue to eat the crusts on my bread if I didn’t want to, such is the force of habit of childhood instruction. )

But, mea culpa, I digress. My original point being that the actual planning of one’s vacation is a necessary task, but one that brings a lot of pleasure. Deciding where to go is certainly the first step and deciding what house to pick is great fun. I want to give a shout out to the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a great vacation place and to Blue Heron Realty Co’s vacation rental homes as the cream of the crop ( Review them at www.blueheronva.com/vacation_rentals/ ) depending, of course, on the desired atmosphere. If one is looking for bright lights, loud music, thousands of people on the beach,salt water taffy and souvenir shops every step of the way, Virginia’s Eastern Shore is not the place.

Visit our scenic beaches

On the other hand, if what you’re longing for is a place for total relaxation in a low-key coastal area, with plenty to do if you want to but if you feel like just hanging around the front porch, book in hand, iPad at the ready, then you can count on the Eastern Shore as a terrific place. I can guarantee no bumper to bumper traffic, horns blaring, no overcrowded sidewalks, no blankets 2 feet in every direction from yours on the beach.

Our Pristine Barrier Islands

Just a beautiful, relaxing area, little historic towns to explore, sparkling low density beaches to enjoy, cool blue waters to swim, plenty of boat ramps and fishing piers to try out, miles and miles of coastline to kayak, our off-shore pristine Barrier Islands to explore, the freshest of succulent seafood to savor, Palmer and Nicklaus golf to keep you swinging, horseback riding through country trails to indulge your inner cowboy, an easy pad to launch a Williamsburg/Busch Gardens day trip from if the mood strikes, cute shops, terrific restaurants for fine or casual dining and friendly people. From A for “Antiquing” to Z for “Zesty clam dip”, you can have a memorable vacation on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, it’s Simply Relaxing The Shore Way.

Seahorse Retreat

And I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to 2 of the Blue Heron Realty Co. new vacation rental homes–– “Seahorse Retreat” and “Sun and Sand“. “Seahorse Retreat” is a charming, cozy nest for two, beautifully decorated in a — you guessed it, a seahorse motif.

Sun & Sand

A second floor walk-up unit located right in the heart of the Cape Charles historic district, it offers 1 bedroom with comfy king-sized bed, a well outfitted full kitchen, separate dining room and a living room which opens onto a veranda with views of the Cape Charles harbor. And it’s only about a block to the beach and boardwalk. “Sun and Sand” is a 4 bedroom, 4 full bath West Indies style home of nearly 3000 sq.ft. , with some views of the Chesapeake Bay. Comfortable coastal style furniture, a king sized bed in the master suite, queen sized in the others. Within easy walking distance to a sparkling soft sand beach, it also offers access to a large swimming pool/tennis courts complex and is within 5 minutes one of the Shore’s finest waterfront restaurants. More information on reserving these and other prime vacation rental homes is available on the Blue Heron Realty Co. website, www.blueheronva.com, select Vacation Rentals on the Listings pull-down menu or side navigation bar. ( Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA )

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Blue Heron Realty Co. Vacation rental homes, Cape Charles vacation rental homes, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Kayaking, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Real Estate, Vacation rental homes on Eastern Shore VA, Virginia Eastern Shore
Posted in At the Beach, Boating, Entertainment, Fine and Casual Dining, Golf, Just Having Fun, Our Little Towns, Vacation rental homes | No Comments »

From Blue Heron Realty Co. A Wish For Happy Holidays And A Wonderful New Year

Sunday, December 23rd, 2012

The holidays are one of my favorite times of year here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, especially since our mild but 4 season climate makes it a lot of fun to decorate outdoors as well as indoors. But this year has gone by so quickly, it’s really hard to believe that 2013 is nearly upon us. Although personally, I’ve been looking forward to it. I admit it, I’m very sightly superstitious. And 13 is my luck number. If indeed lucky numbers exist, which my hubby tells me is a bit silly. Nevertheless…… 13 is still my lucky number ! So, its very possible that some good things are in store in 2013 and who wouldn’t be looking forward to that ? The word on the economic street is that if the politicians can get their acts together before the end of January, if not sooner, that unemployment will continue to go down and GDP will continue to go up. So 2013 holds the promise of being a good year for everyone, not just us “lucky number 13” folks, but for everyone, which I find is a comforting thought to carry into the holidays.

On a more serious note, it’s the time of year when folks try to cast aside the petty and trivial and focus on the really important stuff– family, friends, country and helping those less fortunate. One of the other reasons I’m looking forward to 2013 is that 2012 has still been a difficult year for a lot of our fellow countrymen, everywhere, not just here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. But, by nature I am an optimist, things have definitely been improving, and I really have high hopes for the New Year. Meanwhile, we would especially like to thank all those helped make this past year a good year for our firm, our clients and customers, all the many folks who listed or purchased property through Blue Heron Realty Co. . We want you to know that we truly appreciate your business and your confidence in us.

And to you, the dear readers of this little blog about life and real estate on the the Eastern Shore of Virginia, we hope you had a bit of fun and learned more about our gorgeous and unique little spot, located at one of Mother Nature’s very best addresses, the corner of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Hopefully you will continue to keep reading our blog about the Virginia Eastern Shore next year to hear more about our special coastal lifestyle and find out more about our beachfront properties, boating homes, Bay Creek Golf Resort listings, historic and town & country homes listed for sale in the Chesapeake Bay area by Blue Heron Realty Co.. And so from Lemoin, Marlene, Montaigne, Mike, Heather, Gerry, Kay, Lisa and Sandy in our Machipongo, VA office and from Dave, Eva, Jennifer, Luisa and Bonnie in our Cape Charles, VA office, thanks ever so much for your support, we really appreciate it ! Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year from the entire Blue Heron Realty Co. crew !! (Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

Tags: Bay Creek Golf Resort real estate, Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Chesapeake Bay real estate, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Eastern Shore Virginia real estate, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Real Estate
Posted in Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Our Little Towns, Some Serious Thoughts | No Comments »

The 17th Annual Holiday Progressive Dinner in Cape Charles VA Was One Of The Best Yet !

Saturday, December 22nd, 2012

A holiday tradition kicked off 17 years ago by the Chamber of Commerce to help support various Eastern Shore of Virginia worthy causes, the annual Holiday Sampler Tour Progressive Dinner was held last week in Cape Charles. Entitled “Shake, Rattle and Stroll”, the theme of the evening was to relax and take a step back in time to the Fabulous Fifties. Not to dwell on my ever advancing age, but I was alive and be-bopping during the Fab 50’s so it was a nostalgic evening for me. In fact, I’m guessing that some of the other cute chicks and cool cats in our group were also be-bop-boppers ! Who can forget the guys with the Everly Brothers style Brylcreemed pompadours and “Duck Tails” ? Or the big bouffant “beehives” held in place with about a gallon of hair spray containing who knows what chemicals that enabled it to hold together for a week ! Venue # 1, serving the appetizer course, was as always, the beautiful Palace Theatre on Mason Avenue. Built in the art deco style 1941, in its day the Palace was considered absolutely splendid — it has now been restored to its former glory through the enormous efforts of the Arts Enter group, right down to the total refurbishing of the plush red velvet seats. We were met at the door by The King himself, attired in a white dinner jacket, slicked back long hair and quite possibly a pair of blue, blue suede shoes. Unless my eyes were fooling me….. In the lobby we registered, got our group badges and moved down into the house to nosh on some rather tasty appetizers. From the Blue Bay Crab Co., a Parmesan crab dip on flatbread crackers and from Mallards-On-The-Wharf Restaurant, a lovely display of fresh veggies and fruits served with warm spinach dip, a savory hummus and a tapenade of Greek style black olives. Yum ! While enjoying these goodies we were treated to a little play staring the ever lively Trina Veber. In a dream sequence, Elvis and Roy Orbison sang and danced merrily around the stage with Trina, fulfilling the “shake and rattle” part of the evening’s theme and getting us ready to “stroll” off to Venue # 2.

Venue # 2, presenting the soup course, was a darling little Victorian home on Peach Street, which has been extensively renovated and treated to brand new kitchen and bathrooms. First, a tour of the house which was very nicely decorated, then to enjoy a spicy chicken, shrimp and crawdaddy gumbo, expertly prepared by Kelly’s Gingernut Pub. Little Italy Restaurant had prepared the tasty bruschetta, nicely seasoned, complementing the gumbo quite well. Venue # 3, site of the salad course, was the new Bay Haven Inn on Tazewell Avenue. Just renovated by our Blue Heron customers, Tammy and Jim Holloway, this brand new B&B is the cat’s meow ! Decorated to the nines inside and out for the holidays, from top to bottom this 7 bedroom Colonial Revival beauty is simply gorgeous and ready for the most discriminating of guests. A delicious and sophisticated salad of roasted local sweet potatoes over roasted apples with arugula, garnished with paper- thin country ham and aged Gouda was presented by Amy B. Catering. Served along side was a trio of imported cheeses from Gull Hummock Gourmet Market, all paired with a lush rose’ from local winery, Chatham Vineyards.

Venue #4, making a splash with the fish course, was an interesting home on Monroe Avenue. Built in 1906, back in the day it served as a boarding house for teachers from the then nearby Cape Charles School. Currently a leisure home for its owners, who plan to retire to Cape Charles in the future, it too was all gussied up for the holidays. From the attractive new waterfront restaurant on the Cape Charles harbor, The Shanty, came seasoned haddock nuggets served with rich and creamy 3 Cheese Mac & Cheese from Hook-U-Up restaurant on Mason Avenue, both very nicely done.

Venue # 5, offering the evening’s entree’, was a unique home also on Monroe Avenue. It actually consists of two separate adjacent homes, both built in the 1920’s, which were then combined into a single home via a breezeway which connects the two. Painted a sunny yellow, this home was outlined with lots of cheerful outdoor lights and looked lovely. Lots of great decorations inside including a display cabinet filled with a large collection of colorful wooden Nutcracker figures, large and small, from all over the world. I happen to love and have a much small collection of Nutcrackers myself which I pull out and tuck all over the house for the holidays. Here we were served a chicken pot pie with a side of poached apples from the Exmore Diner. The apples were served hot and featured a hint of maple and cinnamon, very pleasing, both chicken and apples pairing well with the Chardonnay from the local winery, Holly Grove Vineyards.

From there we were off for dessert and coffee to Venue # 6, the Cape Charles Coffee House, whose holiday display windows, complete with an antique train set, are always among the finest in town. The Coffee House is a fabulous place for breakfast and lunch and is home to some of the best cakes on the planet. Let me just say that Roberta’s coconut layer cake with lemon filling and cream cheese coconut icing is simply heavenly, the best ever. Alas, that was not to be our dessert. But the next best thing was being served– homemade ice cream ! For some unfathomable reason, I love ice cream more in cold weather than in hot weather. But truth be told, I can enjoy really excellent ice cream at virtually anytime and this was from Brown Dog Ice Cream, a new gourmet ice cream shop on Mason Avenue. Brown Dog makes their ice cream in small batches so it’s always delightfully fresh. Anyway, it was ” make- your- own ice cream sundae, which was fun. A choice of three flavors of ice cream were set out and then each person helped themselves to toppings. I chose the chocolate and skipped the toppings, just savoring the deep chocolaty flavor, following my sundae with a chaser of Nicaraguan coffee, piping hot, steam rising from the cup. Perfect ! And then it was over, another fine time had by all. We had shaken, rattled and strolled through this quaint little town, admiring lights and decorations, enjoying the moveable feast, having lots of fun in a good cause at 2012 Holiday Sampler Progressive Dinner in Cape Charles, Virginia. (Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

Tags: Arts Enter Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Cape Charles Virginia historic home for sale, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Events in Cape Charles, Holiday events in Cape Charles Virginia, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Palace Theatre Cape Charles Virginia, Real Estate, Victorian homes in Cape Charles, Victorian homes in Virginia, Virginia historic home for sale
Posted in At the Beach, Climate and Weather, Entertainment, Events In Cape Charles, Fine and Casual Dining, Historic Homes, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Our Little Towns, Regional Foods & Wine, The Arts | No Comments »

A Dramatic Presentation of the Early History of the Eastern Shore of Virginia At The Palace Theatre In Cape Charles, VA

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

Chief Debedeavon and his tribal warriors appeal to the heavens

Demonstrating the incredible strength of our volunteer spirit here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, members of our community, including myself, came together this November, 2012, for the production of “Piece of Eden” in the historic Palace Theater in downtown Cape Charles, Virginia.Written by long-time resident of our town, Jean Collins, and adapted for the stage by our very talented Sheila Cardano, this epic musical drama reenacts the significant events and politics of the 17th and 18th centuries which not only are the foundations of our country but also the basic principles of American liberty and democracy. Few people realize the importance of the Eastern Shore of Virginia in not only providing sustenance for the early Jamestown Colony but also the Eastern Shore’s role in saving that colony from annihilation by the Powhatan Native American tribes in the massacre of 1622. If truth be told, Jamestown would have been wiped off the face of the earth if the “Laughing King” of the Eastern Shore, Indian chief Debedeavon, had not warned the colonists of the western shore of Chief Powhatan’s plan to poison their wells and attack their settlement. The Eastern Shore’s Indian chief’s timely and courageous action prevented the massacre from achieving its objective of killing all 1100 settlers; as it was, more than 350 were murdered during the massacre but Jamestown survived as the capital of Virginia. Who can begin to speculate about our nation’s history if the Jamestown settlement had been completely wiped out?

Stephen Charlton leads the settlers in the first protest against unfair taxation.

“Piece of Eden” also portrays the peoples who made important contributions to our early history, especially the Native Americans. Living amongst us today in our community are the descendants of the Indians and the early colonists who shaped the foundation of our nation. Names like Opecancanough, Fox, Custis, Savage, and Charlton as well as the Indian tribes, Machipongo and Occohannock, who inhabited the Eastern Shore before the arrival of the colonists, are threaded throughout the play. Authentic costumes worn by the actors and the lively portrayal of the cultural life of early colonial times effectively bring to life the characters who made history here on the Shore. Portrayed on stage is a portion of the very first play acted on American soil in our town of Pungoteague titled “Ye Bear and Ye Cub”. “Piece of Eden” also incorporates scenes from historic meetings of the colonists with the Indians including the spreading of the small pox disease, the timely warning of the impending Jamestown massacre, the flight of Virginia’s early governor from Jamestown to the Custis family estate of Arlington during Bacon’s Rebellion, Northampton County’s letter of grievances which was the very first protest in the colonies against taxation without representation and the reading of the Declaration of Independence from the courthouse steps in Eastville in 1776. And lo, these many years later, Eastville is still the Northampton County seat.

The Declaration of Independence is read from the Northampton courthouse steps on August 13, 1776.

Over the week of November 15-20, 2012, our enthusiastic cast and crew played five performances of “Piece of Eden” to interested and appreciative audiences. Our last performance was held at 9:30am to accommodate all of the fourth grade students in the County as they are now studying Virginia history in their classrooms. The actors were able to greet the audience members after each performance and I heard many wonderful comments, such as “I never realized how important the history of the Eastern Shore is to the founding of America.” When one considers the impacts of such an enormous production, it is astounding to think of the educational, social, economic and cultural benefits that accrue to our community. Who knows what impressionable children may gather from seeing this spectacular and educational play? Or what decisions a new visitor to our area may make when they see such creativity and cohesiveness demonstrated by the members of our community? The Palace Theater, owned and operated by our own Arts Enter Cape Charles, is undoubtedly a most important resource to our community and well deserves the generous support it receives.

A proud and grateful cast takes their bow!

If you’ve never been involved in a little theatre group it is not easy to appreciate what goes into a production of this magnitude, especially for a non-profit entity as Arts Enter Cape Charles. Approximately 3600 hours were dedicated by more than sixty individuals to write this original play and it’s music, perform original musical scores, design and build elaborate sets, operate audio and lighting programs and fixtures, design and sew dozens of the amazing period costumes and rehearse the many scenes performed by actors of all ages from five to seventy-five years. And the support of family and friends in time, effort and funding was crucial as well. Such spirit of generosity and involvement really is a big part of what makes our small but vibrant community so special. Only in a small town like Cape Charles can amateur actors such as myself realize their dream of acting on the live stage when their lack of professional talent and experience would preclude such an opportunity in a large metropolitan area’s drama groups. I am enormously grateful to have that opportunity and am especially appreciative of being able to join the company of fellow thespians, enthusiastic individuals who hail from all over the country and who so generously give of their time and energy, enabling productions such as “Piece of Eden” to become a reality.

Tags: Arts Enter Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore history, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Events in Cape Charles, Holiday events in Cape Charles Virginia, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Palace Theatre Cape Charles Virginia
Posted in Entertainment, Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, Our Little Towns, Virginia History | No Comments »

Cape Charles, VA., The Little Town that Could! And Did !

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Kalmar Nyckel attracts a romantic couple to Cape Charles, June 2011.Kalmar Nyckel shows her colors in Cape Charles, June 2011

A recent article in the paper brought back fond memories of last June 8-12, 2012 when the little Town of Cape Charles, Virginia on Virginia’s Eastern Shore hosted a big fleet of ships in its tiny deep-water harbor in celebration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the birth of the Star Spangled Banner. Attracted by this wonderfully varied armada, hundreds of thousands of visitors came from far and near to see this historic gathering of tall sailing ships from around the world, OpSail 2012, sailed into the Port of Hampton Roads, Virginia. In concert with the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Hampton VA, the people of Northampton County and the Towns of Eastville and Cape Charles had spent the better part of a year planning their celebrations of these historic events.

These amazing tall sailing ships began arriving in the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay a week early and the new Cape Charles harbor marina was included in the event, hosting the visits of three sailing ships – schooners Lynx, Appledore III, and Sultana – as well as the US Navy patrol craft Zephyr, and a harbor full of pleasure and commercial watercraft. Against the backdrop of Cape Charles downtown mini-skyline, the harbor full of these schooners presented a beautiful site for a festival of the first magnitude.

Planning for the event in Cape Charles called for the coordination of nearly every element of our community, private, business and public. Our own David Kabler from the Cape Charles office of Blue Heron Realty Co. had envisioned for many years the welcoming of tall sailing ships into the Harbor of Refuge in Cape Charles. This bicentennial celebration offered him the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to the Eastern Shore community the power of tall ships in stimulating our economy. Beginning in February of 2011, David presented to the county government leaders and the leading economic powers of the Eastern Shore his Tall Ships Economic Development Initiative for the attraction of the tall ship industry. The first part of the plan called for our community’s participation in OpSail 2012 and afterwards an ongoing effort to attract tall ships throughout the year. Such an effort has proven to stimulate an host locality’s economy, tourism, education, community organization and infrastructure improvements, and during OpSail 2012 the Eastern Shore was no exception to this rule. The plan was readily adopted and publicly funded, setting into motion an organization of our community’s assets like we have never seen before.

In June, 2011, Blue Heron Realty sponsored our first tall ship visitor, Kalmar Nyckel, arguably the

queen of the tall ship fleet. She hails from Wilmington, DE, and is a replica of the 17th century Dutch trading ship that brought the first Swedish settlers to the area of Cape Henlopen, DE. The arrival of Kalmar Nyckel to the town harbor heralded the beginning of a remarkable weeklong visit that brought thousands of school children, tourists, and Eastern Shore residents to town. They toured the ship, learning about 17th century transportation technology and nautical life and even taking sail charters aboard her out into the Chesapeake Bay. Government and business leaders throughout the County attended the ship that weekend to see first hand how remarkable such a ship is and how attractive she is to people of all ages and walks of life. To complement her visit, an anonymous donor generously sponsored the attendance of Queen Elizabeth I’s court, Historic Interpretations from Raleigh NC, replete with five Elizabethan tents populated by an entire troop of actors dressed in beautiful period costumes. Children came to the queen’s tent to be knighted, activities of the 16th century were re-enacted, demonstrations of dance, games, food, and armour of the period were performed, all set up in the new park in the center of town, appropriately called now Central Park.

After the excitement of the visit of Kalmar Nyckel died down, serious planning took hold for our community’s participation in OpSail 2012. More than thirty people, representing town and county governmental departments, local business organizations, and volunteers, began meeting monthly to organize what promised to be the largest festival ever held in Cape Charles. Funding from Northampton County and the Town of Cape Charles provided seed money for grant applications that, together with generous private and commercial sponsorships, supported the wonderful concepts that made the Cape Charles Tall Ship Festival so special. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel offered organizers the use of the second island for public viewing of the spectacle of the Parade of Sail of the international fleet of tall sailing ships. The Bay Coast Railroad lent the use of their historic railyards for accomodating the many vendors and Historic Interpretations’ Elizabethan village. Cape Charles Town harbor generously offered the tall ships dockage at its brand new marina facility of floating piers. All of the schools of Northampton County participated in the Adopt-a-Ship program hosting the ships’ crews when they arrived at receptions and special events in their honor. Staging was erected for live music bands and food vendors of all sorts set up shop next to the docks. Hundreds of volunteers were organized by the Cape Charles Rotary for parking, transportation and maning of the information centers around town. It is estimated that ten thousand people came to the four day event called Tall Ships at Cape Charles! You can imagine what kind of economic impact such attendance generates in a county of only about 13,000, in a town of around 1,000.

Kalmar Nyckel shows her colors in Cape Charles, June 2011

Lasting impressions about our town, our county and our community were carried far and wide by the many visitors who left amazed by the wonderful scene of tall ships sailing in and out of the Cape Charles harbor. Months of public relations work generated huge interest in our event. Advertising on the highways, in printed publications and on the internet in websites and social media contributed untold benefits. All this together works long and hard towards establishing an identity for our community that will carry us forward for increased tourism, higher education, community cohesiveness and future improvements to the Eastern Shore of Virginia in general. Now, due to the success of our participation in OpSail 2012, Northampton County has again funded the effort to attract the tall ship industry in their 2012-13 budget planning! And Blue Heron Realty is proud to say that we were the driving force behind the whole kit and caboodle!

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Eastern Shore of Virginia, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Tall sailing ship Kalmar Nyckel
Posted in At the Beach, Entertainment, Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, Our Little Towns | No Comments »

Cape Charles,VA Historic District Condo For Sale

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012

In the heart of the little coastal town of Cape Charles, VA lies its charming Commercial Historic District. The original buildings generally date back to the early 1900’s and most have been fully renovated, ready to do yeoman’s service for another 100 years… at least ! And on the prime western end of the Mason Avenue’s Commercial Historic District, Blue Heron Realty Co. has three beautifully designed commercial space condos for sale, ranging in size from 1100 to 1500 sq. ft. Absolutely perfect for a multitude of commercial uses, from virtually any type of office office to most retail uses, these three spaces are very attractively priced, ranging from $120,000 to $150,000. Each condo offers excellent street visibility and signage as well as one of the best locations in downtown Cape Charles, only 2 blocks to the beach.

If you already own a small business or are thinking of starting a business, you may wonder if owning your office or shop space instead of renting it offers many benefits. My personal opinion is a resounding Yes! The first and most important is that owning gives you greater control and stability for your business which results in better control over your own destiny. Assuming that you have confidence in your business, there is a great deal of security in owning rather than renting your business space. No more big rent hikes ! No need to worry about the possibility of an announcement that the landlord is selling the building and suddenly the terms or even the actual renewal of your lease is in question. And you are not paying off someone else’s mortgage, you are building up equity for yourself so at the end of the day if you sell, your money comes back to you instead of your landlord. Appreciation in value is important as is the ability to be able to also sell your physical premises should you decide to sell your business which might be very beneficial to the deal. And any renovations you do over time accrue fully to your benefit, not to the landlord’s.

All three of these commercial units are on the ground floor of an attractive three story mixed-use brick building constructed in 1901. The building’s second floor consists of 2 large residential condos, the 3rd floor boasts a 3000 + sq. ft. penthouse with a double veranda overlooking the town and its colorful harbor. All three commercial units are currently in use as office space. the 1100 sq. ft. units are professional offices– a dentist and a chiropractor, each of whom rotate between multiple offices, practicing one or two days per week in Cape Charles. Each unit is currently configured with a reception area, several office or treatment rooms and a bathroom so clearly easy to convert to other types of office use or even retail if desired.

And it would be hard to beat the small town ambiance of Cape Charles if you are looking to open a business in a friendly coastal area. In fact, the June, 2012 issue of Southern Living Magazine named Cape Charles as one of its “Best Little Beach Towns“, quite an honor. As it’s just a short walk to the beach from these condos, a quick stroll on the boardwalk would be great for keeping the waistline trim. Drop in at the beautiful Cape Charles Coffeehouse for a quick cup of coffee on the way to the office. ( The Coffeehouse also has a great lunch menu, with one of the best chicken salad sandwiches ever. And for dessert, don’t miss Roberta’s luscious coconut cake with cream cheese icing and lemon custard filling. Absolutely delectable, unbeatable this side of the moon ! ) Or walk just a half block to Kelly’s Pub for lunch, home of a lip-smacking good char- broiled burger accompanied by the best dill pickles, straight from New York City. Or try Rayfield’s Pharmacy’s honest-to-goodness old- fashioned soda fountain lunch counter featuring, among other items, a really delicious BLT, overstuffed with plenty of B and nice ripe T. And yes, of course, they do have milkshakes, sundaes, and ice cream sodas, chocolate’s the best ! Banking ? Walk to the credit union just two blocks away. Odds and ends ? If the hardware store doesn’t have it, just don’t you worry, they’ll order it. Need a bottle of wine for dinner ? Stop in at Gull Hammock on the way home, where by the way, each Friday they have a new shipment of Prize’s homemade bread, sinfully good, especially the cinnomon raisin sourdough. Want to take a client to a fine dinner ? Five minutes away you’ll find Aqua Restaurant overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, home to excellent food in a beautiful setting. Need some decor ideas ? Try your nearby neighbors at Best Nest, 209 Gallery or Stage Door Gallery. The point being that within Cape Charles’ quaint Historic District, instead of having to let your fingers do the walking, you can have the pleasure of getting out and about, among your friends, neighbors and fellow business owners, doing errands and business the old-fashioned way–person to person. For more information on buying your own business condo, call Blue Heron Realty Co., 757-678-5200 or 757-331-4885.

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

Tags: Blue Heron Realty Co. Machipongo and Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Chesapeake Bay real estate, Eastern Shore of Virginia, life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, office condo in Cape Charles, purchase Cape Charles commercial condo, Real Estate, Southern Living Magazine
Posted in At the Beach, Business, Fine and Casual Dining, Our Little Towns | No Comments »

Life and Real Estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia