By Angelin Brewer My husband and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage this year, and we’ve decided to take our first European vacation. Actually, I decided. My husband, Brent, doesn’t like to fly.  Okay, he hates to fly. But I am on a mission to ensure he loves this trip, so I’ve researched the heck out of it, doing my best to choose places and excursions I think he will love. My dad … [Read more...]

Wanna have some fun? In the next few weeks, stripers from Buggs Island Lake will head up the Dan and Staunton rivers to spawn. Buggs Island stripers are among only a few freshwater stripers will actually pull off a spawn. But the rivers are packed with these feisty fish and there is one guide I know of who can put you on a pile of fish. Matt Miles. Matt is an Orvis-endorsed guide. His … [Read more...]

There are all sorts of Festivals. There are Strawberry Festivals, Wine Festivals, Garlic Festivals, Oyster Festivals, Crab Festivals, and the list goes on. One festival I have always wanted to attend, but never have, is the Lexington BBQ Festival. This event is held annually in the small town of Lexington, NC, the self-proclaimed BBQ Capital of the World. Held the last Saturday of October, the … [Read more...]

There are now over 300 wineries in Virginia with a new one opening seemingly every week. The experts say that our Commonwealth has the perfect soil and climate for growing quality grapes. I’ll leave that to the pros since I thought Boone’s Farm was pretty good if you got it cold enough. But I do enjoy visiting Virginia’s wineries. It’s a good way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, especially when … [Read more...]

We went out to eat with my daughter, Angelin, and her husband Brent, near their new home on High Rock Lake in Denton, NC. This is in the heart of Carolina, the original home of classic Southern cuisine and we had it in spades. We went to the afternoon buffet at a place called Classic Family Restaurant. The food was outstanding – Fried Okra, perfectly Fried Chicken, Fried Salt Pork, Homemade … [Read more...]

We got a bill in the mail yesterday saying we owed the state of Maryland $21.49 for having the audacity to drive on one of their roads. Back in May, we drove to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania to see the play, Noah’s Ark. Our GPS Lady – who is now on double secret probation - suggested a route that took us through most of Northern Virginia, half of D.C. and then through Maryland by way of … [Read more...]

Mark your calendars for the first couple weeks in April 2026. That’s when Holland comes to Virginia. A few weeks back, Nancy said she had a “spring surprise” for me. We hopped in the car and headed for Nokesville, VA. Nokesville? What could possibly be in Nokesville, I wondered? A world of stunning tulips, that’s what. We made a visit to Burnside Farms, which plants 2 million tulip … [Read more...]

Boy, have kayaks taken off. You see cars and vans hauling them down the road all the time. Kayaks, unlike jon boats and canoes, can easily be handled by one person, making most any body of water accessible. To all you kayakers out there, here’s a tip for a fun float. The Jackson River below Gathright Dam. Even though it’s August and 90 degrees in the shade, the water here is cold. It comes … [Read more...]

When we can, Nancy and I like to slip down to the Gloucester/Deltaville area for short vacations. We have found a really cool little Thrift Shop in the Cobbs Creek area that we make it a point to stop by and visit. I usually try to avoid going to these types of stores, but this one is different. They have a huge selection of most interesting clothing, gifts, home accessories, furniture, … [Read more...]

My Dad joined the FBI in 1948, and after brief stints in Seattle and Pittsburg, our family settled in at Beckley WV. An extension of the Pittsburg office, Daddy was one of three agents in Beckley for about 6 years. Then, one day, Daddy came home and announced that he had been transferred to Lewisburg, population 2,200. Why would the FBI open a one-man office in Lewisburg? Many years later, … [Read more...]