Illustration by Shane Rebenshied
Best Bed and Breakfast
First place: Inn At Tabbs Creek, Port Haywood, InnAtTabbsCreek.com, 804-725-5136
Located on the Chesapeake Bay waterfront, the seven-room inn provides a host of activities for guests from its private dock, including kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing. On dry land, visitors can play on the bocce ball court, lounge by the waterside fire pit and enjoy gourmet meals made with local seafood and produce grown in the on-site garden.
Second place: Hope & Glory Inn, Irvington, HopeAndGlory.com, 804-438-6053
Third place: Kilmarnock Inn, Kilmarnock, KilmarnockInn.com, 804-435-0034
Best “Do Not Miss” Tourist Attraction
First place: Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, ColonialWilliamsburg.com, 855-296-6627
Summer in Colonial Williamsburg means a calendar brimming with hands-on events. Watch military drills and field maneuvers, participate in 18th-century fire fighting, learn how bricks were made with period tools and masonry methods, listen to the marching band on the battlefield, witness a witch trial and try your hand at cooking with chocolate.
Second place: Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, BuschGardens.com, 757-229-4386
Third place: Belle Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast, King George, BelleGrovePlantation.com, 540-621-7340
Best Equestrian Event
First place: Annual Pony Round-Up & Swim, Chincoteague Island, ChincoteagueChamber.com, 757-336-6161
The pony penning event, started in 1925, raised nearly $210,000 for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company last year. This year, the “Saltwater Cowboys” will swim the wild ponies across the Assateague Channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island July 25 and parade to the carnival grounds before returning to Assateague Island July 27.
Second place: VBHSA Annual Cooler Show, Virginia Beach, VBHSA.org
Third place: Princess Anne Hunt, Charles City, PrincessAnneHuntLTD.WildApricot.org, 804-381-1462
Best Fishing Guide Company
First place: Midnight Sun Charter, Heathsville, FishMidnightSun.com, 804-580-0245
April through January, Captain Ryan Rogers takes groups of up to 20 people out on the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River or Atlantic Ocean to fish for striped bass, tuna and marlin. The 50-foot Midnight Sun features an upper deck, which offers picturesque views and a heated cabin for colder weather.
Second place: Capt. Billy’s Charters, Heathsville, CaptBillysCharters.com, 804-580-7292
Third place: York River Charters, Gloucester Point, YorkRiver.net, 757-645-8397
Best Fishing Outfitter
First place: RW’s Sports, Callao, RWSports.com, 804-529-5634
Opened as a small tackle shop in 1990, the outfitter has grown into a 10,000-square-foot space housing rods, reels, apparel and other gear and accessories. The team makes bait in-store, builds custom rods and performs rod repair, and offers chartered fishing trips on the Potomac River or Chesapeake Bay where participants can catch rockfish, bluefish and mackerel.
Second place: Chris’ Bait & Tackle, Capeville, ChrisBait.com, 757-331-3000
Third place: Ocean’s East, Virginia Beach, FishOceansEast.com, 757-464-6544
Best Fitness Program
First place: InsideOut Yoga, White Stone, InsideOutYoga.org, 804-436-2204
Popular classes at the studio include power flow, which is planned around sun salutations, and yoga for healthy aging, which focuses on balance, range of motion and core strength. Owner Susan Johnson also leads workshops, including one dedicated to proper technique for backbends, and retreats, including an annual weekend in Nags Head, North Carolina.
Second place: Bodyfit, White Stone, BodyfitVa.com, 804-436-2214
Third place: Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA, Kilmarnock, PeninsulaYMCA.org, 804-435-0223
Best Golf Course
First place: King Carter Golf Club, Irvington, KingCarterGolfClub.com, 804-435-7842
Designed by Joel Weiman, the first nine holes of the par 71 course flow over open stretches with native grasses and ponds, providing a view of nearby vineyards, while the back nine are marked by changes in elevation and natural woods. Each hole offers five sets of tees, ranging from a 2,099- to 6,818-yards.
Second place: Golden Eagle Golf Course, Irvington, TidesInn.com, 804-438-4460
Third place: Bay Creek Resort & Club, Cape Charles, BayCreek.net, 757-331-8620
Best Gym
First place: Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA, Kilmarnock, PeninsulaYMCA.org, 804-435-0223
Group exercise classes are structured for students of all ages and skill levels, and include such programs as cardio sculpt, which alternates cardiovascular and strength training to keep your heart rate elevated, and chair yoga, which adapts traditional poses to seated positions in order to improve flexibility and range of motion for those who cannot stand for long periods of time.
Second place: Bodyfit, White Stone, BodyfitVa.com, 804-436-2214
Third place: Onelife Fitness, Newport News, OneLifeFitness.com, 757-599-1888
Best Historic Site
First place: Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, ColonialWilliamsburg.com, 855-296-6627
The popular Lock, Stock, and Barrel exhibition tracks the development of military weaponry from the early 17th century through the end of the 18th century, including a progression of British Brown Bess muskets and a collection of arms from the Revolutionary War. Guests also may visit the gunsmith’s workshop and fire reproductions of 18th-century flintlock muskets.
Second place: Historic Christ Church & Museum, Weems, ChristChurch1735.org, 804-438-6855
Third place: Stratford Hall, Montross, StratfordHall.org, 804-493-8038
Best Hotel
First place: The Tides Inn, Irvington, TidesInn.com, 877-665-5977
Culinary education opportunities abound at the Tides Inn. In its mixology class, learn to craft cocktails with produce and herbs picked from the garden, or join Executive Chef TV Flynn in roasting oysters on the terrace. In November, the inn hosts its annual Taste by the Bay festival featuring local wine, beer and food.
Second place: Hilton Norfolk The Main, Norfolk, TheMainNorfolk.com, 757-763-6202
Third place: Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg, ColonialWilliamsburgHotels.com, 757-220-7978
Best Hunting Outfitter
First place: RW’s Sports, Callao, RWSports.com, 804-529-5634
Owned by Ricky Thomas and his father Willie, the bait shop that has grown into a comprehensive supply store carries everything from turkey calls and duck decoys to firearms and ammunition. For archers, the outfitter provides bow repair services, including vein and feather replacements, arrow cutting and insert installation.
Second place: RedNex Sporting Goods, Tappahannock, Rednex-Sports.com, 804-443-0197
Third place: Eastern Shore Outfitters, Exmore, ESOutfitters.com, 757-442-4009
Best Hunting Preserve
First place: Mount Airy Farm, Warsaw, MountAiry.Farm, 804-313-0815
Healthy populations of duck, geese and whitetail deer reside on the grounds of Mount Airy Farm, a still- family-owned estate dating to 1682. Its hunt club hosts waterfowl hunts in the property’s tidal marsh on Catpoint Creek, and dove hunts in the croplands. Guided spring turkey hunts in the farmland and hardwood forest are available with overnight stays and meals hosted in the manor house.
Second place: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Chincoteague Island, FWS.gov, 757-894-9408
Third place: Chickahominy Wildlife Management Area, Charles City, DGIF.Virginia.gov, 804-367-1000
Best Outdoor Adventure
First place: Bay Country Kayaking, Williamsburg, BayCountryKayaking.com, 804-695-4660
Eco tours allow kayakers to learn about the history and ecology of the waters they explore. Excursions launch from the York River near Williamsburg, the Chesapeake Bay in Gloucester, Mobjack Bay in Mathews and the ocean along the Eastern Shore—each of which offers unique habitats and wildlife to discover.
Second place: Go Ape, Williamsburg, GoApe.com, 800-971-8271
Third place: Virginia Living Museum, Newport News, TheVLM.org, 757-595-1900
Best Resort
First place: The Tides Inn, Irvington, TidesInn.com, 877-665-5977
Stay active on the surrounding water at the iconic Chesapeake Bay resort. Explore Carter’s Creek by kayak, paddleboard or jet ski; take a sailing lesson; go crabbing on the dock or go fishing in the bay. On land, the par 3 nine-hole Golden Eagle golf course offers a more relaxing way to take in the scenery.
Second place: Bush Park Camping Resort, Wake, BushParkCampingResort.com, 804-776-6750
Third place: Kingsmill Resort & Spa, Williamsburg, Kingsmill.com, 757-253-3927
Best Retirement Community
First place: Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury, Irvington, RW-C.org, 804-438-3999
Residents keep their minds active with lecture programs, including the popular series Mind & Muscle, which focuses on wellness trends and provides guidance on topics such as Lyme disease. Another series called Viewpoints has featured guest speakers ranging from authors to Department of Homeland Security officials.
Second place: Atlantic Shores Retirement Community, Virginia Beach, AtlanticShoresLiving.com, 757-716-3000
Third place: Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach, WCBay.com, 800-673-8186
Best Summer Camp
First place: Chesapeake Academy Summer Camp, Irvington, ChesapeakeAcademy.org, 804-438-5575
Camp Chesapeake offers classic sports activities as well as farm-to-table programs, which take campers on tours of farms, oyster companies and private fishermen’s docks and then teaches them to cook with local ingredients. I Scream for Ice Cream is another special program that includes a daily—and very popular—road trip in search of the area’s best frozen treats.
Second place: Chanco on the James, Spring Grove, Chanco.org, 888-724-2626
Third place: St. Margaret’s Summer Camp, Tappahannock, SMS.org, 804-443-3357
