Several years ago, I discovered the Virginia’s River Realm tourism website while waiting for my car inspection. While I visited several of the town before, I wanted to fully immerse myself in the region. I decided to dedicate several free days to completely explore the River Realm. I’ve decided to start my three-part series on the River Realm with Warsaw and Tappahannock. Be on the lookout for future blog posts about towns of the lower Northern Neck and the towns of the Middle Peninsula.
Virginia’s River Realm
Before delving into Warsaw and Tappahannock, I should explain what the River Realm is. Virginia’s River Realm refers to a collection of towns surrounding the Rappahannock River. The Rappahannock divides the region between the Northern Neck Peninsula and the Middle Peninsula. The River Realms appears to be a relatively recent invention, as the area used to only be referred to as the Northern Neck.
The primary attractions of the River Realm relate to the region’s long history on the water. Many towns offer the opportunity to charter or rent a boat. Furthermore, the region offers boating excursions lead by watermen, who make their living fishing, crabbing, and oystering. The region also has a boutique element, with plenty of B&B, seafood restaurants, and chic stores.
I focused on different things during my time in the River Realm. The following blog posts are dedicated to the vibes of the small towns themselves, as well as discovering the museums and historical sites in the region. Think of my three blog posts as a different look at the region. It would have been fun to go on the water with watermen, but I didn’t have enough time to schedule a tour. And personally, I’m disgusted by seafood.
Warsaw
Warsaw is located on the Northern Neck Peninsula, which is the uppermost peninsula in Virginia’s Tidewater region. The River Realm website does not include Warsaw, but it’s close to the other towns on the Northern Neck. Warsaw’s downtown, while charming, is very small, a trend I noticed when exploring the towns of the River Realm.
For lunch I ate at Egg-Spresso Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch. I had the French Dip, which was served on a croissant. The restaurant closes at 3:00 P.M.
Tappahannock
Tappahannock, included as part of the River Realm, is located on the Middle Peninsula, and a short 10-minute drive from Warsaw. Queen Street and Prince Street are the two streets of note in Tappahannock. Queen Street is the street that leads to the bridge connecting the two Peninsulas. In contrast, Prince Street serves as Tappahannock’s main thoroughfare and is the most scenic street.
For dessert I ate at Matinee Ice Cream, which has a colorful carnival theme. The restaurant primarily serves ice cream, but it also sells hot dogs and nachos. Matinee Ice Cream is a theoretically a 10-minute walk from downtown, but consider driving instead.
Menokin
Near Warsaw is Menokin, the ruins of an old plantation home. The goal of the Menokin Foundation to stabilize the remaining portions of the house while ultimately enclosing the missing portions of the house with glass. The tour guide gives you a hard hat so visitors can actually go inside the ruins.
Now for the history of Menokin, another home of the Lee Family. Francis Lightfoot Lee built Menokin upon his marriage to Rebecca Tayloe. Menokin was built on the dower lands of the Tayloe’s, so when Francis and Rebecca died without children the house returned to the Tayloe family. Several different families lived at Menokin up until the 1930’s. By the 1970s, the once grand mansion laid in ruins. People of the surrounding community scavenged the ruins for parts; many pieces of the house have been returned. One interesting fact I learned while on the tour is that many Africans oftentimes smuggled seeds with them on the slave ships, bring African crops to the new world.
Conclusion
I combined both Warsaw and Tappahannock because both towns are close to each other. By contrast, both towns are further away from the other towns in their respective peninsulas. If I had to choose one as a favorite, I would pick Warsaw due to Menokin. Nevertheless, both towns are worth stopping at to experience small town charms.
For more adventures, choose to explore the other towns in the River Realm region. But for other trip ideas, I recommend visiting Colonial Beach, with the historic homes in Westmoreland County. For more distant destinations, the closest major city to both towns is Fredericksburg, while Richmond is an about an hour away from Tappahannock. Finally, you could drive south to the Hampton Roads area, in particular Yorktown and Williamsburg.
Below is the companion video about Warsaw, Tappahannock, and Menokin. This video offers viewers more glimpses at each place, so please watch if that would interest you.