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Crabcakes from The Tides Inn
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A whiskey locker at The Tides Inn where imbibers once stored their bottles for safekeeping
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A view from inside the restaurant at The Tides Inn
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Water surrounding the property and a trail along the shore near the inn
In terms of waterfront getaways an hour outside of Richmond, The Tides Inn has plenty to recommend it. Steeped in Virginia history and natural beauty, offering unfettered views of the Chesapeake Bay and bedecked with world-class, resort-level amenities, you’d be hard-pressed to find a dreamier, and more delicious, destination within driving distance than The Tides.
For the past 75 years, it has been a jewel of the Northern Neck, offering a respite for generations of families. Now, The Tides is welcoming a new generation of visitors who are looking for ways to connect with the natural landscape while feeling absolutely pampered.
The inn also has a colorful history. When E.A. Stephens first opened The Tides Inn in 1947, the property was in a dry county. That meant guests had to either bring their own liquor or get creative. And get creative they did, chartering a 127-foot yacht, christened the Miss Ann, in honor of the proprietor’s wife, Ann Stephens, to take guests to a state-approved liquor store in Urbanna. Imbibers would purchase liquor that they could take back to the inn to then store in private handmade walnut lockers in the Tides’ Golden Eagle room, in what is now the Chesapeake Restaurant.
Created by chef Terrance Doyle, the restaurant’s menu includes classic options such as a pork porterhouse, house-made pasta and filet mignon, the signature she crab soup with focaccia croutons, as well as crabcakes. Looking for something more casual? A recently opened waterfront beach hangout dubbed the Fish Hawk Oyster Bar is a perfect spot to pull up and sample local bivalves and a boozy beverage.
One of The Tides’ distinguishing factors as a resort is its focus on the property’s gorgeous natural surroundings, including an oyster sanctuary on Carter’s Creek, part of an effort to help reestablish oyster populations in the Chesapeake. It also hosts an Oyster Academy, where guests can help with the restoration effort and learn more about Virginia’s native bivalves. Horticulturist Matt Little leads the agricultural and nature-focused programming, including newer additions such as a forest trail with wild mushrooms and a beehive located on the land surrounding the resort.
“My team and I recently planted 1,500 beach grass and wildflower plugs in a section of beach that wasn’t being utilized by our hotel guests, transforming bare sand to a salt marsh meadow,” Little says. “My hope is that everyone leaves inspired and better appreciates the environment in their own communities."
In addition to natural exploration, The Tides offers classes on everything from pottery to painting in its Maker Space, helmed by in-house artist Theresa Schnevels. "The Maker Space is a recent addition that has already become a guest favorite. It’s a beautiful, interactive place where guests can go to deepen their connection to nature through art,” Schnevels says. “As the art program manager, I lead programs such as Nature’s Art, Morning Watercolors, Pottery & Pinot and more. One of my favorite aspects is collaborating with other artists for our Artist in Residence program. Molly Reeder and Claire Jensen are Richmond-based artists who often visit the Tides Inn to lead watercolor painting and ceramics workshops.”
Planning a visit? Here are a few nearby destinations worth checking out.
- Merroir: The go-to spot for eating oysters right on the water, from the Rappahannock Oyster Co. team.
- Adrift: A family-owned restaurant offering exceptional coastal new American cuisine and impeccable service from Northern Neck natives plus a much-appreciated takeout menu. P.S.: Chef-owners Devin and Kati Rose have participated in Richmond events from Fire, Flour & Fork to a Feast of Seven Fishes dinner at Alewife.
- Dear Neighbor: All the lovely trappings you’ve come to expect from the Church Hill boutique, now in the Northern Neck.
- Irvington Farmers Market: This market takes place on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and brings together area farmers, artisans and food trucks for a morning of family fun.
- Kellum Farms Produce & Seafood: Super cute country-style market for produce, seafood by the pound, and barbecue supplies.
On Saturday, July 16, The Tides Inn will host a commemorative Whiskey Run for guests, taking them aboard a 38-foot charter boat along the same route that guests traveled in the 1950s and ’60s. Tickets are $750 per couple and include a bottle of Tides Inn Barrel Select Copper Fox Rye Whiskey, dinner and cocktails, and a 75th-anniversary decanter with two rocks glasses.
