The End Of The Line: The Perfect Place For Peace Of Mind: The Peninsular Areas Of The Nothern Neck, Va, And Talbot County, Md

Th eEn dof theL in e : TheFerfectPlacefor Peace of Mind ThePeninsular Areasof the NorthernNecl<, VA, andTalbotCounty, MD By M ol l y B o w e s

. . ELIJAHREEDWA SA COME H E R E'' "Our areais 'God's country,"'Ken saysin a relaxed draw]. Is that the motto of the area? A tourism slogan? "No," he iaughs."That's just what my daddy always calied it."

having the largest number of millionaires per capita. The town is named after Elijah Reed, who brought the "menhaden" commercial fishing industry to the area in 1874, as well as an economic boom that drew the attention of urbanites. "Locals used to saythat there were two main types of peopie here," saysSmith, "those who

Ken Smith is a Realtor in Virginia's Northern Neck region

a four county peninsuiar area . north of Jamestown and nuzzled between the

live here, and then those who 'come here.' There is even a bumper sticker that says'El1ah Reed was a Come Here.' Peopie laugh about

Potomac and the Rappahannockrivers. Towns

the term now becausemost understand that the

such as "Wicomico" and "Nomini" remind visitors of the Native American inhabitants

people who are buying the waterfront properties are driving the economy, which createsjobs

who lirst populated the area, while the homes of Amcrican icons George Washington and

and allows us to build new schools."

Robert E. Lee continue to entice people to explore this quieter arca a couple hours south of the metro area. "Things have certainly changed here over the last 30 years, but it is still pretty rural and relaxed here. Heard of a 'New York Minute?' Well, here, we have a 'Northcrn Neck Minute,' and wc'll get to that job if the 6 c h , . ".'t Working

ti .r " " h i-'--'6 ' the land

and the water

wcre

once

the primary intcrests of locals and fishing is the reason the Victorian lined streets of pic turesque Reedville, VA, were once noted as

The symbiotic balance that now exists between "born here's"and "come here's" seems

becauseI am too damn old now," laughsSmith. "But that is what makes me a good Realtor

to be playing a significant role in the cultivation

I know the water. There is a lot of water around here that isn't navigable bcautiful

of a growing social life in the community and many social activities seem to center around a

shorelines, but once you head out, there rvill be a sand bar. It is good to find someone who

respect for the heritage of the region. At the Reedville Fishermen's Museum, one may find

knows the waterways if you are investing in waterfiont."

volunteers building a replica of John Smith's boat for Jamestown's recent 400-year anniversary celebrations, shuckers working the extremely popular Oyster Roast, or members

Dr. Paul Lee, an oral surgeonfrom northern Virginia, worked with Smith and bought a second home on Crain's Creek outside of Reedville

simply enjoying a drink during a Friday sunset for "cocktails on the creek." As well as a thriving social life, an attractive and sustainableinfrastructure seemsto

T he pe nin su larre gio nso f t he Nor t her nNec k and T a lho tCo un tya bo undwit h f air windsand safem oo ring sfor sailin gent hus ias t s .

be in place lor those who are seeking a rural, water based community with enough conveniences to make spending time between

lHIt'1.t':.Y',ii,q'lW,'f .W,ffiffi,-ffi

"city" and "country" an easytransition. A fine restaurant (Tommy's in Reedville), shop ping (Kilmarnock, VA), or even a resort (lrvington's famous Tides Inn) are all a scenic car ride away. The influx of new families and visitors over the last 30 yearshasmeant that some of the local farmers and watermen are "tweaking" their jobs to accommodate new niches another indication of the beneficial relationship bridging the past and the future here. "I'm a waterman but I don't do asmuch now

I5

Wh e t h e ra b o r n - h e r eo r a co m e - h e r e , l l i tu d eo f a e v e r y o n ee n j o y st h e p e a c efu so s u n s e to n t h e R a p p a h a n n o ck.

ERN M .D.NEWS JUN E /JU LY SHORE 2OO7 I B A L T I I V I O R E / A N NAPOL IS/EAST

three years ago. Lee, along with his wife and three children, makesthe two-and-a-halfhour drive to their Northern Neck home at least twice a month in the winter, and almost every weekend in the summer. "We were drawn to the area because we wanted a spot close to northern Virginia that was lairly rural and on the water with access to the ocean,"saysLee. And rather than balk at having their suburban lives interrupted, the Lee children can't wait to head to the Northern Neck on the weekends. "Things are more relaxed when we get away for the weekends- there is no homework, no running around to different activities. But the biggest reason we love it here? It is at night, when we walk down onto the dock. Everything is quiet. There are no ambient lights so you can count all ofthe stars.It is very peaceful."

, . TAL B O T CO U N TY... A R I C H ,RELAXEDR, OMA NTIC E XPER IEN C E''

is excellent."

Far from being a secrct, thc sccnic Talbot County maintains a type of distant allure fbr many from thc Washington/Baltimorc arca

St. Michaels, Oxford and Tilghman Island are among thc county's most attractive ham lets. And whiic youmay enjoy the popular drau.

becauseof one significantly perceivcd chal lengc: thc ChcsapcakeBay Bridgc.

of colonial-influcncedarchitecture, specialty shopsand political heavyhitters in St. Michaels, you can expect your Realtor to closely guard

"It is the rate-limiting stcp in getting back and forth to the city," saysDr. Michael Tooke, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Shore Hcalth Systcm."But it really isn't an issuc, if you knor,vwhen to cross the bridge on warm u'eekenddays." Tooke has bcen traveling to the Eastern Shorefbr over six yearsnou,-from Washington, DC. Originally, he rcnted a small house near Easton, but four years ago, hc and his u.ifc inl ested in a second home after falling in love with the area. The Tookes are now living in Talbot County full-time while maintaining a secondhome in Washington. "The waterfiont is the real draw and there is a lot of it," saysTooke. "'More shorelinethan anv other county in thc U.S. - 1ln1'c14,lnf

area to gct anything you need particularly concerning health care; the health care here

your privacy in thc nearby.w,orkingfishermen,s r illageof Til g h m a nI s l a n , l . "We havesomeprettv important peoplc herc but I wouldn't mention their names,,,statcs Rodney Alstrom, owncr of Tilghman Island Realtv, Inc., with the independence that is the hallmark of islanddwellers. "We don,t get peopic 'passingthrough' herc and it allorvs fbr privacy. There are no knick-knacky shopshere. No bus tours. People rvho need colfec shops gravitatc more tou.ard St. Michaels. Here, people drink their coffee at home, ride their bikes, sail, fish and chill out." But whatcver your geographicalprelerence, the universal appcal of the area is undeniably

F a m i l i e st a l <ea b r e a hf r o m t h e he cti cp a ce o f c i t y l i f e a n d e n j o yt i m e a t o n eo f th e m a n y b e a c h e sa l o n gt h e B a y 'se x p a n si ve sh o r e l i n e s. thc rejuvenating proximity to the Bay waterwavs and thc abundanceof wildlife in its natural environment. "We enjoy the water for the *,ildlife,,, says Tooke u,.ith a sigh. "At home, there we seeany numbcr of rvaterfowl and birds, including bald cagles. And thcre is an osprevplatform. We are now seeingthc same ospreysreturn ycar after vear to raise their young. Being part of that yearly ritual is amazing." I

the locals say.There are an infinite number of inlcts and covesand we are surrounded on all sidcsby r,r,ater." A number of excellent restaurants have opcned in the areaand Tookc notes that Easton has five or six establishmentsthat would be considercd outstanding even by competitive city standards. And whilc agriculture still makes up 80% of thc industrv in the county, EastonMemorial Hospital in the county seat is the county's largest empioycr. "The arca is pretty sclf-sufficient. Thc excitement of city life is only a f'cw hours away. Other.lvise, you don't have to leavc the Ve ndorsat the Ea sto nFarme r s M ' ar k et c o mefrom t he surro un din gco unt iest o s ell t h e f reshprodu ceth at is th e h allm ar kof t he a r e a' st hriving f a rmlan ds.

B A LTIMOR E /A N N A P OLIS /E A S TE N EM.D .N E WS JU N E /J U LY2OO7 S HROR I L7