In Country

Virginia is Horse Country. Plain and simple. Equestrian culture is the lifeblood of the Middleburg and Loudoun County areas, where ...

The clicketty-clack of 
rubber tires hitting
 highway cement 
separations is the only thing 
that I was really thinking
 about when ...

May I introduce you to The Very Thing...For Her?

Yes, that is the name of a new place to ...

John Rhett moved from Houston, Texas, to Charlottesville, Va., in 1981. He had a double degree in architecture and fine ...

We have all heard about the Eastern Shore. Area natives, especially, know it as a conglomeration of vacation destinations along ...

38012 Delta Farm Lane, Middleburg, Loudoun County, Virginia Price: $16,000,000

Located five miles from the town of Middleburg ...

With the first snow in what seems like well over a year, it is safe to say that we have ...

Many drinkers have yet to acclimate to the regional texture and character of East Coast libations. Our terroir—the flavor ...

Do you want a summer vacation in the winter season? Go to Sanibel Island in Florida. I went with most ...

Middleburg, Va., is revered and down Washington Street. Treading on the beloved as the heart of hunt and coattails of ...

Seeing the joy in a person’s face when receiving a gift is one of the many pleasures of the ...

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a city was founded along a Virginia trade route that led from Richmond to ...

The slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” evokes images of late- night gambling, debauchery and escapades straight out ...

Thanksgiving brings together everything we love about the fall season—the food, the colors, the warmth and intimacy, the cinnamon-flecked ...

The scene looked very familiar.

There she was, biographer Kitty Kelley on NBC's "The Today Show," managing to look ...

s I write this column, Hurricane Sandy approaches our coast from the Atlantic. The eaves and branches outside my window ...

Oysters occupy a unique intersection on the cultural and culinary map. The salty little pearls bring us together, bridging the gap between working class bar fare and high-society gastronomic opulence.

A polo match, a lunch with friends, plus a symposium -- quite the weekend in Upperville, Va., thanks to the National Sporting Library and Museum

“We need the tonic of wildness,” wrote Henry David Thoreau. “We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some ...

Ayrshire Farm opened its doors for a unique event Sept. 15 that offered guest the chance not only to enjoy ...

The National Sporting Library in Upperville, Va., holds many events for the public.

Right now is an incredible confluence of events in the real estate world. Prices of homes seem to have bottomed ...

It’s hard to believe that summer is really winding down. One of the best things about summer dining is pairing a seasonal beer with seafood or barbecue.

As the summer winds down, there is still time for one last, luxurious vacation. Whether you are looking for a ...

The goals of the Maryland’s Best Program -- now in its 11th year and run by the Maryland Department of ...

Nestled in the farmlands of New Windsor, Md., Shepherds Manor Creamery is the premiere destination for sheep cheese in the ...

In 2007, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission started the Buy Local Challenge (BLC) to highlight the economic and environmental ...

For the past few weeks, being out in the sun has been downright masochistic. Stepping outside, the pelting heat was ...

With the 2nd Annual Chefs Go Fresh event on July 16, here is a closer look at some of the local country farms that will be participating.

Washington is within reach of a handful of national resort destinations—many of which have garnered international recognition. From the ...

With summer upon us, many District dwellers will participate in their annual early summer excursions. On long weekends—such as ...

We live in the age of the short, the small, the quick and fast, the compact, the time-saving, the quickie ...

When he planted a vineyard at his home in Monticello some 200 years ago, it was Thomas Jefferson’s dream that vineyards and wines from his native state would one day stand with the great wines of the Old World. In the 21st century his dream has become reality. Virginia wine country is now an international libation destination.

When people talk about a luxurious New England summer getaway, there seem to be two categories: Martha’s Vineyard and ...

The city is known on the whole as a New England summer resort. It integrates the most desirable qualities of ...

This is for people who wake up, head outside, take a deep breath and say, “I love the smell of ...

My sister Molly recently moved to Singapore from Sydney, and for me it proved a great excuse for a trip ...

While it hasn’t been a brutal winter in the District this year, it doesn’t mean we don’t ...

Regional cheesemakers have been taking home national and international awards, and are now on par with France, Vermont, Spain and Switzerland as world-class artisans and producers. For those interested, there are opportunities to get to know their local, cheese-producing community and experience the flavor sensation of locally made cheeses.

Hidden in the foothills of Virginia are some of the most beautiful and luxurious wedding venues in the country. Say goodbye to destination weddings on beaches in the Caribbean, and say hello to the horses and historical mountain landscapes of the Virginia countryside.

A February weekend is the perfect time to drop in on two of America’s grandest old ladies. They are the original spas, the ones who set the standard for American resorts, the Homestead and the Greenbrier.

Unlike many regions around the world, the East Coast offer us the opportunity to grow with the very drinks we sip. And, in Virginia, there is no better combination of beautiful countryside, dynamic beverage offerings and knowledgeable professionals to make a distillery or vineyard visit an unforgettable winter getaway. Or you could always just pick up a bottle of the good stuff at your local wine shop.

Throughout the post-holiday lull of January and February, as we try not to let our winter weight-gain springboard from the ...

While new wineries continue to pop up across the East Coast from New York to North Carolina, there is no ...

No matter where you live, the season doesn’t feel complete without tuning in to see that annual Macy’s ...

The notion of "antiquing" in quaint outskirt towns might seem like a bit of a cliché. It does tend to ...

Every year for the last four decades, a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has opened its doors to ...

For true Washingtonians, oysters are more than just a seasonal treat—they’re in your blood. Chesapeake Bay oysters have ...

Autumn is sneaking up on us. The nights are growing colder and the clouds are holding back the sun’s ...

On a cool fall morning last year, my daughter was out for a routine hack on her event horse when ...

There really is no Delmarva summer experience as quintessential and satisfying as digging into your very own bucket of Chesapeake blue crabs. And these days, Ttere are enough authentic crab houses in the Metro area to satisfy even the most stringent crab purists.

In the small community of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, nestled safely within the Allegheny Mountains, lies one of this ...

Like Georgetown, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island are two New England destinations where rich history, boutiques, food and culture ...

It’s the middle of summer and the heat is rising. What is the best way to escape? Traveling north to Newport, Rhode Island. This coastal city, located in Aquidneck Island, is not just a relaxing getaway with resorts, restaurants and amusements, but also an area that is rich in history. Enter through Bellevue Avenue and you’ll instantly see how history effortlessly converges with the present.

Everything you need to know for a summer getaway in the Outer Banks.

Although Annapolis may be best known for being the home of the U.S. Naval Academy, the serene, bayside town is also the perfect location for a quick and easy getaway from the hustle and bustle of D.C. No more than an hour’s drive away (around 32 miles), this charming town is a mere hop, skip and jump from the city. Unique shops, restaurants and bars line the main street and quiet B & B’s are within walking distance, making it easy to enjoy the downtown social scene before escaping into the cozy solitude of a old-fashioned inn.

Quaint shops, hotels and restaurants line the streets of downtown Lexington, which teems with local flavor and small-town charm.

The birthplace of George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe and Robert E. Lee, Northern Neck lies between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. Early in America's history, its plantation-owning society was a powerful leader with river transport so easily at hand but the peninsula was left behind by the railroad and the nation's expansion. Today, we benefit from this pause in time.

A short two-hour drive southwest of D.C. lays the hidden treasure of Orange County, Va., waiting for weekenders to enjoy the quietness of the hills and the warmth of the sun. Noted for quaint bed and breakfasts and scenic, historic sites, Orange County is a great local escape.

With the summer season here, what better way to embrace the D.C. social scene than by attending a polo event? Never been? Well here is a quick how-to guide on breaking into the polo scene and becoming a polo-ite with ease and class.

On June 18, Salvatore Ferragamo, (Grandson of the famed Italian designer), John Walsh of America's Most Wanted, and Tim Gannon, co-owner of Outback Steakhouse, and other polo greats, will play in the Van Metre Polo Cup. Inaugurated in 2007, the competition will benefit Capital Caring and the new Adler Center for Caring on the Van Metre Campus.

For years, Rehoboth Beach has been a signature summer getaway for Washingtonians. From the beaches, to the boardwalk, to Funland, Rehoboth Beach offers tons of options for families visiting “The Nation’s Summer Capital.”

Horse and hunt country lovers traveled from as far as Middleburg, Va., as well as nearby Georgetown to the Kalorama townhouse of the Johnsons for a cocktail reception to benefit the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, May 19. The library's board chairman Manuel (Manley) Johnson and vice chairman Jacqueline Badger Mars served as event hosts.

When Colonel Richard Henry Dulany organized the first Upperville Show in 1853, the program listed two classes: one for colts, the other for fillies. 158 years later, the Upperville Colt and Horse Show spans seven days and includes over two thousand horse and rider combinations, 28 awards and eight competitive events.

Escape from the midday heat of the Upperville Horse Show and stop into the neighboring National Sporting Library.

Talbot County, Maryland is the only area with the charm, history and abundant seaside culture to suit everyone from weathered, Kennedyian sailors to eager day-trippers.

While new wineries continue to pop up across the East Coast from New York to North Carolina, there is no region gaining more ground in both quality and recognition than the greater Charlottesville wine region. Farmers over the past 200 years cultivated the soil for fruit crops like apples and peaches, which set an ideal stage for what is now known as the Monticello American Viticultural Area (AVA).

For a few hours in May, the Georgetown Garden Tour permits visitors to peek at the constantly evolving private gardens of the neighborhood. Saturday May 7th marks the 83rd annual tour, where large and small private gardens in both the East Village and the West Village will open their doors to visitors throughout the day.

Trump told the Washington Post he sees the purchase as a great real estate deal, but not as an opportunity to continue the wine making of previous owner of the vineyard, Patricia Kluge. “I’m really interested in good real estate, not so much in wine,” he said.

Low-lying fences of dry, stacked stone run along the twisting roadsides, separating the asphalt from the rolling country beyond. What could be taken as a picturesque scene from an English painting is actually Virginia’s Loudoun County, the heart of America’s Horse Country.

The Garden Club of Virginia will continue to nurture Virginia’s deeply rooted history during Garden Week, April 16 – 23, showcasing some of the finest properties the state has to offer.

In the streets of Easton, Maryland, leaves are unfolding and residents and local businesses are warming up for spring, a ...

The Piedmont Environmental Council has jumped on board with Buy Fresh Buy Local, a national non-profit organization and campaign dedicated to rebuilding local food systems. Chapters are developing all over the United States, promoting and connecting consumers with fresh produce from local farmers.

Williamsburg Va. is a historical and cultural getaway that is a breed above and miles apart from your standard colonial fair. It’s the home of living history, where modern luxuries and cherished customs combine in a melting pot of the young and the old, the contemporary and the traditional, casting a new light on the roots of the American experience.

Coming up the winding driveway, just across the railroad track and beyond a horse pasture, I was greeted by a ...

In 1998, a great barn was built in Keswick, VA on the Castle Hill estate, just a stone’s throw from Charlottesville and Monticello. Architect John Rhett has turned it into The Barn at Castle Hill Cider, a two-in-one events space and traditional cidery.

Loudoun, VA is home to the wineries nearest the District. The wine culture is not as old as those further ...

There are countless, warm surprises at the Fox’s Den Tavern in Middleburg, VA, recently opened by Charlie Carroll and longtime companion Christie Knoff. If lighting is everything, this cute couple has brilliantly succeeded with a sophisticated ambiance worthy of any great dining establishment. And wait for us to get started on the food...

Thanksgiving is ancient history now. And as the trees shed those last few colorful stragglers refusing to join the pile ...

Come December, more and more travelers fancy Christmas in a country village, and nowhere will you find a Christmas experience quite like Middleburg’s.

Walking around Cleo Braver’s backyard, looking out onto the Goldsborough Creek as hundreds of geese acclimated to their winter stead, it was easy to get lost in the crisp afternoon warmth. The East Coast and Bay area is a place of surprising beauty, even to those of us who have lived here all our lives. But it takes a certain kind of person to grow something out of that beauty. Leaving your job to start your own organic farm and promote Bay awareness and safe farming practices may not seem to be the most practical decision for most people, but for Braver, it was the only option.

With November upon us, many living in the District will participate in the annual fall exodus. On the weekends, Washington residents retreat to their preferred autumnal sanctuaries. Resorts and B&Bs throughout Maryland and Virginia play host to those reveling in the year’s most mild and fleeting weather. Such traditional draws are a staple of the autumn spell.

On a leisurely two-hour drive from Washington DC through Piedmont wine country, past farms and orchards, we stopped for lunch in the one-light historic town of Madison at Susie’s Madison Inn. Its cheery and charming restaurant, with country French decor, served us a delicious lunch of wild mushroom soup, mountain trout, calves liver and bacon, and a mozzarella salad with heirloom tomatoes from nearby Shady Grove Gardens.

Washington residents have a variety of options when it comes to fall travel. From the colonial environment of Williamsburg to the bucolic feel of Middleburg, each place has a character all its own. Bed and breakfasts have a way of bottling their locale’s essence. All it takes is finding the one that piques your interests and heading out on the tree-lined road to get there. A visit to any of these remarkable destinations will make this autumn unforgettable.

Las Vegas, Nevada, is a blessing and a bet. Once a simple railroad stop with its underground springs and “meadows,” as its name means, the city sits at the intersection of America’s great deserts and west of one of this nation’s greatest natural wonders: the Grand Canyon. During the Great Depression and the construction of the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas decided to allow and profit from gambling and other sins. And it has not looked back much since . . . until now.

Once called Trinacria, which roughly means the Triangle, Sicil is a three-cornered island at the edge of western Europe that tips towards North Africa and points at Greece, connecting East to West. Six thousand years and eleven periods of foreign domination have enriched the island’s architectural history along with its folklore and gastronomical traditions to create a social and cultural patrimony of great distinction. Over centuries, Phoenician, Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish, Norman, Swabian, Angevin and Aragonese all arrived to enjoy Sicily, and all left their own mark on the island’s art, food, and culture.

It’s finally autumn. At least that’s what the calendar says. Despite our region’s exceedingly hot and dry weather, the days are shortening and the leaves have begun to change color. In fact, there are only a few weeks until the autumn foliage reaches its peak. This season, the peak is expected to be shorter than usual because of the dryness during the growing season. Hopefully our recent rains will plump up the leaves a bit.

The National Sporting Library Benefit Polo Match and Luncheon on September 19, sponsored by The Georgetowner, was not only an incredible success, but a gorgeous event spectacle and a delightful afternoon. As the sun shown gently from above and the cool breeze whisked through the summer tent, guests and donors gathered around to take part in a silent auction of equestrian-themed merchandise, delicious food, fine company, and world-class polo at the Virginia International Polo Club, located at historic Llangollen in Upperville, Virginia.

At this moment, equestrians worldwide eagerly await a letter bestowing the honor of competing in D.C.’s 52nd Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). For many riders, the summons will not come. Yet, between October 26th and 31st, 500 elite-level riders will enter the ring at the Verizon Center, vying for prize and prominence.

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “A polo handicap is a passport to the world.” In my opinion, it is a ...

Can it get any better than illumined leaves, chilly evenings and harvest season on farm and vineyard alike? Actually, it ...

Plans are underway for Headwaters Foundation’s 13th Annual Taste of Rappahannock, widely considered one of the county’s most popular fundraising events.

Just in time for summer’s proverbial dog days comes the National Sporting Library’s newest exhibit, “Lives of Dogs in Literature, Art and Ephemera,” a one-room shrine to man and, more importantly, man’s best friend.

The July 24 “Dog Day in The Plains,” despite the oppressive heat and humidity, gave the Middleburg Human Foundation a chance to strut a number of its furry residents before the public.

At Twilight Polo events at Great Meadow, fans get more than just exciting sports matches. Attendees can expect theme nights, a mascot for kids and the option to tailgate.

Summer is here, and for many, that means a much-needed break. Think fun in the sun, foreign flings, films, food and a chance for the exotic to become the exciting every day. Looking for a new destination? This summer, set your bearings for New England.

Farmers' markets: a congregation of local and regional farmers who harvest their produce at dawn, load it up in a pick-up, drive into town, and set up shop. Sounds just about perfect.

This spring, D.C. fashion photographer Yvonne Taylor drove across the country to her son's wedding in California. Let's just say she took the scenic route.

Virginia now boasts about 160 wineries, with more on the way. Vintner Doug Fabbioli gives us an update on the latest vintage

Kathy Corrigall visits Upperville, VA, to celebrate the oldest horse show in the United States.

Kathy Corrigall has the scoop on hunt country hangouts over Memorial Day weekend.

Every trip to the town of Middleburg, VA, warrants a visit to a special place: The White Elephant. Since my ...

Whether it’s Versailles or Georgetown, anyone who has spent time in a garden understands the positive impact such a space has on one’s overall attitude and well-being.

This year, more than twenty race meets and point-to-points will be run in Virginia, giving spectators ample opportunity to experience the exciting sport of steeplechase.

Following is a sampling of the race meets and point-to-points scheduled for the spring of 2010. For a complete list ...

With this surplus of residual snow comes a unique opportunity for those itching for a relaxing weekend getaway.

In the morning he would explode from the stable doors, a chaff-colored blur of lolling tongue and drumming footpads and ...

It’s a battle fought over noise, lighting, property and business rights, with outspoken and vehement players on both sides ...