While I haven’t been to many “old” bars (we’ll feature those in today’s main story), I have been to a few cool ones. One of my neater bar experiences happened in Massachusetts in 2018. My husband, Kody, our five-month-old kiddo, Colton and I were on a New England road trip, aiming to hit every state up that way.

It was just before 7 p.m. when we went through Boston, and I was driving. Traffic was bumper to bumper, and I’m not sure I breathed once the whole time we were in it. Plymouth Rock was our destination—a true landmark of America’s early days. We got there, parked, and gazed upon what we now affectionately call “Plymouth Disappointment” (if you’ve seen it, you know). 

It was well past dinner time, and we were hungry. Kody saw a pub across the street, and we walked inside. It was one of the coziest little places I’ve ever been. We ordered hot dogs with piccalilli and watched a Boston Red Sox game on the big screen—that’s when we realized why traffic was so crazy. That’s to say bars can be quite the experience, and I’m so glad you’re here to read about some of Virginia’s most historic ones.

By Liz Fleming

Gas is up. Shipping is up. Groceries are up. Electric bills are up.

Conflict halfway across the world is draining your wallet at home—but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Oil is the problem. Clean energy is the exit.

By Amie Knowles

We turned on coverage of the Kentucky Derby last Saturday around 6 p.m., and my husband (Kody), our 8-year-old son (Colton), and I anxiously awaited the big race. See, despite my lack of backyard horses, I’m a horse lover—and thankfully, the boys were happy to oblige for the evening.

During the preliminaries, commentators talked to a number of jockeys, several team owners, and folks of the like. It was pretty clear to us that So Happy, a bay colt born in 2023, was a favorite to win. Neither Kody nor I have ever placed a sports bet, but we each had an extra $10 and figured, why not?

I, the horse enthusiast, split my bet into $2 increments and selected five horses based on tried and true factors—commentators, looks, performance, name-coolness, and Colton’s favorite. My husband, who knows nothing about horses, placed two $5 bets—one off the commentators’ picks and the other off a shot at making history.

Right before the race, Colton’s horse, Great White, became a late scratch. Then, the gates opened—and my hopes and dreams of Derby riches ran away faster than the horses did. None of my picks even made the top three. But then, my husband’s eyes got big. He reached for his phone and muttered, “Man, I hope I did that right.” Within seconds, he realized he’d picked the winner, Golden Tempo, who came from dead last into first place in the final stretch! 

For the past five days, Kody’s called himself the “horse expert”—and said that the winnings are going straight to a nice family dinner at the beach. Not too shabby for just horsin’ around. 

By Dorothy Scott

Some celebrity chefs blow up and quit working in the day-to-day operations of their restaurants, but that isn’t the case for Patrick O’Connell, who opened The Inn at Little Washington in 1978 and has been plating special, beautiful dishes ever since. 

O’Connell is renowned in the food industry, with his nickname being “The Pope of American Cuisine.” It’s his standards that help him rise above the rest—every meal is meticulously prepared because O’Connell knows that quality keeps people spiritually sated. This is so well-established that The Inn at Little Washington has maintained three Michelin stars since 2019, according to its website.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Aila Boyd, Liz Fleming, and Dorothy Scott. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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