Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

One of the prettiest restaurants I’ve ever eaten at was a seafood (well… lakefood?) place in Mackinaw City, Michigan. I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me, but it looked like a home you’d find on the Outer Banks. It wasn’t just upscale in menu offerings—it was nearly up in the clouds, it felt, perched on stilts high atop the rest of the buildings in the area.

Virginia has its fair share of beautiful places to eat, too, and Aila Boyd has all the details for you in our story below. I’m so glad you’re here. 

Several restaurants in Virginia, like Waterman’s Surfside Grille, provide scenic views with scrumptious eats. (Courtesy of Waterman’s Surfside Grille)

Here’s what you need to know: Great food is one thing, but a meal with a view takes the dining experience to another level. Across Virginia, restaurants offer stunning backdrops—whether it’s waterfront scenery, city skylines, or mountain vistas.

Our top picks:

• Perched atop a historic building in the heart of Fincastle, 1772 Rooftop Bar offers an unforgettable dining experience with sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Named after the year Fincastle was founded, the rooftop space overlooks the historic courthouse—originally designed by Thomas Jefferson—and follows the path Lewis and Clark once traveled.

• Located along the Alexandria waterfront, Blackwall Hitch offers a dining experience that blends the rich heritage of the Chesapeake Bay with a modern coastal tavern atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive outdoor patio provide stunning views of the Potomac River, making it an ideal spot for a leisurely meal or evening out.
• Few places capture the essence of Virginia Beach dining quite like Waterman’s Surfside Grille, where fresh seafood meets stunning oceanfront views. Located along the boardwalk, the restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious outdoor patio, ensuring every meal comes with a front-row seat to the Atlantic.

Hungry for more? We’ve got more places to enjoy a gorgeous dining experience at our link below.

We asked, you answered. 

On Monday, we posed the question: What do you like or dislike about the “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban in Virginia schools?

Your responses rolled in, and they came from folks on both sides of the issue. One person even answered our question with one of their own: “Why do kids need phones in school?”

I’d like to highlight one message we received from Irene C. She noted that while she didn’t feel students needed their phones out during the school day, she felt it was “highly hypocritical of the Youngkins and their administration to do this when they—and even leaders in this country—have refused to address the gun violence issue that has caused a lot of mass shootings in schools and across the country.”

Want to join the conversation? Write to me at amie@couriernewsroom.com to express how you feel.

United Auto Workers members walk in the Labor Day parade in Detroit, Sept. 2, 2019. (Associated Press/Paul Sancya)

By Jamie Stengle at The Associated Press

From barbecues to getaways to shopping the sales, many people across the U.S. mark Labor Day—the federal holiday celebrating the American worker—by finding ways to relax.

While actions by unions in recent years to advocate for workers are a reminder of the holiday’s activist roots, the three-day weekend it creates has become a touchstone in the lives of Americans marking the unofficial end of summer.

Its origins date back to the late 19th century, when activists first sought to establish a day to pay tribute to workers.

The first Labor Day celebration in the U.S. took place in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882, when some 10,000 workers marched in a parade organized by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor.

Workers were seeing their quality of life decline as they transitioned from artisan to factory jobs, even as the quality of life of factory owners was “just skyrocketing,” said Todd Vachon, an assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.

In the years that followed, a handful of cities and states began to adopt laws recognizing Labor Day. President Grover Cleveland signed a congressional act in 1894 making it a federal holiday.

• The invasive red-and-white spotted lanternfly has now spread to more than half of Virginia’s counties and cities. Officials are ramping up research to determine how to best target the pests and provide vineyards with clear guidelines on when to spray pesticides. (Read more here)

• President Donald Trump stripped more federal employees of their union rights this month, this time at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency. On Aug. 10, Trump revoked the collective bargaining rights of over 370,000 federal employees at the VA. (Read more here)

• “I remember very clearly the moment I knew I was done. I could no longer practice as a women’s health care doctor in Texas.” In her own words, a Texas physician explains why she now helps women in Virginia. (Read more here)

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