Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

It wasn’t really about the sliced deli turkey tucked between two pieces of Sunbeam bread, complete with a quick spread of mustard. Or about the delicious Midtown Market chicken salad. Nor was it about the Dr. Pepper or the Lay’s Potato Chips.

It was the fact that twice a year (most years) from college through becoming a mom myself, my Dad would put together a picnic lunch for us to enjoy in the back on his truck in the middle of a field at a North Carolina antique show. There’s just something so special about sharing a simple picnic lunch with someone you love—ain’t nothing else like it in the world.

If you’re looking to make some sweet memories this summer, we’ve rounded up some of the most scenic spots to have a picnic lunch in the commonwealth. Enjoy your time because I’m so glad you’re here.

Amie Knowles

Newsletter Editor, Dogwood

Bisset Park sits along the banks of the New River. (Aila Boyd/Dogwood)

Best places to picnic all summer long in Virginia

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: There’s something magical about going for a picnic. Spending time in nature while enjoying a meal with family and friends is the ideal way to spend an afternoon or evening—and Virginia has a plethora of spots that are perfect for picnicking.

Our top pic(nic)ks:

If you want your picnic with a side of history, then First Landing State Park is the place for you. The park is located where English colonists first landed in 1607. Additionally, the park’s waterways have been traveled by countless Native American canoes and Civil War-era patrol vessels.
Bisset Park serves as the ideal picnic location in Radford. It offers pleasant views of the New River, as well as plenty of opportunities to spot birds, dragonflies, and damselflies. After eating, enjoy a stroll along the 3.5-mile riverside trail or let the kids frolic on the playground.
Go for a picnic overlooking Virginia’s capital city at Libby Hill Park. One of three original parks in the Richmond park system, it offers views that resemble those of Richmond on the Thames in England.

Want more places to picnic? We’re highlighting some of Virginia’s best at the link below.

Pick your picnic spot →

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., left, speaks to reporters during a House Oversight Committee hearing deposition on Capitol Hill, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington, as Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, right, listens. (AP Photo / Mariam Zuhaib)

Loudoun’s data centers could be a target; this Virginia congressman has a plan

By Jonny Lupsha

“I believe technology can be a force for good and it can be the solution to a lot of problems we face in society. It can also cause problems. So it’s an important area in policymaking, and I’ve always wanted us to get it right,” said Virginia Congressional Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-10th District).

Subramanyam, who is also a resident of the northern Virginia area he represents, balanced a respect for technology’s potential with genuine concern for rapid data center expansion in an interview with the Dogwood.

Technology has always been a major component of Subramanyam’s political career, beginning when he was appointed as a White House technology policy advisor to former President Barack Obama in 2015. Back then, the attorney led a task force on regulating emerging technology, so it’s perhaps fitting that today he represents Loudoun County, home to more data centers than anywhere in the world—more than 200 data centers, in fact—with another 100 or more on the way.

AI and data centers have become one of the biggest issues at the town halls Subramanyam regularly attends, and in American politics.

Here’s the plan →

This copy of “Christmas After All” by Kathryn Lasky is part of the Dear America Series. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

Christmas in July, part one

By Amie Knowles

Well, push came to shove and a situation I’ve been sticking my head in the sand to avoid recently came crashing down (quite literally). While I won’t get into the particulars, the situation had us sorting through a lot of things we’d put in storage, and we found some pretty cool stuff.

(Also, before any rumors start, nah, y’all, our family is rock solid. These are just material things. We are very fortunate and indubitably blessed, and we’ll be on the other side of this in just a few weeks.)

Ironically, while in the middle of everything, I found this book I purchased for 20 cents a couple years ago at a quarterly Friends of the Library book sale benefiting the Pittsylvania County Public Library.

The fictitious imagining of life in 1930s America by Kathryn Lasky reads like a series of journal entries and is based loosely off of the experiences of her mother’s family. The story follows the young narrator, Minnie Swift, as she tells of life during the Great Depression, a time riddled with economic uncertainty.

The overall moral I take away from the story is that while material things might not be in abundance for Christmas that year, the gumption to make-do and the bonds of togetherness for the people who matter most to her are still well in tact.

I figured if I needed to be reminded of that today, maybe you do too. Even in July.

Read Minnie’s story →

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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 and Jonny Lupsha. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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