Tides Inn in Virginia - A Special Destination

Dining on the patio at Tides Inn - ©Mary Montague Sikes

This weekend we spent two days at the Art Market in Tides Inn at Irvington, Virginia. This is a beautiful setting that has become a summer destination for many, especially people who live in the metropolitan Washington DC and the Baltimore areas.

After several years with economy-related decline in guests, it was delightful to see renewed vitality and excitement at the resort that was built on an historic farm site in 1946. Located on Carters Creek in sight of the Rappahannock River, the inn quickly became an important destination not only for vacationers but also for area residents wanting a memorable dining experience on special occasions.

For years, going to Tides Inn for Memorial Day weekend has signaled the beginning of summer. However, on Saturday, the cold, windy weather felt more like late fall. I felt sorry for those heading out with tennis racquets to the courts.

For lunch on Saturday, we drove over to the famous Golden Eagle Golf Course. The dining room there features pulley-driven fans that were bought from a New Orleans restaurant and, according to our waitress, are much older than the golf course building where the restaurant facility is located.

Sunday, the weather was beautiful--perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities at the resort. As we sat on a deck overlooking the chilly water, we watched two swimmers cross the long distance to the opposite shore and back. Others were out enjoying their various types of boats. It was a lovely beginning for summer.

Sailing at Tides Inn ©Mary Montague Sikes

For the Art Marketplace, I made a few archival cards of the animals I created for the A to Z Challenge A Painting a Day. Following the show, I left a variety of those cards in the gift shop at Tides Inn.

After many years of ownership by the Stephens family, Tides Inn is now a "preferred boutique" in the Enchantment Group. They also own and operate the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona--one of my favorite places in all the world.