From time to time I try to bring up suggestions of places to go and things to do. I have my own favorites and I'm sure that people who live throughout the Northern Neck have a full range of preferences as well.
Recently I spent time at the used bookstore in Warsaw. It is affiliated with RCC and so the funds go to the library or go to the college (I'm not sure). It's a good cause. While there I overheard one man as he and his wife were leaving with a big bag-full of books. He said he had one request and that was that the store moved to Richmond to make it more convenient for them. Obviously this very reasonably priced, and chock-full location is a book lover's dream. And so this couple comes about once a month to find their books in little old Warsaw.
For me, although I have been there before, I had a startling good visit. Part of it had to do with the fact that I gave myself time which is not the most normal of ways I fit in fun. I really took my time...perhaps an hour and left with an armful of hardcovers and paperbacks. The total came to $4 and so I splurged and left $5. What a treat! What fun! Really, although it doesn't look like anything fancy, it is a treasure for someone who wants to find books....and the prices are very right with paperbacks running at 5 for $1.
The hours may cause some to feel challenged since they are only open on Friday and Saturday from 10 to 2. But if you plan and give yourself some reasonable time and get there during those hours, I believe you'll be glad you did.
Two eateries in town have their own specialness. I would expect that just about everyone has stopped in to The Daily there at the main light in town, but if you haven't you should. They have great sandwiches and terrific soups that get ordered quickly on any given day, so don't expect to order a bowl if you come at 1 or 1:30. Just a nice place to stop with good food and good service. Then Relish, which is owned and cheffed by Carol (the sister of the owner of The Daily, K.G.) does her specialty cooking and could surprise the most discerning palate with a dinner out at Relish. I believe they are open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner, so check the web site to be sure. And make time to have a meal there....you won't be disappointed.
Another favorite Warsaw spot is Colonial Collectibles, right there across from the new Family Dollar (which unfortuantely took up a very nice corner of our little town, but I'm not part of those politics and figure the almighty dollar succeeded where planning for a future that didn't look like every strip mall wasn't in the cards....no opinions here!!) Anyway back to Colonial Collectibles.....as you might expect there is furniture and some of it old and nicely refinished. Then there are clothes in the back section....women's and very nice. In the front there is just about anything you would need to decorate your house or your dinner table. There are housewares, artwork, candles and jewelry. A lot of it has a nautical theme and so works well whether it is for your home or for a house warming present. I tend to give gift certificates to my clients to this store because it might be overlooked. Any of my buyers who receive this gift really do enjoy going in and searching for the perfect accent to their homes.
Moving out from the Warsaw area I do find that from time to time I have to spend time and the Essex Square Antiques Mall. It is right there in the same strip as the movie theater. Basically across the highway from Food Lion is where you'll find this storefront. They have just the right amount of stuff to peruse. You can spend an hour or you can spend 15 minutes. The prices are reasonable given the quality and you shouldn't be bored. Nice staffing too. Definitely worth a shot and I'm quite the junker. What I try to do when I junk these days, though, is to confirm that I already have enough stuff and I've done very well over the years when I've acquired. The goal is to see things but not to buy.....most of the time it works.
Moving right along, I'm connected with the Rappahannock Art League and my photos (infused in aluminum) are on display there at their very nice facility on Main Street in Kilmarnock. When I first joined a few years ago I was a bit intimidated, but what I've learned is that it is a generous place with nice people and most everyone is either an artist or is supporting the arts (volunteers are either artists or friends of the arts or just interested). They offer classes and in the summer those classes are geared to kids. Although there is a discount to members, the prices are really reasonable for the quality of class and I know those kids have fun. Both in the spring and fall there are classes for adults that run the gamet....if you look them up and go to their web site you'll learn more http://ralgallery.com/. You never know what it might feel like to start up a new direction in life....try your hand at something creative, spend some time with a great group at the photography group. There's really nothing stopping you!!
Coming a bit full circle I thought I'd let people know that David Fine (who is an agent with River & Rural Realty....the firm behind this web site and blog) has opened a coffee shop in Callao. This is located at the corner in Callao and is open 7 days of the week which is a real plus. (We of the Northern Neck full-time contingent get very tired of trying to figure out when things are open.) They are open 8 to 3 everyday but Sunday. On Sunday they open at 9 and stay open to 3 p.m. On Sunday they also serve breakfast all day for those who are in search of a breakfast place. I really think that this is a terrific idea. Montross has the Art of Coffee. Warsaw has The Daily and now Callao has the Callao Coffee Cafe. What is particularly nice about the Callao location is that it is open on Sunday. I'm pretty sure The Daily isn't and don't know about the Art of Coffee. I think lots of people would like to go out on Sunday, especially after church.
Oh, the other day my clients and I ended up at the Lancaster Tavern. It was Sunday and we rolled up to the CarWash Cafe (which is a nice place to eat) and it was 2 p.m. and they were closing up. Didn't make me happy at all. But with a call to the Lancaster Tavern we were driving up Rt. 3 in pursuit of a late lunch. We weren't disappointed. All of the food was great and the service was very good. Couldn't have been better.
That's about all the rambling for today. Tomorrow is another day and a day to look at how 2016 is holding up in comparison with the previous couple of years. That's coming soon and I'll be very interested. Yes, we already got a bit of a taste of it with my almost three month analysis, but that doesn't tell us the whole year story. We'll see tomorrow. Have a great Sunday!
