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HELPFUL LINKS:
Northern Neck
Lancaster County
Middlesex County
Kilmarnock
Essex County
Northumberland County
Mathews County
(Regional overview provided in cooperation with the Virginia Tourism Corporation)
In this area of Virginia, defined mainly by the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, boats and marinas may well outnumber cars. Accordingly, the pace of life is more in tune with the movement of the tides rather than the movement of rush hour traffic.
 The maritime heritage of the Chesapeake Bay region is evident everywhere. The Bay, along with the Potomac, Rappahannock and York Rivers, offers perfect venues for yacht cruises, sunfish sailing and charter fishing, for instance. Its freshwater and saltwater wetlands and marshes teem with ospreys, blue herons and other waterfowl. In a different setting, visitors can view loggerhead turtles and sharks at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester. Local restaurants, as well as the popular resorts of Windmill Point and The Tides, serve up succulent fresh-caught seafood, such as blue crab and flounder. And thousands flock to the town of Urbanna each year to celebrate the Urbanna Oyster Festival.
 The Bay region is steeped in history as well. The presence of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Indians, whose ancestors first lived here, is still very much felt. The Northern Neck area has been called "The Pathway of Patriots" because many of the leaders for American independence were born in the vicinity – notably George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, James Madison and James Monroe. Stratford Hall, the birthplace of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, is still a working farm today.
This region of stately plantations intermingled with quaint fishing villages beckons the visitor to leave the fast-paced lifestyle behind.
Photos: Fishing pier at Colonial Beach and Canoeing on the Mattaponi River provided by Dwight Dyke
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