It’s an easy four lane highway that I drive up, where houses, open fields and businesses welcome me to the area. As I get closer to town and the lanes merge, the air seems to shift like a coastal breeze coming in with the tide. And while I can’t hear or see it yet, my salty soul picks up that water is nearby, making me smile as I park my car and set-off into town.
Tappahannock is the oldest town in Essex County located about an hour north-east of Richmond. They have one official LOVE sign painted outside of NN Burger, which boasts to be the largest LOVE mural in Virginia.
As I enter the main town, I see my first stop at Java Jack’s Cafe, a second place winner in Virginia Living Best Of in 2024. As I walk into the house, now turned restaurant, my eyes immediately go to the cute tables and chairs with different bright and colorful linens. You might feel a ‘beach vibe” as you sit down, which adds to the ambiance of the place.
The menu offers a nice selection of breakfast and lunch items, with a southern-country flare. I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Church Lane Special’, eggs cooked your way with sausage and their signature Jacks (small fluffy doughnut holes).
From there, I take a walk towards the Essex County Museum, part of their mission “To Preserve the rich heritage and history of the county.” As I travel these small towns, I continue to be impressed with the quality of how they capture the history of their area. And this place is no exception.
You will find wall texts and artifacts displayed throughout highlighting the importance of the Rappahannock river and its watermen, African-Americans and their role in history, and “extraordinary women” in Essex history. They also have a small gift shop that offers locally made items and books from local authors. As a reminder, check websites for their latest opening hours to be sure you don’t miss this great location.
Walking back to my car, I made sure to see some of the many historic buildings in town. Some of the ones I saw included – Scots Arm Tavern, a private home, built circa 1680, making it the oldest house in town; 1710 Tavern, one of Virginia’s oldest taverns, now fully renovated and ready for you to explore; and the Essex County Courthouse built in 1848 to replace the old courthouse, now Beale Memorial Baptist Church. If you enjoy historic buildings and homes, they offer a nice walking and driving tour guide so you know where to go.
Continuing my stroll through town, I happened upon the Tappahannock Art Gallery, aka TAG. Oh what a quaint, lovely display of artwork they have here! If I could, I would cover every wall and shelf in my house with art, and I wanted to take all of their items home with me. Since I had some self-control that day, I left with a small floral original that now sits on our bedroom dresser.
As I was leaving, the staff shared they partner with other local businesses, setting the stage for ‘date night’. Once a month, couples start off at the gallery to view the featured artist of the month, then stop over to Act XII for wine, and 1710 Tavern for dinner.
After all of the walking, my appetite is back so I step into NN Burger, another 2024 recipient of Best of Virginia Living. It has a fun atmosphere that offers appetizers, burgers, sandwiches/wraps, salads, shakes and beverages. Brett (my husband) joined me for lunch and he enjoyed their classic “build-a-burger” and I caved into temptation and ordered the Chicken Parm Sandwich (so good!). The staff was super friendly and they said they have live music regularly. In addition to the LOVE sign outside their building, this restaurant and its food is definitely worth the visit.
While you can walk to the next place, I’d recommend driving for all of the unique items you’ll need to put in your car. Acme Antiques is by far one of the coolest and special antique stores I’ve been to (thus far :). Just seeing the outside of the building will make you want to stop and see what’s inside. In addition to eccentric furniture and fun vintage household items, you’ll find fun coastal decor and handmade items of all shapes and sizes.
Next door, the good times continue at Acme Ice Cream Parlor. While it was closed (hours are different during the winter), there were several locals I spoke to that said it’s some of the best ice cream in the area. I hope the next time I’m here, I get to try some of their flavors.
As I make my way home, I finish my trip at Wind Vineyards, a beautiful place to enjoy a glass (or two) of wine. It is important to note the tasting room location is 5178 Richmond Tappahannock Hwy. (I accidentally went to the vineyard farm first, although I learned they have small music festivals there).
When you walk into the tasting room, you are greeted with a large room with a beautiful fireplace and plenty of tables and bar space to enjoy some vino. I savored some of their reds while I ate a homemade caramel brownie I bought on site. When the weather is nice, there is plenty of room outside to get comfortable with a large group. Wind Vineyards will now be on my list of places to enjoy wine in the future.
Tappahannock is a place to love…
Tappahannock is a town where big personality meets subtle charm, providing visitors with the right mixture of exciting finds and laid back places. It’s an area focused on preserving its history while seeking out new ways to enjoy and celebrate the area. And like most towns in the commonwealth, the locals will be happy that you stopped by. If you ever find yourself on US-360 towards the coast of Virginia, make sure you say hi to my new friends in Tappahannock.
*Title is inspired by by the origin of Tappahannock’s name – an Algonquian language meaning “Town on the rise and fall of water” or “where the tide ebbs and flows.”
Want to know more about Tappahannock? Look no further..
♥️♥️♥️♥️
| Official ♥️ Signs Visited = 41 | LOVEworks Official Signs = 336 |
| Unofficial ♥️ Signs Visited = 25 | LOVEworks Unofficial Signs = 400+ |
| TOTAL VISITED = 66 | TOTAL LOVEworks Signs = 700+ |
Is this your first Leah LOVES Virginia blog post read? Thank you for taking the time to visit. If you’re wondering how this adventure got started, check-out my first blog post and my about page. Want to stay connected? It’s super easy and you’ll only hear from me when a new blog gets posted. You can also follow along by friending me on my Leah LOVES Virginia Facebook page.
Important note: I always do my best to ensure everything I include in my blogs are factual and that I also give credit and use quotations when pulling information from sources. If you believe there is something included here that needs to be addressed, please email me directly as I want to be sure it is fixed. Thank you and happy LOVE sign hunting.
Leave a Reply