The Northern Neck lifestyle is centered around the outdoors. Most of the "from here's" are farmers, fisherman and other local watermen. The traffic congestion consists of the occasional farm machinery on the highway. Life is very laid back and can be a shock for some who are used to the stress levels of some of the larger cities north of the area. You can almost feel things slow down when you cross the Great Wicomico river coming North from Kilmarnock.
There is a sense of small town USA here with lots or small antique shops, flea markets and 4th of July parades. There are seafood restaurants serving a variety of local catches but, of course, the summer belongs to the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. Dozens of crabbers who will sell you crabs live in baskets so you can take them home and cook them yourself. Or you can elect to call ahead and have them steamed to order and just take the time to pick and eat them on your back deck.
Fisherman will love the access to a myriad of small creeks and streams for fresh water fishing as well as the tributaries and main portions of the Bay for more challenging large fishing. You can fish from the dock, the shore, kayaks, small boats or join one of the dozens of charters that head from all points of the Northern Neck out into the Bay. There are few fishing experiences more exciting than getting into the middle of a huge flock of birds feeding on scraps from the frenzy of bait attacks from huge schoools of stripers late in the fall and wrestling with a trophy size rock fish!
The mild winters, early wet springs and warm summer days make gardening in this area a delight! Coming from the southwestern part of Pennsylvania where I grew up having to chisel through rock and clay to build a suitable place for planting a few pansies it was amazing (and unbelievably heartwarming) the first time I was able to bury my arm up to the elbow in real, honest to goodness sandy loam soil....the kind I had only read about up until then!
I short, if you love an active out of doors lifestyle and a mild change of seasons that stretches the outside activities well into the winter.....you will love the Northern Neck of Virginia.
