Our Anniversary Getaway to The Tides Inn — Virginia’s Beloved Coastal Resort

For our 3rd anniversary we ventured to the Tides Inn. A lovely costal getaway in the Northern Neck of Virginia. The last time we were there was a birthday trip for Miles. We were in the throws of wedding planning (and everyones opinions — solicited or not — lol) and decided it was a good time to getaway.

This trip was a romantic getaway and we decided to drive making fun little stops along the way. From Old Town straight to the Tides Inn takes about 3 hours. If you boat it’s about a 5 hour cruise.

It’s actually a great destination for a boating party. So many things to do that everyone in the party finds something of interest there. The Tides Inn has a marina on the property just down from the main house. And should you find yourself sans car, the resort has bicycles available should you wish to venture into the tiny town of Irvington.

The Tides Inn describes itself as “Virginia’s Beloved Coastal Resort” and with good reason. The Chesapeake Bay resort is situated among the calm of Carter’s Creek in the Northern Neck of Virginia on the picturesque peninsula of Irvington, Virginia.

Details matter when defining yourself as a luxury resort. And you start to notice those details the moment you step out of the car. You’re greeted with a huge jug of lemonade in a glass jar, with cups and napkins presented in a picnic hamper, along side a cookie jar filled with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

While Miles checked us in, I snapped some pictures in one of my favorite rooms. It’s a lovely parlor with seating areas to satisfy a romantic twosome flirting over cocktails, a family making memories with a game night, or a work group strategizing over coffee. Each area in the room has it’s own distinct look but they work so well collectively. So much fun costal decor to look at!

We’ve previously stayed in both the main house and in rooms among the cabins. The cabins are very close and the walk is along well manicured grounds. This time we opted for a vista suite with a private balcony in the Windsor Cabins (vista suites in the main house don’t have balconies). It was very comfortable and secluded.

The resort has been recently renovated but you can still feel the charm of it’s 1947 inception. I can totally picture Wally and the Beave on their 1950’s family vacation with Ward and June. But don’t confuse my fictional picture with the resort being antiquated or without activities.

The Tides Inn boasts so many things to do — ranging from sailing lessons, paddle boarding, golf, spa treatments, and (one of my personal favorites) croquet.

When thumbing through the activities book I noticed Croquet and Chardonnay on the menu. I thought, well that sounds like some Instagrammable fun while playing America’s beloved lawn game.

The Croquet and Chardonnay experience includes chardonney paired with hors d’oeuvres that sit off-boundary while you enjoy playing the Queen of Games.

We went to the Activities Office to sign-up only to discover that this was actually a team building activity. Which I think is brilliant! And not just for a corporate retreat but also a fun and memorable family experience.

The activities chap offered to set-up a game on the croquet lawn and teach us the proper rules (it’s been so long since we’ve played). They were open until 8 o’clock every night but we never quite got our chance this trip. I confess, I think it would be lovely in the fall or spring when the weather is a bit cooler.

Another confession, this turned into a rather lazy vacation for us. It’s the first time we’ve been away since our European vacation where it was go-go-go everyday for a month and this Chesapeake Bay getaway turned into pure relaxation.

We spent most of our time down at the pool overlooking the sandy “beach” along Carter’s Creek. Floating around the pool to cool off. Loosing ourselves into our current Kindle reads. Having Strawberry Daiquiris and Coronas fetched from Fish Hawk, the Tides Inn’s new poolside restaurant. Watching the excitement of the children as they caught crabs. And spying into the 50th anniversary vow renewal of a couple and the family they built over the decades.