NORTHERN NECK

The 'Northern Neck' is the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, USA. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties:

★ King George County

★ Lancaster County

★ Northumberland County

★ Richmond County

★ Westmoreland County
Many important historical figures were born on the Northern Neck, including US presidents George Washington and James Monroe, as well as the Civil War general Robert E. Lee. The region is rich in scenic beauty, with 1100 miles of shoreline containing beaches, marinas, old steamship wharfs and small towns that date back to colonial times. Vegetable and grain farming and a strong seafood industry once ruled the land. Before modern highways, many passenger and freight steamboat routes linked the entire Chesapeake Bay region. Today small farmettes, vineyards and wineries are interspersed with retirement communities and rural businesses that share the land of pleasant living. The Northern Neck Tourism Council maintains helpful information for visitors considering traveling to the area. The Tides Inn in Irvington is a notable resort hotel. Reedville claims to have once been the wealthiest town in the United States, due to its shad fishing industry.
In 2004 the Menokin Bluegrass Festival was launched in Richmond County at the ruins of Francis Lightfoot Lee's (a signer of the Declaration of Independence) ancestral home, Menokin. The festival attracts thousands of bluegrass fans every year in a celebration of the Northern Neck's musical and historical heritage.
http://www.northernneck.org
http://www.menokinbluegrass.com