Cape Charles, VA

Information in this post is not updated. Please check the web to see if hotels and restaurants featured in this post are still open.

It’s the last days of summer and fall is in the air!  The leaves will start turning soon but before our days in Richmond, VA turn chilly and our menus become “pumpkin spice” everything, there’s still time to celebrate the last days of summer.

Here’s an itinerary of our night and a day in Cape Charles, VA.

We left Richmond at 5:30 pm on a weekday. Rush hour was dwindling down and the scenic drive only took 2 hours with a bit of tunnel traffic in Hampton.  The sun was starting to set as we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and stopped to join other viewers at the Eastern Shore lookout to watch the sunset over the beach.

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We had dinner in town which was a simple fare of fish, pasta, and salad at a cool Irish pub/restaurant called Kelly’s Gingernut Pub.  The interior was attractive with wood and exposed brick.  Service was friendly and the food was good. I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the food!

Where we stayed: Rittenhouse Motor Lodge 

Update: the property is now called Milestone Lodge under new ownership/management.

A quiet and peaceful motel/lodge surrounded by pine trees. Rittenhouse has been around since the 1950’s but it has been well kept and loved by the owner.  Our room was in the back with a big window facing the forest.  The room was clean and had a “bed and breakfast” feel to it that you won’t get with a box hotel/motel room. In the morning, we got our coffee in the lobby and walked the short trail through the forest.

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Breakfast: Cape Charles Coffee House

The restored interior is beautiful with high ceilings and tall windows. We ordered Coffees and a Bagel and Lox each.  The service was fast, friendly and our food was awesome with just the right amount of salmon, capers, onions, and cream cheese.

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Cape Charles Beach

Beautiful! The water was calm and shallow, a perfect peaceful beach. We set our mat down and hung out with our books to soak in our last few hours in Cape Charles.

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Brown Dog Ice Cream

A must when you’re in town.  A cute little place that serves homemade ice cream that feature regular and unique flavors like peach and corn, beet and goat cheese, and even an adult tequila strawberry pineapple. Awesome stuff! I hope they open a branch in Richmond.

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We ordered our ice cream and walked back down to the fishing pier to watch the tide come in. The end of the pier is shaded and was a good place to look out on the water or watch the people hanging out by the shore.

Happy with our beach day, we decided to head back for home with a quick detour to Kiptopeke State Park to see the Concrete Ships. It was historically interesting and I made a mental note to bring our kayaks for next time.

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We were within the Richmond area before rush hour and arrived in the late afternoon recharged for the week ahead. It was a lovely trip! I love quiet beaches and small towns. Cape Charles will not disappoint anyone looking for a quaint beach town that features good food and amazing beach day memories.