Amanda S. Creasey

A bus ride up a mountain to see elk at Breaks Interstate Park
by Amanda Creasey, Outdoors Writer
At 4:45 on a Saturday afternoon in mid-March, I climb aboard a large, white bus idling in a parking lot on the Virginia side of Breaks Interstate Park. For a trip that begins at 5 p.m., I’m a little on the late side, and most of the seats are already taken, so I find myself a spot in the front, directly behind our driver. He introduces himself as Avery and speaks in a vernacular I’ve heard only in...

Dec. 11, 2021, is an unseasonably warm Saturday in Farmville, Va. Gusts of wind rattle the bare branches of the small trees in the town square behindWalker’s Diner, tousling the holiday lights draped around the robust Christmas tree keeping vigil over what would normally be a sleepy Saturday morning.
But there is no sleeping in on this day. A group of trail-runn...

The day is already hot when my parents, my friend, her son, my dogs and I board the Chesapeake Breeze in Reedville, Va., on a late August morning. The air is still and warm, the sun is strong despite the early hour and my skin is already sticky with perspiration. We settle on the second level, near the front of the vessel, and with a startling blast of the horn, it begins to lumber away from the dock.
After about an hour and a half, we dock at Tangier Island. A stark, white cross standing in ...

Colonial Heights High School

Colonial Heights, Virginia

Amanda S. Creasey, Teacher

I stand in the sunshine in the middle of School Avenue on a crisp Wednesday morning in October. The sweet scent of fall–leaves, campfire–slips its invisible fingers between my skin and my mask, and lets itself inside. I inhale deeply. Six feet ahead of me, one of my students shivers, arms wrapped tightly around herself, shoulders tense, trying to ward off the morning chill. Six feet in front of her, another of ...

History and mystery in reopened tunnel

For almost a century, trains rumbled through the Blue Ridge Tunnel, which opened in 1858 and closed in 1944 upon completion of a new tunnel capable of accommodating larger trains.

Today, the tunnel is once again open to traffic, but the only wheels that roll through its cool, damp corridor belong to bikes and strollers.

On a sunny day in June, my party is in Afton, Va., at the mouth of the tunnel’s eastern entrance. I exchange my sunglasses for a headlam...

With the dedication of Clinch River State Park in June, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation added its 41st park to its system. While all of the parks offer a variety of activities, we’ve highlighted some specific attributes of these spectacular parks. By no means are the opportunities limited to what is listed here; it’s just a representative sampling of attractions and adventures. In other words, Cooperative Living readers shouldn’t take our word for it; get out there and ...

This piece explains how to prepare for and enjoy stand-up paddleboarding with dogs. It also details five good places to SUP with dogs in Virginia.

Describes a birdwatching canoe adventure

A narrative piece about life lessons learned when plans go awry.

A local pastor and his two canine companions pray daily in the town gazebo.

A local high school graduate goes on to play professional basketball overseas, returning to the States to teach high school, coach basketball, and ultimately start his own business as a motivational speaker.

Local hair salon reopens under Phase I guidelines
Studio B first opened its doors on April 18, 2017. Not quite three years later, salon owner and master stylist Bethany Yurachek found herself closing them, under orders by Gov. Northam in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. “I was totally shocked in the beginning,” Yurachek said. “I did not realize the magnitude of the virus, but quickly realized that the safety of our clients and staff was first and foremost.”
The temporary...

When R.M. “Dickie” King, Jr. opened King’s Korner Catering and Restaurant in 1982, at the corner of Matoaca and Hickory roads in southern Chesterfield County, he had no idea of the challenge his business would face 38 years later.
The restaurant, which normally operates out of the Chesterfield Airport, employs six full-time staff members with a combined 125 years’ experience and, according to King, “on any given day, 25 additional part-time staff to accommodate corporate events, government ev...

Local emergency nurse, Marine serves on COVID-19 medical team in New York City
In these days of self-quarantine and stay-at-home orders, amid a pandemic unprecedented in modern times, Fred Rogers’s advice to “look for the helpers” has proliferated social media, as well as everyday conversation. Chesterfield resident Joey Shelton has taken the advice a step further. He is not only looking for helpers; he is among them.
Previously, Shelton worked at the emergency department of Chippenham Hospit...

Congratulations to our Excellence-in-Craft Photography Winners!
VOWA is pleased to present the winners of our 2019-2020 Excellence-In-Craft photography contest. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic we did not get to celebrate with these winners at our Annual Meeting. VOWA offers sincere congratulations to each winner and celebrates their outstanding work in this showcase.
Outstanding Published Photos
1st Place: Alvin Finchum
“Chincoteague Ponies”
Alvin Finchum’s lovely photograph of Chincoteague’s...