Story and Photos by Daniel M. Walker, Contributing Writer

What better way to celebrate the end of summer and refresh the inner spirit than an autumn getaway to the Chesapeake Bay at one of BedandBreakfast.com�s top-10-rated inns? 

The Inn at Tabbs Creek, near Mathews, has been owned and operated since 2009 by Lori and Greg Dusenberry. When I asked Lori and Greg why the inn is so highly rated, they responded, �We are totally dedicated to customer service. It�s in our genes. We want our guests to be absorbed in the Chesapeake experience and leave with memories that will last a lifetime. We love this area and community and we want to share it with our guests.� 

Their approach is deeply rooted in Lori�s past work in customer service and Greg�s as a chef in a very popular restaurant in North Carolina.

The Victorian compound, built in the late 1800s, was the estate of a shipbuilder well-known for building sailing schooners. The inn offers stunning vistas of Tabbs Creek, which empties into Mobjack Bay, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay. In the main house, there are three guest rooms with very pleasing decor.

There are three additional lodging quarters located near the pool area. Two of the poolside facilities aresuites with sitting rooms. �The pool area is very popular with our guests. We try to be as �green� as possible, which includes a chlorine-free pool. We use the same type of filtration system used by the space shuttle, which has no chemicals and the water is pure enough to drink,� said Greg.

Lori added that another big hit with the inn�s guests are the various water activities. On the weekends, the inn offers sunset, lighthouse, and oyster cruises in an original �dead-rise� oyster workboat captained by a real oyster-shucking champion. Visitors can also enjoy the 90 miles of shoreline in the county and around the inn that have been specifically dedicated to kayaking and paddle-boarding.

A big part of any B&B experience is the breakfast. For each guest, Greg prepares a breakfast of fresh fruit and berries, lemon corn-mill pancakes with homemade blueberry preserves, local �hillbilly� bacon, and a baked egg dish consisting of fresh eggs, half and half, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and fresh herbs. What a welcome breakfast treat!  And adding to the experience was learning that all the ingredients are local or come directly from Greg�s garden.

While the inn doesn�t offer lunch or dinner, Lori and Greg recommended a number of good restaurants in the area, one of which I have enjoyed before, The White Dog Bisto. It is very difficult for me to pass a highly reputed restaurant without sampling �the goods.� 

After I visited the inn, I had lunch at Southwind Pizza, owned and operated by Dean Tsamouras. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, I was reminded of another seaside pizza restaurant, Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Conn., made famous by Julia Roberts in the movie �Mystic Pizza.� 

 �Mystic Pizza� will forever be remembered because of the movie, but Southwind Pizza has become a local legend for its charming atmosphere, good service, food, and, as Dean said, �It�s been voted the second-best pizza in Virginia.� To me, pizza is a comfort food, and I truly enjoyed The Big Island Pizza, as well as the Parmesan cheese oysters. The extensive menu not only includes pizza, but many selections of fish, crab, local favorites, and, of course, homemade desserts, like really good Key lime pie.

So there you go ... a great fall getaway suggestion with food recommendations that will touch your spirit, give you an opportunity to meet two gracious innkeepers, Lori and Greg, and a jovial pizzaiolo (pizza chef), Dean, who knows how to provide a real feel for what life is like �in the land of pleasant living� by the Chesapeake Bay.

I would like to thank Cooperative Living reader Harlene Owens for recommending the Inn at Tabbs Creek and Southwind Pizza. If you have tried good restaurants or great getaways that you feel other Cooperative Living readers would enjoy, please email me at dwalker123@ comcast.net. Be of good cheer!

INN at TABBS CREEK

384 Turpin Lane, Port Haywood, VA 23138

[email protected]

804 725-5136

SOUTHWIND PIZZA

44 Church Street, Mathews, VA

804 725-2766