4 out of 5 Dogs Recommend Essex County
Fun Fact: In his 2007 number one single Kiss Kiss, Essex County native and King of R&B Chris Brown, includes the line “I’m a country boy from Tappahannock.”
In the early 1600s, Captain John Smith, the area’s first tourist, sailed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay in a shallop and visited what is now Essex County.
Diagram of a shallop – Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/john-smith-shallop.htm
More than 400 years after Captain John Smith traveled through the area (describing it as “excellent”), our pack visited Essex County looking for dog friendly activities.
Our dogs rated their experiences & they awarded 5 out of 5 stars to rated categories.
- Things to See & Do ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Where We Ate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Where We Wish We had Stayed (not rated)
Things to See & Do ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Duke Street Beach
Duke St. Tappahannock
Jake on the water with a row of cormorants perched in the background
Jake says “Bow WOW,” to dog friendly kayaking (with emphasis on the WOW.)
Today, visitors no longer need to bring a shallop to explore the area tidewaters. The Duke Street Beach kiosk in the town of Tappahannock rents out kayaks and paddle boards (plus paddles and life jackets) through the Rent Fun app.
Jake espies an osprey’s nest during his kayaking adventure.
Rappahannock River Park
Newbill Dr., Tappahannock
Grendel getting his feet wet
Lisa: Hey Grendel. Did you like getting in the water at Rappahannock River Park?
Grendel: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
We humans appreciated the park’s beautiful setting, easy access parking, boat launch, shaded picnic area, grassy space for dog walking, and information station about the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail.
The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail follows Smith’s 3,000 mile route taken in 1608 that includes Tappahannock.
See the map and more information here.
The son of a farmer in Lincolnshire, England, Smith was supposed to follow in his father’s footsteps but yearned to explore the world. Smith left home at age 16 and served as a mercenary in France. In addition to adventure, the experience provided Smith with sailing, mapping, and leadership skills.
Illustration of Captain John Smith, 1624, Source: STC 22790, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
These skills served Smith well in later years when he helped found the Jamestown colony and explored Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay region. Smith created a detailed map that remained in use for 70 years.
Map of Virginia created by Captain John Smith. Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
During Smith’s travels, he made contact with the Rappahannock tribe at their village Toppahanook.
My edits on the map of Virginia created by Captain John Smith. Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
Historical Walking Tour
Downtown Tappahannock
Speaking of maps, the town of Tappahannock provides this handy map for visitors to take a self-guided walking tour.
Source: https://www.essexva.gov/visiting/page/walking-tour
Established in 1680, many of the town’s structures date to early in our nation’s history.
Amos offered no comments about the self-guided walking tour but wanted to know when he would be receiving treats.
Amos looks for treats in Tappahannock
Rotary Poor House Park
704 Poor House Road, Tappahannock
Mack, Amos, and Grendel head down a trail at the Rotary Poor House Park.
The park provides two trails through the forest. As the map shows, one trail maintains level elevation while the other trail descends to the Piscataway Creek.
Our 4-legged pack members could not be reached for comment about the Rotary Poor House Park trails because they were too busy sniffing things.
Here’s a map of the trails.
Tappahannock/Essex County Animal Shelter (TECAS)
540 Airport Rd., Tappahannock
We stopped by TECAS, met their absolutely delightful staff, and many sweetie pies eager to find forever homes.
Buddy, Puppy and Gibson gave us a very warm welcome.
For anyone who wants to send love and support, here is the TECAS Amazon wish list and donation information.
LOVEworks
There’s certainly no shortage of LOVE in Essex County.
Residence, Water Lane, Tappahannock
303 Queen St., Tappahannock
Residence, 34160 Tidewater Trail, Center Cross
Amos did not comment on the Essex County LOVEworks but wanted to know when he would be receiving treats.
Amos continues looking for treats in Essex County.
Where We Ate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Java Jacks
504 S. Church Ln., Tappahannock
Hey Grendel: What did you think when our server brought out a complimentary serving of bacon just for dogs?
Grendel: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
These are the “Jacks” at Java Jacks — made from delicious fried dough — which didn’t last long at our table.
NNBurger
303 Queen St., #911, Tappahannock
Look, Amos! NN Burger has treats.
Dog friendly service included bowls of ice water on a hot day and (Amos was thrilled to learn) a generous supply of treats.
To-Do Café
1008 Church Ln., Tappahannock
We placed the To-Do Café on our To Do List and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with a seafood feast. Then we ordered an entire key lime pie to go!
The servers at the To-Do Café take great care of the 4-legged customers in the restaurant’s dog friendly screened-in patio.
Our foster dog Snowy had a lot to say about his experience at the To-Do Cafe.
“I appreciated their attention to detail, from the warm welcome and bowls of ice water to the delectable menu items. My table companions relished their crab cake and shrimp dishes and I can personally attest that the fries were cooked to perfection.”
Where We Wish We Had Stayed
The Essex Inn
203 Duke St., Tappahannock
We live close enough to Essex County to make our road trip a day trip, but for a longer stay we would definitely want to book one of the dog friendly suites at The Essex Inn.
…but where ever you stay during your visit to Essex County, we suggest watching the Chris Brown documentary, “Welcome to My Life.” It’s a wild, rocky ride and it begins in the town of Tappahannock.
Road Trip Reads
These two books and one podcast episode are all found on Audible for easy road trip listening.
Roving through Virginia with Rover 
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