Dragon Run Inn

You would be amazed at what you can find in the small town of Urbanna.  Pieces of Peper is one of a kind.  Peper Heunemann has been an artist all of her life and has always enjoyed creating.  She has made and designed plant holders of jute and pottery. Her watercolor and oil paintings have been displayed and sold in a gallery located in Williamsburg, Virginia.

After attending several jewelry making classes she began designing and making her own line of jewelry. Peper’s jewelry was an instant success and several of the local gift shops began offering it to their customers. Soon she was trying to catch up with her word-of-mouth orders.

In 2009 Peper opened her own retail shop called “Pieces of Peper” located in the Taylor Building in Urbanna, Virginia. She wanted a place that she could display all of her designs and to be able to interact with her clients. 

All the jewelry you see is made by Peper in the store/studio and is Hand-Crafted with .999% Pure Fine Silver.  says "I individually mold, finish and polish each piece and add high quality accents and clasps."  All are stamped with “Peper” on the back, thus authenticating the originality and quality of the piece.

Today Peper is a sanctioned instructor of fine jewelry and a member of the Precious Metal Guild. You can find her in her shop working on a new creation or talking with customers and friends.

Tags: art, jewelry

Trainor Roden's work has appeared in publications, videos and websites, selected for juried art shows and galleries, shown at the state capitol and held in private collections.  In Urbanna you will find his work at "Somethimes In" Studio on Cross Street.

Trainor's artist statement says that "Clarity of subject and sharpness of image are the traditional interests of most photographers.   I prefer a somewhat different orientation:  The Subject is Subjective, with intentionally biased views.  These can be based on angle and breadth of view, lighting, movement, hues, and more.  Sharpenss may glide into softness through focus, intentional camera movement or printing.  The original nature of some images may be disguised.  The goal in each image is to create a Mood and transfer that to the viewer.  I seek less of the "wow" and more the "ahh".  Viewers mentally place my images into scenes beyond the mat and frame, into fields of their own imaginationl  Thus the art, created and perceived, is a partnership."

The piece above just says relaxiation to me and it so soothing.  To see more of his work online and get a list of the various studios where his work is currently hanging go to: ww.trainorphotoart.com/index.html

Come getaway to Urbanna visit "Sometimes In" to get a first-hand look at this beautiful artwork and see what a small Virginia town has to offer, there is something for everyone. 

Tags: photography

Phil Loftis says "The osprey have arrived and we witnessed a female plunging from her perch in a dead tree that we had positioned the boat under, to a point within 10 feet of us.  She hit the water face down, feet extended, completely submerged then reappeared with a mightly thrust of her wings, fish in talons, climbed slowly for altitude and returned to the very branch she had launched from and began eating........looking down on us as if to say "How'd like that show?"  She was so unpreturbed by our presence that I told my daughter that she must be a trained performer that had espcaped from the circus."

Phil is captain of Urbanna Cruises and would love to take you for a cruise and he is offering a 10% discount coupon on his website, www.UrbannaCruises.com.  Plan a weekend of relaxation at the Dragon Run Inn and reserve a cruise on Urbanna Creek, a great spring treat.  Bring your friends and make it a party.

Tags: osprey

Urbanna was formered in 1680 and has had a history of a center of commerce since it's beginning with tobacco being the big product at that time. The town thrived off the tobacco trade until 1830 when the custom house was closed by the state. During the colonial period, British ships off loaded goods and supplies at the port of Urbanna in march of each year. The ship then in turn were loaded with tobacco for their trip hoe.

The town was named Urbanna in 1704 for Queen Anne of England, in 1748 it became the county seat of Middlesex. Today Saluda is the county seat for Middlesex. The Urbanna Oyster Festal is a big event the first weekend in Nov. every year and 70,000+ people come to enjoy the festivities. Boaters enjoy visitng Urbanna jarbpir and others come by land to step back in time and enjoy the small town atmosphere. Come and stroll the streets and visit the unique shops, a number of restaurbants, the old drug store with the soda fountain, or just relax on a bench at Waterman's Park with a good book. The first weekend in December is a great time too. Friday night will be the Christmas Parade and kids can visit Santa at the Fire House. On Saturday the Holiday House Tour always brings a crowd as homes, churches and other historic building will be decked out and open for the holidays.

Come visit and stay awhile.

Tags: House Tour, Christmas Parade, Small Town

The Old Tobacco Warehouse was built in 1766 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the United States associated with the transportation and sale of tobacco.  Sailing vessels from England were manned by British crews and owned by English and Scottish merchants who came seeking tobacco in exchange for goods and supplies.  James Mills, a scottish merchant, purchased the and between 173and 1867 and built a public warehouse.  The warehouse sits on a gentle hillside overlooking the old tobacco rolling road to Urbanna Creek.

Virginians raised tobacco to trade for manufactured goods from the mother country, England; first using the barter system.  The Barrels - hog heads when filled would be approximately 500 pounds.

The warehouse served as a private residence for a time; and also was the Middlesex County Library until 1991 when the new library was built.  The Town of Urbanna took control of the Old Tobacco Warehouse in the mid-1990's and restored it back to its original condition and made it into the Urbanna Visitor's Center lending support to historic preservation showing its importance as a 17th century Colonial building connected with tobacco and water transportation in the develpment of our nation.  Behind the structure, the Historical Gardens Preservation group has started an English Kitchen Garden or otherwise known as an herb garden.

We would love to have you come and spend a few days with us at the Dragon Run Inn and explore historic Urbanna, www.urbanna.com.

Tags: Urbanna, historic, tobacco