Victoria July/August 2022

Summer days seem to go on forever—their golden rays of sunshine illuminating a range of possibilities for filling endless hours with delight. Whether my calendar holds the reassuring warmth of camaraderie or a cooling breath of solitude, the promise of beauty remains constant throughout this season. Already, my journal brims with cherished moments, including travels to distant shores, alfresco meals shared with friends, and quiet strolls through my garden. Recalling annual sojourns to Martha’s Vineyard, Elaine Mellen writes, “I leave mundane worries on the ferry as peace washes over me like the gentle waves breaking on the nearby sand.” Find her memories of the Massachusetts island on page 113, and discover the many charms of Northern Michigan on page 23. Plus, on page 95, escape to the Virginia countryside to visit…

Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite July/August features: Long Island Escape Visit Kelli Delaney Kot’s lovely Hamptons home, where breezy interiors and brimful gardens offer spaces for welcoming a host of family and friends. Fare to Remember Taking inspiration from chefs in the Victoria test kitchens, follow our tips for designing artful and delicious charcuterie boards that celebrate the bounty of summer. A Toast to Camaraderie Willa Van Nostrand, founder of Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails, shares a signature beverage recipe served during Creative Days with friends at Weatherlow Farms. A Sense of Homecoming Reflecting on all of the places where they have lived, from cozy cottages to historic properties, readers open doors to memories of their favorite abodes. We…

The first time I drove past my Victorian lady on a quiet tree-lined street in rural New England, my heart skipped a beat. I turned the car around immediately. It was 350 miles north of Baltimore, where I lived and worked, but I had been secretly longing to put down roots there, near my childhood hometown. The dilapidated house was built by a jeweler around 1880, but she no longer looked like a jewel box: Her paint was peeling, her footings were rotting, squirrels hid in her attic, and her foundation had visible holes! Still, I marveled at her vast wraparound porch, tall windows with wavy glass, and steep roof lines. “For sale by owner” was barely legible on a sign taped to a newel post; the price, unapproachable. But I…

When I was young, one of my favorite books was The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. The writing was simple, the illustrations soft and whimsical. It told the story of a small cottage set in the country, existing happily through generations until the city creeps in, the people move out, and the structure falls into utter disrepair. But then—and here’s the important part—the great-great-granddaughter of the original builder finds the house, lifts it up, moves it to the countryside again, and makes everything better. So, it’s probably no coincidence that I have always been attracted to (we won’t say obsessed with, although it fits) old houses. Barns. Sheds. The less paint the better. Wavy glass in the windows, an ivy-covered chimney, an overgrown walkway—each one an invitation to the imagination. “As…

“LIFE, NOW, WAS UNFOLDING BEFORE ME, CONSTANTLY AND VISIBLY, LIKE THE FLOWERS OF SUMMER THAT DROP FANLIKE PETALS ON ETERNAL SOIL.”—Roman Payne…

A breeze glides in from Lake Michigan, tickling the shores and tempering the heat of another beautiful July day in Leelanau County, often referred to as the “little finger of Michigan’s mitten.” The area brims with small communities that grow a bit larger when summer residents return to the cottages that have been in families for generations, where children spend their days riding bicycles and running barefoot with nary a cell phone in sight. Mother Nature is at her very best here, with acres of fertile farmland dotted with postcard-perfect barns and thirty-three in landlakes—in addition to the Great Lake that wraps around Leelanau Peninsula. Bountiful orchards, at their peak in midsummer, produce more cherries than any other county in the country, while pockets of sunflowers sway in the fields, tilting…