Richmond, Virginia

What to see:

Richmond is located along the James River. There is a lot of history and great architecture to view. Many new restaurants and breweries are opening up as well, especially in Scott’s Addition.

What to do:

Take a trip to nearby Pocahontas State Park for some fun in nature. There are also many parks in the city. Go river rafting or stand up paddle on the James River. Use walking bridges to visit Belle Isle and Brown’s Island. Check out some of the free museums in town including the Virginia Holocaust Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Virginia State Capitol, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, and the Maymont are all popular places to visit as well.

Who to bring:

We think that this city would be best experienced by staying at a hotel or Airbnb. There is plenty to do to fill up a long weekend. Having a car would be best so that you can explore different areas of the city and venture out to see a bit more of the beauty that is in Virginia.

How to get around:

Richmond has free parking readily available. There are many areas to walk around. We recommend exploring by car and foot or bike.

What we did:

Our visit to Richmond was on Independence Day. We started our day walking around town and stumbled upon a staircase that seemed to lead to nowhere. We decided to check it out and the truth is… it really did lead to nowhere. People were using it for exercise and there were some faint walking trails leading to a residential area. We visited the Virginia Holocaust Museum, which was a powerful experience detailing experiences of those who suffered through the Holocaust. We also visited an art museum, which was extremely interesting. There was great artwork and all different styles. It was much larger than we anticipated and we enjoyed our time there. We then settled in on the walking bridge over the James River to enjoy the fireworks. The breeze we felt on the bridge was so refreshing and we were able to watch people rafting as well. We recommend the bridges to Belle Island as a must-do. We only spent one day here, but it was beautiful and we would definitely return.