Spring Visit to Richmond



The renovated capital building, Richmond, VA.

The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond.

Just two hours south of our how on 95, we have driven through Richmond plenty of times, but  never took the time to stop and explore this former capital of the Confederacy.  A really hot special from The Jefferson Hotel and a weekend forecast that promised plenty of sunshine finally tempted us to visit our state capital. What we discovered: Richmond is a charming, southern gem of a town. 

Here are the highlights:

One of the charming streets we explored in Richmond.

• The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  This lovely and free museum has an impressive collection of furniture and a nice selection of art from all the major movements.  Set in a lovely section of Richmond, the building fuses old and modern architecture and lives on a stunning campus surrounding by interesting sculpture and landscape.
• The Museum of the Confederacy. Although the museum is a little dated,  I am glad we visited.  I was especially impressed  by the tour of the White House, adjacent to the museum. We had a really fantastic guide who provided some really interesting details about life in the 1860s.
• The Hollywood Cemetery.  This 19th century cemetery is quite lovely to stroll around in and visit the graves of several U.S. Presidents as well as people connected with the Civil War.  Perched above the James River, it was particularly stunning when we visited--the dogwoods in full bloom.
• Exploring the Neighborhoods of Richmond.  From Carytown to Oregon Hill to Shockoe Bottom, we were struck by the bohemian, independent vibe and enjoyed wandering.  Lots of great little boutiques and restaurants to try.  We had a very lovely meal at Acacia, which is on the edge of the Fan District.

The Northern Neck and Tangier Island

A watermen's shack, Tangier Island, Virginia.

To toast the end of graduate school, the DINKs took a small getaway to the Northern Neck of Virginia.  About 3 hours from DC, the Northern Neck is a spit of land that juts out between the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.  Several islands that rest in the Bay are accessible by ferry along the Northern Neck.  The islands and the Northern Neck have long histories when compared to other parts of the United States.  Old plantations--including Robert E. Lee's birthplace, Stratford Hall Plantation (constructed in 1738!). The Captain and Explorer John Smith visited Tangier Island.  The tiny island community has attracted the attention of linguists because its people speak a unique English Restoration era dialect of American English. Each of the original surnames and several of the present surnames on the island originated in the United Kingdom, predominantly from Scotland.  The DINKs were fascinated to visit one of these islands (others include Smith Island and Tilghman Island). 

Roadsign sinking into the marshland, Tangier Island, Virginia.

We took a ferry from Reedville on a clear and hot July morning--choosing to take daytrip, but stay on the mainland.  I have to say, we were sort of disappointed.  The island was compact and walkable, but there really wasn't much to see.  For a place that has had people on it since the 1600s, I guess I expected more.  It's just a small fishing community.  I don't regret the trip, but I was ready to get on the ferry at 2:30 and I am glad we stayed in Reedville on the mainland.  We chose the B&B, The Gables, built in the early 20th century by a wealthy fishermen (the area is famous for menhaden--a type of little fish that is used in everything).  We had a room in an annex  (the homes old carriage house), steps away from the Bay.  After the daytrip to Tangier, we spent the late afternoon sitting on the lawn, watching the water and a family of osprey.  The next morning, we wandered around the quiet streets of Reedville, impressed that all the houses had lovely water views and water access, then spent an interesting hour exploring the Reedville Fishermen's Museum and learned all there is to know about menhaden.  We then slowly made our way back to DC, stopping at Oak Crest Vineyard in King George.  And then stopped for crabcakes right along the Bay.  Overall, the weekend was a nice blend of nature, history and relaxation.  It reminded us that Virginia has a lot of interesting things to offer and a rich history!

The DINKs 2010 travels.

Since I killed http://www.thetravelingdinks.com/ last spring, we had the chance to take a few weekend trips and one major trip to Europe.  I'll break down each of these trips in a few posts, but here is a quick breakdown:

1.  End of July.  I graduated. Joy.  To celebrate, we took a fun little trip to Reedville, VA and Tangier Island off the Northern Neck.

2.  End of August.  The annual trip to the AMEE conference.  This year it was held in Glasgow, Scotland so we took some time to visit the British Isles.  This was the a bit of a nostalgic tour for us since the UK was our first big international trip when we were college kids.  We spent time in London, took daytrips to Richmond and Bath, then flew to Belfast and rented a car and tooled around County Antrim in Northern Ireland; finally we went to Glasgow and took daytrips to Edinburgh and the Trossachs.

3.  November.  A long weekend to our favorite cabin in the VA countryside.  The weather was unseasonably warm and we had a lovely, peaceful time.

4.   December.  A long weekend some place warm is always a welcome treat when the weather cools in DC.  We escaped to Miami, staying at the campy chic The Standard on the Bay side of South Beach.  We had some memorable meals--one at Indomania (Indonesian fare) and a return visit to the always special Wish.  We did get stuck an extra day in South Beach because of weather troubles elsewhere, but there are worse places to find yourself stuck!