“Well, it’s a long way to Richmond…

…rollin' north on 95."

Actually, it's not a long way to Richmond from where we are at all.. and while we weren't actually heading north on 95, I still like that song and think of it every time I think of Richmond.

As I said before, we first traveled to Yorktown, VA – a very historical and colonial town set along the York River. While here we toured a huge boat, did some shopping, and a lot of walking. Where there is water, there is fish, and Joel took part in that activity as well. 

York River behind us...

The Peacemaker

From Yorktown, we traveled west to Richmond – a short hour and 15 min drive on I-64. I have been saying for a long time now that I wanted to go to Richmond for a little weekend trip. Neither Joel nor I were familiar with this city at all, so we had to improvise. While we arrived there Saturday afternoon with plans to explore the city, unfortunately I got a really bad headache after checking in to the hotel and that ended the rest of my day. I also think that my body needed some rest after battling this sinus infection and I simply could not go any more. After getting some much needed R&R, Joel and I headed out early Sunday morning to start our expedition of Richmond. Our first stop was Starbucks of course! After that necessary pit stop, we headed up to the Virginia State Capitol building, which resembled the White House is many ways.

Joel is King of the Self-Timer

that is me!  Gives you a good scale...

 It was so quiet around the capitol, hardly a soul was there! 


After that, we headed down Monument Row on our way to the University of Richmond. 

Monument Row

I know several people who claim this school as their alma mater, and I wanted to check it out since we were near it. It was a really nice campus! 

Joel graced the campus with his presence...

After UR, Joel and I headed back in to the city for our canal ride along the James River. En route downtown, we came upon this really cute town called Cary Town. It reminded me of College Avenue in State College – lots of little eccentric shops, including my FAVORITE – Ten Thousand Villages! If you EVER go to Richmond, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out Cary Town right on Cary Street. Virginia Commonwealth University separates it from downtown Richmond – it's really easy to get to!

Random dog car in Cary Town

After the mini shopping spree in Cary Town, we made our way back into the city to embark on our boat ride through the canal. For $5, this boat ride could not be beat! While it was not really scenic, the awesome guide made up for it! He was full of humor and great historical tales about Richmond – it was the perfect end to our overnight trip to Richmond. 

Actually, the really perfect ending to our trip to Richmond was our stop at the Bass Pro Shop on our way home! Joel loves this place for obvious reasons, but I love it because it is just HUGE inside with so much to look at. Plus, I love shopping and this place really has it all from food to clothing (including women's) to fishing supplies to a gigantic fish tank with live fish to every taxidermy-ed animal you can think of.

I almost forgot!  The REAL ending to our trip was actually a stop at the Charles Country Fair!  

Petting the sheep :)

Our next trips will include falls trips to Ocean City, MD, a road trip to Pennsylvania to check out the pretty fall scenery, and potentially a New England trip – a part of the East Coast I have yet to see!