Tuesday Travels- Virginia is for Lovers

I am spending Tuesday morning flying from Toronto to Orlando so someone fabulous was kind enough to guest post for me today for a little Tuesday Travel.  Hope everyone's Tuesday is going well.... hope my flights are all on time! 

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Hello, loyal blog readers. You probably know me as “Bestie” from Leigh-Ellen’s blog. My name is Karen, and for those of you who have been following this blog, I recently moved to Ottawa for a new job. This new gig requires that I travel a fair bit for work, so in this edition of Travel Tuesdays, I wanted to share my recent trip to Virginia.

Richmond is a beautiful city and is the Virginia state capitol. The State Capitol building is lovely – I was particularly taken with the columns and the beautiful gardens surrounding the Capitol complex. 

 

There is also a fantastically huge statue of George Washington. True story: a few years ago, when this statue was under refurbishment, the entire statue was covered with a protective wooden box—all except for one small hole near the top, so that Washington could still see out over the city. 

 

One other monument of note is the Civil Rights Memorial, which depicts Barbara Johns historic student protest of the deplorable conditions in segregated schools in 1951. I was particularly taken with this monument and the details of the faces of the protestors. Johns’ protest actions became part of the historic 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education, which ruled against the “separate but equal” laws and ultimately ended racial segregation in American public schools. 

 

Also in the Capitol complex is the home of the Virginia State Governor. I thought this building was a historic home, and was quite surprised to be greeted at the gate by a security guard who kindly informed me that the Governor was hosting a BBQ for his staff. Sadly, I was not invited.

 

Historically, the city of Richmond and the surrounding townships had great significance during the Revolutionary War, or the American Revolution in the late 1700s. Especially significant was Williamsburg; situated about an hour north of Richmond, it’s a large historical settlement that draws huge crowds of revolutionary war history buffs and tourists. There is also a cute modern-day town situated literally beside the historical settlement that is home to William and Mary University, as well as a really fantastic sushi restaurant.

Although I missed touring the buildings in Historic Williamsburg, I was able to walk around to take in some of the sights. I was truly impressed at the size of the settlement itself, and the beautifully maintained homes, buildings and properties. I also managed to befriend a flock of sheep grazing in a farmer’s field, and the baby lambs were so adorable. They were literally frolicking in the grass. What a delightful way to spend a Friday evening. Who knew that sheep could be so entertaining? 

 

There are several pub-type restaurants that operate within the historical portion of the city, featuring folks in traditional Revolutionary War clothing. Be forewarned, however: the wait times for dinner are staggering, so be prepared to either call ahead for reservations, or skip out and have dinner in the newer section of town as I did. Who could go wrong with Pink Panther sushi, complete with pink seaweed wrap?

All in all, I really enjoyed Richmond, but I really only had the chance to scratch the surface of all the area has to offer. I hope to visit again soon so I can check out many of the amazing restaurants, shops and wine bars along Cary Street. 

In BiCentennial Park wearing Jones New York Dress and Kenneth Cole Reaction Sunglasses