A friend and I stumbled onto this church on a recent trip to the Church Hill neighborhood. Neither…read moreof us grew up in VA, and we were both surprised to learn that this was the famous "Give me liberty or give me death" church. We didn't take a tour, but we enjoyed walking the grounds and looking at all of the old tombstones. I'd definitely take a tour the next time I'm in the area.

The spark to the American Revolution and subsequent independence started here, with the immortal…read morewords of Patrick Henry, surrounded by George Washington Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, and others. Great tour. They also do reenactments on the weekends. Although the church continues to run with a congregation, it is also home to the foundation that raises money to maintain it, run reenactments, and educate the public. Our tour guide, Betty, did an amazing job of explaining some of the history to us. We are also fortunate enough to meet the Foundation director, Who explained a bit of history as well. Well worth a visit.

I love visiting historic sites! It's one of my favorite pastimes. Westover Plantation has been on…read moremy list of must sees, and we finally got to go! This is a phenomenal venue... once you head down the long winding road off Rt. 5, you'll find a small parking area. We were pleased to see it wasn't crowded at all. Walking through the wrought iron gates onto the property, a gorgeous green lawn sprawls out over the rolling hills. The view of the James River is spectacular! The elegant, Georgian mansion sits majestically on the sloped hill facing the water. We walked through another imposing gate to the farm area where we saw chickens, horses, and several out buildings as well as a large bamboo grove which led out to the river. Circling back to the mansion, we noted the Colonial architecture and read all the posted historical plaques. Tours inside are by appointment. Around the back of this stately edifice, was a path leading into the incredible formal garden. It was breathtaking. We meandered through the manicured garden which is one of the finest features of this estate. Roses, irises, lilies, peonies, and other lovely flowers, trees, shrubs and bushes will brighten you day as you stroll through the grounds. We admired the massive monument, the tombstone of William Byrd, the focal point of the garden, as well as the statues, the sundial and the natural wood arbor overflowing with wisteria. We were truly awed by the beauty of Westover Plantation and amazed by all the attention to detail by the groundskeepers. This grand home is a landmark worth visiting! Typically there's a donation box by the entrance, but when we toured the plantation on Sunday, Mother's Day, during the Covid issue, no box was to be found. Perhaps they opened to the public (free) because they knew we all needed to get out of the house and get a brief glimpse of history and nature or it was removed. Either way, it was a delightful way to spend a few hours, soaking up Virginia's beauty and culture.

Westover is certainly one of the most beautiful colonial plantations on the James River. It was…read morebuilt in the mid-18th century by the Byrd family. I especially like the brick that was used in the construction. The house is simply elegant and has perfect proportions. Take special note of the steepness of the roof, the tall chimneys in pairs at both ends of the main house, and the elaborate doorway, which continues to be recognized as "the Westover doorway." The house is not opened for tours except for special occasions. Westover's grounds and outbuildings are open to the public every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They do ask for a small donation starting at $5.00 to tour the grounds; an honor box is located at the entry gate near the parking lot.

The canal walk is not safe to walk alone. There are homeless in the area. It is an interesting…read morewalk. There are restaurants but you have to check ahead to see when they are open. We walked early because it was extremely hot. There are no public bathrooms in the area. Lucky there was a porta potty. The walk is a bit of a walk make sure you wear sunscreen and carry water.

So much history! Great photo ops…read more Lovely scenery I really enjoyed it, even the creep scary part!

I went here on a Saturday morning. It is free to visit. Took a paid 90-minute historic walking tour…read more(Highlights of Hollywood Cemetery Walking Tour) by The Valentine. Tour started at the entrance and we went to notable spots. We were only 7 in the tour. Our tour guide Doug who has been doing it for 14 seasons was very knowledgeable. He shared interesting facts, architectural/art styles, history of people and places/Richmond. We saw the iron dog, graves of the 2 US presidents (John Monroe's Tomb and John Tyler's Monument), Lewis Ginter Mausoleum, Palmer Chapel Mausoleum (and the overlooks on its sides), among others. It was a nice tour. I learned a lot. If you plan to go there on your own, there's a map from the website that you can download and use where there are markers for the notable spots. Google Maps does not have these spots in it. The restroom can be found on the left shortly after entering the cemetery. Lewis Ginter Mausoleum shows Victorian era architecture. When you peek through the door, you would see the nice Tiffany glass artwork behind. With its history, nice views overlooking the James River, the peaceful and quiet environment, this is a place worth checking out.

This cemetery is beautiful and big. Lots of unique headstones. It's sprawling with lots of hills so…read morewear your walking shoes.

This is a beautiful chapel. The museum guide was anxious at first glance. He warmed up after we…read morecommented on the architecture and the stained glass. He gleefully began sharing information, brochures and offered great insights on the Solider's Home. The furnishings were in amazing shape. Reminded me of my visits to Colonial Williamsburg. I am glad that it has been restored. It serves as a reminder of our nation's history. ****Union Shields are included in the central chancel stain glass windows. The museum guide took an effort to share that the Union ShIelds appeared in the Confederate Chapel as a clear indication of the reconciliation that took place in the post-civil war period in which the Solider's home built. He also noted that "Blue and Grey" reunions had taken place in the Confederate Chapel on numerous occasions. It is s perfect time in our country's current climate to visit this historical site and realize that in the mid-1880s, Union and Confederates soliders (and their direct descendants) let go of the past and embraced the United States of America. Funds from both Northern and Southern veterans helped build the Solider's home. Great tour, beautiful historical treasure. Wonderful Facts about the post-Civil War climate. Go see it!!!

What a hidden treasure! I just happened to find this during a visit to Richmond a few weeks ago,…read moreand it was well worth popping into - this chapel doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside is a fascinating tabletop display showing how that entire area was a hospital complex for Civil War veterans from both sides, along with a photobook (yes, an actual book of old photos) showing what it looked like way back when. The security guard was super kind and she let me walk around for as long as I wanted, so you can go all the way up to the pulpit and get up close to the stained glass windows showing different battles and groups of vets, and how they came together in the decades after the war to help those who needed assistance. Isn't that a message worth preserving?

This small, short bridge has been around since the 50's! It was once pretty worn and bumpy, but…read moreit's since had quite a facelift! The reconstruction was completed in 2013, is much wider, and includes a pedestrian walkway and an emergency lane. The bridge connects south side to the near west end of Richmond. Once over the bridge heading towards Richmond, the road changes from Huguenot Rd./Route 147 to Cary Street and continues downtown. It's a straight shot, smooth and breezes by quickly over the James River but has some beautiful glimpses of the water. Under the bridge had some lovely scenery too. Along Riverside Drive and Westham Station you'll see some sprawling estates, Pony Pasture Rapids, Huguenot Flatwater and John Smith Trail and cool railroad tracks. Lovers of nature and hikers will love to visit these spots by the bridge. I'm glad this bridge named after the Huguenot French Settlers, got an upgrade from VDOT, making it a much safer structure. They have my full "support"!

Always a great place to get out into nature. One of my favorite places to hike with great views of…read morethe river or the woods.

This past weekend, I went to one of my favorite local parks in Vegas, and it prompted me to think…read moreof my favorite urban parks across the United States. Belle Isle was the first place that came to mind! I lived in RVA (Manchester) for a year from 2007-2008, and Belle Isle became a second home for me during that time. As an avid adventurer, I highly recommend Belle Isle for the following reasons (based on my pre-pandemic/circa 2008 experiences): 1.) Egalitarianism: It's a great place to mix and mingle with people from all walks of life. 2.) It's a great choose your own adventure type of place where you could spend an entire day doing a mix of the following activities: kayaking, hiking, biking, swimming, reading, sunbathing, whiling away time on the rocks, cloud gazing, having a picnic, doing landscape photography/photoshoots, etc. 3.) The James River! It's the only Class III-IV white water rapids in the U.S. running through the heart of a city center. 4.) Wildlife (especially the aquatic birds)! 5.) Proximity to the rich culture, food, and history in Downtown Richmond that you can explore before or after your Belle Isle adventure.

I was visiting the city of Richmond during Black History Month and because of the historical and…read morecultural significance of Richmond during the slave trade - I wanted to make sure I saw and did as much as I could to explore this part of its history. The Emancipation and Freedom Monument is a beautiful bronze statue that was commissioned in 2021. The very nature of the topic that the statue represents, made it extremely powerful to see in person. I would highly recommend visiting the monument, as it is very moving, inspiring and has information on some of the KEY Virginians that fought against slavery and equality.

All I can say is wow! I wish I could give this sculpture 5 more stars. It is as amazing as it is…read morepowerful. It is the center piece of Brown's Island. The piece, which is the work of Thomas Jay Warren of Oregon, was dedicated in 2021. It depicts two 12-foot statues. The first statue is of a shirtless male slave that has freed himself from the shackles around his wrist. The statue is very detailed and almost looks real. You can even see the whip marks on his back and his abs. The other stature that makes up this monument is of a woman that is cuddling a baby in her left hand and holding up what I assume are her freedom papers. The paper has the date January 1, 1863, which happens to be the date that Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. On the back of the base you will find the word "FREEDOM". On the other sides of the base you will find the names, images, and brief biographical information of ten African American Virginians whose lives were dedicated to Emancipation and freedom. one side displays five individuals from the period before Emancipation through 1865 (Mary Bowser, William Harvey Carney, Gabriel, Dred Scott, and Nat Turner). The opposite side has five people that continued to work for freedom from 1865 to 1970 (Rosa Dixon Bowser, John Mercer Langston, John Mitchell Jr., Lucy F. Simms, Wyatt Tee Walker). This is one of the best sculptures that I have ever seen and is so impactful. The detail on the sculptures is amazing. The choice of having this monument in Virginia is fitting, given that the state was key in the slave trade. If you could only see one sculpture not only in Virginia, but in the United States, it should be this was. Warren "dropped the mic" on this one. It would be tough for any sculpture to live up to the standard set by this one.