Down a Cobblestone Street

"Riding down old Monument Avenue, looking back in time, to a place that I once knew." (Marisa Yeager) Hello! Thank you for checking back in! I told all of you last week that we would be going South for our next adventure, sadly that place was unavailable. So, we are now heading about an hour and a half East, to our next destination, Richmond, Virginia.

Richmond is the capital of Virginia, and is considered the "heart" of Virginia. We are going to take a look at the dining options, shopping options, and other fun things to do in the city!

Dining Options

In Richmond, you have multiple options to choose from when it comes to food. Many of the restaurants in the city are locally owned and operated as well. It just depends on where you are in the city may determine what types of food are available to you. For example, if you are near Carytown, which is one of the major hot-spots tourists usually go to in Richmond, you will have plenty of options to choose from. One of my favorites, is a place called Galaxy Diner. They have American-style diner food, along with regional favorites such as the "Nuclear Waste Dog" which is a footlong hot dog with chili, cheese, onions, relish, slaw, salsa and sauerkraut. They are also known for their home-spun milkshakes in which you can get any flavor you wish! My favorite whenever I go there is the Oreo milkshake, and I also get a basket of French fries so that I can dip them in.

Another great restaurant if you are looking for something a little bit more upscale, is a place called Can-Can Brasserie. This restaurant is also in Carytown, and caters to authentic French food. Their menu is divided up into four different types of food. They are known for their alcoholic beverages as well as their coffee. When I went there for the first time, one of my good friends took me, and we got something called a "Croque Monsieur." This seemed like a very simple sandwich but in reality it seemed more sophisticated than it actually was. This was a ham and cheese sandwich covered in a béchamel sauce, which is a cream sauce, and covered in cheese. It was also served with french fries and it came with mayo as a dipping sauce. I was confused when they brought it over, but then I found out it was customary to have mayo instead of ketchup to dip your fries in.

Shopping Options

In Richmond, you can go anywhere in the city and find somewhere to shop. In Carytown specifically, they have several different shops that you can find different stuff. For example, Clementine, which is a women's consignment store, has a mixture of styles and patterns to choose from. They also pride themselves on whatever they don't sell in the store, they donate to the Richmond Public School system. You can also find a list of the stores in Carytown right here.

Other Things to Do

Richmond is home to something called The Museum District. This means that within a five block radius, you can have access to several different museums such as the Virginia Fine Arts Museum (VMFA), the Science Museum of Virginia, and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. These attractions usually have a discounted rate for those who live in the area, and are great for families!

Thank you so much for discovering Richmond with me! Check in next week where we are actually going South!