George Washington graces the Virginia Capitol's Rotunda in Richmond.
I took a roadtrip to Atlanta in April for my cousin Jason’s wedding. On the way, I stopped in Richmond, Va., (briefly) and visited friends in Charlotte, N.C.
The first day of my trip led me to Richmond. I hadn’t done any research in advance, so I stopped at the tourist bureau and quickly realized I had entered the South. The ladies were so happy to help me and give me every bit of information I could ever want (and more than I could use in my two-hour stop). I have a bit of a fascination with statehouses, especially the tiny old ones that exist in this region (a striking contrast to the behemoths I am used to in Illinois and Missouri). So, I stopped for a tour.
The Virginia Capitol was designed by Thomas Jefferson. It’s old, small and full of history. I was there after the regular session had ended and before the special session began, so it was also pretty empty.
I loved the tile floor (at top) in photos and took way too many photos of the George Washington statue because of it.
I was fascinated by this Old City Hall building across the street. Love, love, love it from the outside. And the kind guide at the Capitol said it is open for people to walk through, so I stopped there briefly. But I soon realized the inside was, in my opinion, horrendous.
My tourist bureau friend had insisted I drive down Monument Avenue on my way back to the interstate. She even carefully plotted a route for me, so I decided I might as well give it a try. I don’t have any photos since I was driving, but I definitely recommend a swing through this area if you’re in Richmond. It’s a short stretch of an old road with a wide median down the middle and gorgeous homes along the sides. And the median and intersections have huge statues of notables including J.E.B. Stuart, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Arthur Ashe Jr.