In This Post: Overflowing with history but sprinkled with fresh, modern touches, Richmond is a unique city well worth exploring! Through personal recommendations and photography, this travel guide will walk you through where to eat, where to shop, and the best boutique hotel to stay at if you’re looking for things to do in Richmond, VA.
Outfit Details: Blue Gal Meets Glam Aurora Dress | Purple Gal Meets Glam Veronica Jumpsuit | Report Shoes
On Wednesday, my sister, two-month-old niece, and I left Pittsburgh bright and early to make our way to the first stop on my 10-day road trip to figure out where I want to move to. First stop: Richmond, Virginia.
Richmond isn’t initially a location that was calling my name, but it’s a city people kept recommending I look into so I figured, why not? I’m so glad I listened!
I love the charm of the streets and how there’s a colorful mural every 3 blocks. I love how you can barely find a chain restaurant and that you have so many unique places to eat (even though the menus might be a little more than my plain palette can handle). People here are kind. I sneezed and someone 30 feet in front of us turned around to say “bless you”. And when I went for a run on Thursday, everyone I passed smiled and said “good morning!”. I appreciate that Richmond houses understand the importance of a front porch.
Where to Stay:
Thank you Linden Row Inn for partnering with me for this trip!
Speaking of architecture, the place we are staying at could not be more jaw-dropping. I came across Linden Row Inn when searching for boutique hotels in Richmond (which are my favorite kind of places to stay at when I travel) and knew it wouldn’t just be a place to sleep, but rather an enriching experience. One of my favorite qualities of the inn was that it was very apparent that the design was intended to preserve history but they also made modern updates to keep the space fresh and current – a theme I continuously saw again and again all around Richmond. I wasn’t originally planning on doing an entire blog post on the property, but there are just so many unique facts and details I need to tell you about (for example, Edgar Allan Poe first courted his lifelong love, Elmira Royster Shelton, on the property) and I have a ton of photos to share that I can’t help myself. Stay tuned for a more in-depth post on Linden Row Inn coming soon!
After we checked it, I spent some time photographing our room and playing with my new ring light before we headed back downstairs for a tour of the property. After the tour, we were so ready to eat! I had grand plans to look up restaurants before the trip and I ran out of time, whoops.
Where to Eat in Downtown Richmond:
Figuring out where to eat is always tricky. Some people prioritize food when they travel and I am not one of them. I’d rather spend my money on characteristic hotels, one-of-a-kind experiences, or unique finds at local boutiques and I’d honestly be content eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the room each night. I’m a really plain eater and I don’t need anything fancy, so it’s hard to know which B list spots in new-to-me cities are budget-friendly and worth eating at.
The first place we walked to had too long of a wait for our empty bellies and the second one we walked to was closed despite what the hours on Google said. Finally, we ended up at a little Mexican restaurant, Ay Caramba, because it happened to be right down the street. Our expectations were absolutely exceeded by how good the food was. Plus, the staff was so friendly! The prices were great and the servings were plentiful.
Other gems people recommended: Kabana, Station 2 (Burgers), Juleps
Where to Work Out:
We took the rest of the night for relaxing in order to be well rested (as well rested as you can be from sleeping in a room with a 2-month-old). One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to take workout classes at studios we don’t have back home. So, the next morning, I woke up early to take a class at The Bar Method. I’ve been to a few of their other locations and I just love their classes! The instructors are knowledgable, hands-on with gentle form corrections, and motivating. You move through the exercises so quickly that you don’t have much time to feel the burn at the moment, but boy does it catch up to you the next day when muscles you forgot you even had are sore as proof of hard work.
Other gems people recommended: Niche Pilates Studio
Where to Eat in the Museum District:
Post work out, we spent the hottest hours of the day back at the room where I caught up on some work and the other two ladies did a lot of napping. Then, after snapping some outfit photos at Linden Row Inn, we were back on the hunt for a place to eat (again, unprepared and unresearched). A lot of people told me Scott’s Addition was a spot that we had to check out, so we drove over hoping something would catch our eye, but everything was a bit more ostentatious than what we were looking for. It’s a great, cool scene though – well known for its breweries – that would have been great if we were looking for a more adult-oriented evening out on the town. As a more casual option, we ended up at Arianna’s Grille in the Museum District for some Italian food, which was another win. The rolls they brought out before our meals are something I will long for after this trip!
Other gems people recommended: The Stables
Where to Shop:
Another area that had been recommended to me by many was exploring Carytown for hole-in-the-wall. local shopping. Once I looked up the businesses on Cary Street, I was so excited to take a stroll down it! The moment we walked out of Arianna’s Grille, it started raining and with only about an hour before the shops were about to close, I very kindly asked the weather to pretty please clear up. In the meantime, we drove down the street to see what we might want to go into. I spotted a pleated skirt in the window of a local clothing boutique called Fab’rik, that I knew needed to find a new home in my closet. In my appreciation, Mother’s Nature listened, the rain backed off, and I’m now the proud owner of a new Summer paletted maxi skirt that I cannot wait to show you soon. Another shop I fell in love with was the beach inspired selections at Lou Lou (they had so many woven bags!).
Other gems people recommended: River City Roll, Mod & Soul
Outfit Details: Blue Gal Meets Glam Aurora Dress | Purple Gal Meets Glam Veronica Jumpsuit | Report Shoes
Where to go for Ice Cream:
We stopped in a few more spots to take photos along the picturesque streets (I obviously had to stand in front of the building that had a GEM on it!) before making our final, and arguably most important, stop – ice cream! We had planned to go to Scoop since I had heard so many good things about it, but with depleting energy levels, we opted for Bev’s Ice Cream since it was literally next to where I parked on Cary Street. I had a scoop of the heath ice cream (it’s all homemade!) on a waffle cone and it was everything I needed it to be. Simply delicious!
Other gems people recommended: Scoop, Gelato Celesti
Where to get Donuts:
After taking some time to explore the garden courtyard of Linden Row Inn and trying (but mostly failing) to get the baby to smile for photos, it was time for a bite to eat before hitting the road for our next leg of the trip. We stopped by Sugar Shack Donuts for a sweet start to the day. The cookie dough donut I had was well worth the calories. This recommendation completely lived up to the hype! If there was any way I could have safely transported these back to some of the donut lovers in my life back in Pittsburgh, I 100% would have – they were that good!
Other Stuff:
Richmond and it’s surrounding areas have a lot to offer in quite a short radius. Then again, I’m used to having to enter a tunnel or cross a bridge to get to Pittsburgh when I want to go into the city back home, so maybe the convenience of not have to do this isn’t as exciting to most people.
One thing I really wanted to do that we didn’t have the time for was the Riverfront Canal Walk which runs alongside of the James River and features, “street art, restaurants, and four centuries of the state capital’s history depicted through fascinating history medallions, statues, and exhibited”.
Other gems people recommended: Casa Del Barco, The Circuit Arcade Bar, BRUNCH, The Virginia Museum, Lamplighter Coffee Roasters, Pupatella, ZZQ
Next stop, Charleston, South Carolina! Stay tuned!