A Visit To Richmond Virginia
Take a day out of your Williamsburg Vacation to visit Richmond, Virginia. In addition to the many attractions available to guests at hotels and resorts in historic Williamsburg, Virginia’s capitol is a short drive away.
A mere distance of 40 miles from Busch Gardens a treasure trove of delights for the history buff waits in Richmond. Civil War buffs especially will find this historic city of interest. The city boasts a little something for everyone however, from roller coasters to culture and art.
To begin with, Virginia’s “other” theme park, Paramount’s Kings Dominion is just outside of town. Climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, enjoy one of the 15 rides for adults or the rides and shows friendly to smaller kids.
Battlefields abound around the confederate capitol. Cold harbor, and Gaine’s Mill for a start are wonderful experiences. The White House of the Confederacy and the Museum of the Confederacy are also open to tourists who want to explore our nation’s Civil War history
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One of our Nation’s most overlooked national treasures is also located in Richmond. A visit to Hollywood National Cemetery will allow you to visit the graves of two U.S. presidents. James Monroe and John Tyler are both interred in this beautiful sprawling graveyard along the James River. Also to be found are the graves of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and General J.E.B. Stuart. Take a picnic and explore. This site alone can take a day to discover.
Church Hill in Richmond is home to the largest military hospital ever conceived on Planet Earth. Visitors to Chimborazo Hospital, part of the Richmond National Battlefield, can learn the stories of the countless wounded soldiers, both union and confederate who passed through this site during the Civil War. Also on Church Hill guests will find historic St. John’s Church, the site of Patrick Henry’s famous “Liberty or Death” speech open to visitors. (A little hint for the literary buffs here: Edgar Allen Poe’s mother Eliza is buried in the churchyard.)
Richmond Virgina was the stomping ground of author Edgar Allen Poe’s youth. On Main Street, a short distance from Poe’s childhood home stands the Edgar Allen Poe Museum featuring exhibits, rare memorabilia and manuscripts relating to the famous author. Not far from the museum is the berth of the riverboat, Annabelle Lee. Guests who enjoy a cruise along the James aboard this classic paddle wheel vessel will experience a view of the river that is unparalleled and see a side of Richmond visitors have found charming and beautiful for hundreds of years.
Often considered a place to get off I-95 and onto I-64 by guests travelling to resorts and hotels around Colonial Williamsburg, Richmond is most often seen from the car while traveling through on the way to other destinations. The next time you are on the way to a weekend at Busch Gardens, why not allow a little extra time and stop to look around. Trust me like this article, you will leave with the impression that you have just scratched the surface of what this grand old town has to offer.
