My parents are loving grandparents who enjoy spending time with our kids and this allows my husband and I to get away at least once a year alone. This year, we decided to go to Richmond to celebrate our anniversary. And this is how we enjoy Richmond in two days.
Don’t forget to secure a hotel for a getaway! Use booking.com or expedia to see all the options and compare them.
Short Pump
First, when we arrived in the Richmond area, we stopped at Short Pump for some shopping and lunch. The Short Pump Town Center is a large, outdoor mall. They have the stores you would find at any mall and some more upscale ones. This mall is very large and a good walk! We always enjoy a stop here and will on our way over to Christmas Town next week.
Lunch
Next, while we were in Short Pump, we decided to eat at the Baker’s Crust. This restaurant was excellent! The food is locally sourced and they had many healthy options. We returned a week later with our kids on the way to Williamsburg! The salads and sandwiches were amazing.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
This is one of our favorite places to go! Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens is just outside of Richmond and we never miss it. This place is full of the most gorgeous flowers and plants and so many peaceful walking paths.
We spent the entire afternoon walking around and enjoying the plants and we also found some quiet benches to sit on and just take in all the beauty around us. It is truly a serene experience and you can read more here.
Quick tip
We live near Boxerwood gardens and are members. This membership extends to many other gardens in the country due to the Reciprocal Admissions Program so we get in free!
Hotel
There are many romantic hotels in Richmond, however, we would rather spend our money on experiences. We went with a Courtyard by Marriott right downtown and the location and people were great. There was a parking garage right across the cobblestone streets.
The Boathouse
We decided to have dinner at the Boathouse since we could eat outside and enjoy the view. This seafood restaurant is located right on the river and a perfect place for dinner with a sunset. We were able to watch some boats go by while we enjoyed some incredible food and it was perfect for our wedding anniversary.
Country Style Doughnuts
The next morning, we decided to go out into Henrico for doughnuts. We found a place that was really out there and it had the biggest doughnuts we had ever seen. Country Style Doughnuts had the feel of an old doughnut shop that was just left there but people keep bringing doughnuts in.
There was a cinnamon roll so big it could feed five people. We enjoyed a couple of delicious doughnuts in a quiet corner, but because they are so huge, we were not able to finish them all.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
After being fully stuffed with breakfast, we headed back into town to visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. This museum was massive and had so much in it we really didn’t have time to see it all.
The Fabergé section was the part I was most excited about because they had some eggs. I had never seen one in person and this was such a treat. There is an outdoor sculpture garden, water features and lots of grass to just enjoy a picnic. I think if you wanted to see all the exhibits, it could take a whole day.
Maymont
Lastly, we decided to check out Maymont. This property was owned by a wealthy couple who left it to the city when they passed. Maymont is incredible for anyone and there are gardens that are themed to different parts of the world.
I especially liked the Japanese Garden due to the massive waterfall that can be turned on and off. The mansion has tours that run though and there are animals on the property like a zoo.
We spent many hours just wandering through and taking in all the sights. This attraction is free to all!
Heading home
We decided to head home after the Maymont, but there were still so many things we could have done in Richmond. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit the Canal Walk or just stroll around downtown. We’ll have to return because there is so much to see.
Other helpful links
Why You Need To Visit Lewis Ginter
Family Tested Williamsburg Restaurants