It’s interesting driving many different types of people around Richmond—from movie stars to in-and-out business travelers to long-time Richmonders. Being behind the wheel as a co-owner and operator of a transportation service, I get a chance to hear my clients’ perception of the region and what they like most about it. What’s even more interesting is that the celebrities, movie stars, and people who experience RVA for the first time are the ones who seem to love the area the most.

Just in time for National Tourism month, Greater Richmond Grid magazine asked me to share my perspective on the road – what visitors and locals love about the region and where I take clients to show off the best RVA has to offer.
As you can imagine, we receive all types of requests on a daily basis, from quick trips to lengthier tours. Often we’ll receive a call to drive someone to the Richmond International Airport with one to two hours to spare before departing RVA. In these cases, we always suggest a number of key locations that visitors and locals alike should make it a point to visit. For those who live in RVA, we call it the “Re-Discover Richmond” tour. Here’s my list for the best way to experience River City:

1. The first stop on our tour is the top of Church Hill to talk about Richmond’s early history and foundations and show how the roots of Richmond spurred industry, bringing the first canal system and trolley in America. This is a great place to view the city and talk about how it practically mirrors Richmond Hill in England, which is how William Byrd got the name Richmond.

2. Next stop is the White House of the Confederacy. Random fact: Jeff Davis’ son fell off the balcony there and died. Some believe his ghost is still around.

3. Then I’ll cross over to the Capitol building and explain how Thomas Jefferson designed this building in the neoclassical style of architecture he admired from Italy. Our Capitol set the precedent for the neoclassical architecture of our nation’s Capitol.

4. Monument Avenue is the next stop and remains the only street in America listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Between the dogwood trees lining Monument is a great spot to shoot a picture.

5. Then we will cross over to VMFA. The VMFA’s 13 1/2-acre campus was created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, with the purpose to encourage the study of the arts. The museum houses a permanent collection of more than twenty-three thousand works of art from almost every major world culture.

6. From VMFA, I’ll run through America’s first outside shopping mall — not Short Pump, but Carytown. Here you can find over 300 shops, cafes, and offices. And it’s home to the Byrd Theatre, a Richmond institution.

7. Leaving Carytown, I head down Boulevard, passing the Christopher Columbus statue and drive through Byrd Park and Dogwood Dell. This 200-acre park boasts a mile-long exercise trail, three lakes, pedal boats, an amphitheatre, historic structures, and more.

8. As we drive by the beautiful houses and Maymont Park, I head toward Riverside Drive and explain how Richmond was a key trading port for tobacco and the major role the James River played (and still plays today). It’s always a bragging point for RVA to remind people that the James, which is Virginia’s largest river, runs through the center of the city where the fall zone drops the river 105 feet in seven miles. Showcasing the fact that Richmonders have the ability to enjoy wilderness while in the middle of the city, I always remind passengers that the James River Park System includes over 550 acres of shorelines and islands to explore. I also make sure to point out the top fishing, hiking, and kayaking spots, such as Hollywood Rapids and the Pipeline and talk about how Belle Isle was used as a prison camp in the Civil War.

9. Next I’ll head to Hollywood Cemetery where Jefferson Davis, James Monroe, and John Tyler lie. In fact, Hollywood Cemetery serves as the final resting places for two American presidents, six Virginia governors, two Supreme Court justices, twenty-two Confederate generals, and thousands of Confederate soldiers. Near the John Tyler burial site, off Waterview Avenue, is one of the best views and photo ops in all of Greater Richmond. With over 135 acres, Hollywood offers hidden paths, monuments, and valleys to explore.

10. I will finish the tour coming down Byrd Street and back to the Canal Walk, Shockoe Slip, and Shockoe Bottom. Here in the heart of downtown, it’s easy to point out everything from canal boat rides and historic museums to statues and medallions. It’s always fun to reference the first commercially successful electric streetcar system in the world was created in this area in 1888 and that Richmond is the only city in the world with a triple main-line railroad crossing still in operation. Nearby there is the Richmond Slave Trail, American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, Virginia Holocaust Museum, and the Edgar Allen Poe museum.

Taking the time to discover (or rediscover) Greater Richmond provides a way to view RVA in a new way and to see how the area’s rich history continues to develop our future.

Photos by the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau