Wow!!! Rich is home to some awesome sculptures. You will find this gem of a sculpture downtown,…read moreprominently displayed in front of the James Center. It is the work of Lloyd Lillie and was dedicated in 1986. It is in great shape, especially considering its age. It consists of three 8-foot bronze muscular figures pulling the lines of a mast to raise a sail. The mast stands about 50 feet and is also made of bronze. The deck is made of sone and brick and was constructed by Alexandra Kasuba. The figures are abstract, but still very detailed. You can feel their struggle to get the sail up. When checking out this sculpture, please be sure to look at the deck, which commonly gets overshadowed by the sculpture itself and also the figures footing and how they were built into the stairs of the building's entrance. You will find metered street parking out front and within a reasonable walking distance from the statue. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Some call it satire, some call is irony, some call it petty. I call it awesome and I am here for…read moreit. You will find this sculpture at the entrance to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It is the work of Kehinde Wiley who made it piece in 2019, in direct response to the controversial Robert E. Lee statue that has been removed. You may have heard of Wiley. He is most known for painting Barack Obama's official portrait,The sculpture depicts a larger than young black male with braids, wearing a hoodie, while on horseback and looking over his right shoulder. It is very detailed and a great piece. This is a definite spin from the traditional white subjects being depicted in large-format paintings and statues with a young black man in street clothes. It stands 27 feet high and 16 feet wide. It is made of bronze, but has a black color to it. What makes this sculpture even more ironic is that it is located right next door to the United Daughters of the Confederacy building, which is closed and has a security guard posted outside of it to deter potential vandals. The statue could not have been placed better. I really like this piece and what it stands for. It is definitely a must see. I never knew Richmond was home to so many amazing sculptures. I highly recommend checking this sculpture out. It is an amazing piece that has some amazingly detailed work. Wiley is very talented. You will find metered street parking out front and within a reasonable walking distance from the statue. There is also a commercial parking garage available as well. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

I must say, the Dupont James River Plant is pretty much the bomb when it comes to local eats. I've…read morelived in the ol' River City for almost my whole life. I've done it all, from barbecue on Texas Beach to bourgeois eats downtown at many of our finest restaurants. It's all fine and dandy, but I'll be the first to tell you, nothing can beat a fine batch of 98% sulfuric acid. The folks at Veolia are true masters of the craft, and this is the best contact process acid money can buy, with none of that nasty lead taste that comes with cheap tower acid. Literally, you can feel the atmosphere as soon as you walk past the fences and warning signs, slowly eating away at your skin. That's not even to mention the heavy industrial noise which provides a soothing background to the culinary delights within. As for the flavor? I think the legendary Dr. R. S. Shallenberger put it best. "Persons who have drawn concentrated sulfuric acid into a pipet with oral suction, and obtained the acid on the tongue through poor technique, report that it tastes sweet before the onset of corrosive action." What are you waiting for? This is a beverage that will truly melt your tongue...

Owned by J. G. Pemberton, Saguaro Hill is a little piece of Arizona right here in Richmond!~…read more Anyone who has driven by this place has probably wondered what it is... apparently the back story is that after retiring a local Richmond citizen has actually set out to recreate a desert locale with his property. Having only seen it from the street I can't comment on the inside, but it's worth driving visitors by to gawk... there are a million kinds of cactii visible from the street and it looks like a theme park of sorts... I read up on it at the link below... This is definitely one of the quirkier aspects of Richmond, worth a drive by and maybe a tour if you can get one... http://books.google.com/books?id=-Uc5yO1eLe0C&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=saguaro+hill+pemberton&source=bl&ots=lOZk9N_9iB&sig=03moZ025xBeKjIUUX_IP7hzsfz4&hl=en&ei=TgoVTNauK8P7lwezxumPDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=saguaro%20hill%20pemberton&f=false

This is a neat distraction that catches your eye while driving down the road. It looks like a…read moreranch that is in a desert...cacti and everything! Fun to see.

Carytown is one of the most charming areas in RVA! There's parking scattered throughout the…read moredifferent shops and along the streets. Wall murals cover any free wall space & the business are diverse! Highly recommend checking this area of Richmond out. Plan to spend a few hours strolling the streets, taking in the art, browsing the many unique stores, grabbing a cupcake & taking in the sights!

Why do I love Carytown?…read more This is a great spot shopping district to walk around, to see people from all over (and their dogs!), and shop! For the Love of Chocolate is one of the best - I'm allergic to chocolate so I can only spend so much time in there due to the smell, but the candy selection makes up for it! The Byrd Theater, and a variety of restaurants are amazing! What don't I like? It's mostly minor things. The stores don't have a uniform hours: there will be some open at 8 or 9, most open at 10, but others will open at 11 or even 12. For restaurants this makes sense, but I'm just referring to retail/service right now. A lot of the resale shops have either gone downhill, or been replaced with lesser versions. Overall: I still go, but only when I need something. I still enjoy it, but it comes with a bittersweet aftertaste of what I miss.

Who knew that Richmond had so much culture? This city has a lot of mural in its downtown area and…read morethey are all so good. You can literally jump from one mural to the next. I wish I could do a page for each and everyone, but that would be a full time job. You will find concentrations of them in an area by the canal and near the downtown restaurants. I wish I could pick a favorite or two, but they are also so good. I recommend spending a half day to a day on a public art tour. The downtown area is rich with art and I believe that you will throughly enjoy it.

Murals EVERYWHERE! We had one right across from our AirBnB building. I love public art, even if…read moreit's not my taste- I am always happy to see as much of it out there hopefully sparking interest, conversations and inspiring others to create. Murals throughout cities are some of my favorite ways to explore a city, they tell so much about locals, what they love, who they are, where they come from and what direction they want to go. Artist: James Bullough, 620 N Lombardy St- the mural of the floating lady is captivating. Artist: Lelo, 1711 East Main St (has lots around town)- great unique style that has you seeing more than one thing in the vibrant colors! Here's one site that gave me artist info on the ones I saw: https://richmondmuralproject.squarespace.com/murals-1

Yeah, the Confederacy thing is still kind of weird in the United States. Here we are celebrating…read morepeople who were basically traitors to their country. Yes, they believed that the United States was attacking their way of life and so they sought to leave the country. Jefferson Finis Davis was the first and only President of the Confederate States of America. He is laid to rest in nearby Hollywood Cemetery. But here on Monument Avenue is this massive structure to the man. Davis was a member of the Democratic Party and represented was one of the United States Senators and Representatives from Mississippi. He had been US Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce from 1853 to 1857. He served as a lieutenant in the US Army during the Mexican-American War (186-1848). Davis argued against secession in 1858 but believed that states had the right to leave the Union. The monument's design has a central 60 foot tall granite column topped by a female figure in bronze. An eight-foot tall bronze statue of Jefferson Davis with his right arm outstretched and his left hand resting on an open book. At the bottom of the column above Davis's head contains the seal of the Confederacy. There are thirteen columns representing the eleven states that seceded and the two (Missouri and Kentucky) that sent delegates to the Confederate Congress but did not secede. It's history. Stop by and see it before it is gone. .[Review 11790 overall, 1572 of 2019.]

Cute, cute, cuuuuute!…read more Carytown is by far one of my favorite places I've visited in Virginia! Gives me that small town vibe I love so much. There are so many local shops and everyone is so friendly. If you find yourself visiting Virginia make Carytown a must-go!

I love Carytown located on Cary Street in Richmond, VA…read more My first visit was almost 10 years ago when my cousin was debuting a movie at the historic Byrd theater. It's very charming with tons of shops and old buildings with storefronts inside. I love all the restaurants including Mellow Mushroom, The Daily, Carytown Cupcakes, CanCan and tons of others. There is thai food, indian, fast food, etc. You name it, it's here. Plenty of antique and consignment shops also sell eclectic and vintage clothing and beautiful dresses. I've found some gorgeous and unique home decor items here as well. It's a must stop when I'm in town. Walking along the streets is fun and parking is fairly easy with the public access lots just off the main street. There is also a lot of street parking. It can get crowded on weekends and special days but it's worth it to be able to walk around.