Top Five Destinations of Richmond

I don?t know much about Richmond, Virginia, but as soon as Google started to spit out results of my queries, I knew it had something to do with the Confederate States of America. Turns out, the capital of the confederacy was Richmond. Today, that?s just a two hour car ride from Washington D.C. If anyone knows of any capitals of separate countries that are closer than that distance, please let me know, as that would be one heck of a trivia question. (Already found one ? the distance from Dublin to Belfast is only 103 miles compared to the 108 between Richmond and D.C., per Google Maps.)

It may just be me, but I don?t think of Virginia when I think of the ?south.? I still remember my shock when I found out that Delaware was on the border of the Mason-Dixon line which meant that Maryland was in what popular culture considers ?the south? and only martial law kept it from joining the CSA.

I think my confusion might result from the geography of college football. The Southeastern Conference means Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas and now my home state of Missouri. That, to some degree, makes sense. Those seem like ?southern? states and match up well pretty well with the confederate states with Kentucky and Missouri being on the border and states where slavery was legal. So, my solution to this problem is that every confederate state must have their colleges join the SEC so I never get befuddled again. While I wait for this super conference to form, I think I?ll go to Richmond and learn a bit more about the Civil War and the city with these five things.

Visit the Museum of the Confederacy

The first trip has to be the Museum of the Confederacy. As soon as I typed that, I wondered, ?Is there a Museum of the Union,? looked and found the Smithsonian?s National Museum of American History and realized, I suppose the winner doesn?t need its own museum.

Hike around the Richmond National Battlefield Park

There are several destinations within the Richmond National Battlefield Park. The battles surrounding Beaver Dam Creek and Gaines? Mill from the Seven Days Campaign and the Cold Harbor Battlefield sound the most interesting to me.

Ride roller coasters at Kings Dominion

After all the history surrounding the Civil War, my brain will need a break. Roller coasters at Kings Dominion sound like the perfect solution. The Anaconda, Grizzly and Intimidator 305 all sound great. I love a good 300-foot drop.

Tour the Edgar Allen Poe Museum

Of course, after such a drop, my nerves might need a rest. A museum might be the ticket. Then again, the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, celebrating the man behind ?The Cask of Amontillado? and ?The Murders in the Rue Morgue? may not be synonymous with relaxing.

Eat at the Tobacco Company Restaurant

However, a good meal can?t help but be relaxing and the food at the Tobacco Company Restaurant looks to have all of the elements of a good lunch. There?s She Crab Soup, followed by the Southern Barbecue Platter and ending with a slice of Butter Cake.

Any suggestions for things that I missed? Any additional recommendations for the area? Just let me know in the comments.