"Richmond, Virginia" Richmond by DrewV

Richmond Travel Guide: 840 reviews and 1,307 photos

Richmond, Virginia - Richmond

<font face=verdana size=+1 color=navy><p align=center><b>Richmond -- The Charming Capital of Dixie</b></p></font>

<font face=verdana><i><center>I wish I was in the Land of cotton
Old times there are not forgotten
Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land

In Dixie Land where I was born in
Early on one frosty morning
Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land

Then I wish I was in Dixie
Hooray, Hooray!
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand to live or die in Dixie
Away, away, away down south in Dixie
Away, away, away down south in Dixie
</i></center></font>

<font face=verdana>This is the hardest introductory paragraph I've had to write. And that includes Luxembourg. It's just very hard to write about a city I enjoyed during my all-too-brief summer there, while being conscious of its place in American history and society. How can I describe Richmond without describing the Confederacy? And how can I describe the Confederacy (and therefore the South) without either overly romanticizing it (and offending people) or overly criticizing it (and being too politically correct)?

I'm a Southerner. My forefathers fought in the War of Northern Aggression (also known as the American Civil War). I'm proud of being Southern and of what the South signifies for all people. I am not proud of the South's history of race relations, nor do I feel that slavery is justified in any context. I, like many Southerners, honor the past, celebrate the present, and charge toward the future.

And there is no city better able to blend all three time frames than Richmond. From its colonial birth to its rise to world capital prominence, from the defeat and humiliation of Reconstruction to the successes and bouyancy of today, Richmond spans Southern history, ever beckoning the sons and daughters of Dixie to greatness cooled with humility, strength tempered with justice, and hospitality nurtured by understanding.

Welcome to Richmond. If you can somehow avoid the charms of the magnolia-scented completely bewitching capital of Virginia, you're stronger than I. I lived there for three short months, and I would live there again. It's as pleasant a town as any in the world.</font>

  • Last visit to Richmond: Jun 2001
  • Intro Written Sep 11, 2002
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Reviews (12)

I mentioned the Byrd Theater. ... - Richmond I mentioned the Byrd Theater. ... Things to Do (7)

I mentioned the Byrd Theater. An old classic two-level cinema, the Byrd now shows second-run films for a dollar. It's... more travel advice

Just past the Fan is Carytown,... - Richmond Just past the Fan is Carytown,... Things to Do (7)

Just past the Fan is Carytown, a hip shopping and dining neighborhood, centered on Cary Street and the Byrd Theatre.... more travel advice

Take a little time to wander... - Richmond Take a little time to wander... Things to Do (7)

Take a little time to wander around the Fan, Richmond's charming Victorian neighborhood. Thirty years ago, the Fan was a... more travel advice

Richmond Things to Do (7)

I lived right around the corner from this Monument Ave statue of Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, Confederate General... more travel advice

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