Richmond, the capital of Virginia and – during the American Civil War – of the Southern Confederacy, may be best known for its elegant, neoclassical State Capitol, designed by none other than Thomas Jefferson, and its numerous Civil War sites … but it also has a few surprises in store.
As I drive down majestic Monument Avenue, I find among the statues to such Confederate heroes as generals Robert E Lee and ‘Stonewall’ Jackson one to African-American tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
When my hostess, Sue Williams, a one-time Miss Virginia in the Miss America competition, whisks me off to the impressive Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, it’s not to see its acclaimed art collection but to enjoy Friday night tango dancing.
We drop by the once-fusty old Valentine Museum and find it transformed into the sleek new Valentine Richmond History Center, where we are allowed to descend into the vaults to view the death mask of one-time Richmond resident Nancy Langhorne, who, as Lady Astor, became the first woman in the House of Lords.
When we emerge from the impressive American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, we discover that the James River, which it overlooks, is alive with youthful paddle boarders, kayakers and white-water rafters, with promises of a pop concert on Brown’s Island that evening. If we weren’t so geriatric, I tell Sue, we could grab bikes and head east along the 53-mile-long paved path, which leads to tiny Jamestown, the birthplace in 1607 of England’s first permanent colony in America … it was the site of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships.
Instead, we indulge in a fabulous fusion meal within the fun and funky premises of the highly acclaimed L’Opossum, set in colourful Oregon Hill, once a rough-and-ready no-go area, and one of the numerous examples of how the city has expanded its range of cuisine.
All of this has been noted by the outside world. This year alone, Richmond was named No 1 Summer Travel Destination by American Express Travel, The Southern Food Destination You Need to Know About by Conde Nast Traveler and one of the 50 Best Places to Live in America by Men’s Journal.
