Richmond, Virginia In Photos

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many beautiful places in this world, both overseas and across our gorgeous country, and yet, there is always more beauty to discover. This past week, I discovered the beauty that is Richmond, Virginia, and its surrounding countryside.

A while back, I had a job that required frequent travel, and by ‘frequent’, I mean I was alone on the road for three straight months each year. At the time, I didn’t quite appreciate how much that experience would inform the way I approach travel but with each location I visited, from tiny towns to big cities, I discovered within myself the desire to explore beyond what I knew. While I’ll always love those big, “Top 10” cities — NYC, LA, San Francisco — I’ve found that it’s the smaller, more humble cities that inevitably tug at my heart, almost always leaving a lasting impression. Richmond did just that with it’s cobblestone streets, pastel-colored homes, passionate people, and the rolling hills and greenery that lie just beyond city limits.

We rolled into town on Tuesday night and prepared ourselves for the events of the days to come, but not before grabbing a bite to eat at the Roosevelt, a beautiful little restaurant located in Richmond’s oldest neighborhood (Church Hill) in a turn-of-the-century building. If you happen to find yourself in RVA, I highly recommend stopping in and staying awhile, I am still dreaming of the food I enjoyed there. The next day we pointed our compass to the mountains and trekked out to Graves Mountain with some of our gorgeous FPMe girls for a day of apple picking and horseback riding. We arrived bright and ready for the day, and left feeling sun-kissed and exhausted from one of the most incredible afternoons on record. Early the next morning, we had another full day ahead of us, this time spending the majority of it with the incredibly talented and inspiring Brittany of Eating Bird Food, before heading over to the Free People Richmond store for what we were all looking forward to: our Food & Fashion Festival.

On Friday, I bid my coworkers farewell as they headed home, and turned my attention to the interviews and tours that filled my schedule for the next two days. If there’s one thing I learned from those cumulative nine months of travel that dominated my life all those years ago, it’s that when given the opportunity to visit a new-to-you place, it’s best to take advantage of the temporary relocation as much as possible. Go see the weird and wonderful, explore beyond city limits and expectations, find your connections in a place and call upon them. That is precisely what I did, and I can’t wait to share the results with you.

I’m sharing a few snapshots with you today, but stay tuned for more Richmond posts in the days to come!

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary

Richmond Diary 9

If there’s one thing I look for in every city I visit (besides a good thrift store and a great meal), it’s a good cup of coffee. Thank you to everyone who recommended Alchemy and Lamplighter, and for the many other recommendations!

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Shannon
9 years ago

So excited to see Free People come to RVA!

9 years ago

Very rustic and homey. I love the espresso art!

Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com

Sara
9 years ago

LOVE this photography and the feelings you’ve captured! I’d love to visit RVA some day, look so rustic and charming.

xoxo Sara
http://www.restlessnomads.com

9 years ago

Love your pictures! A great coffee place is a must! :)

sincereju
9 years ago

Free people x RVA = match made in heaven. Love seeing our city on your site!!

9 years ago

Beautiful photos! I like how “homey” Virginia looks.

http://itsjpei.wordpress.com/

Les
9 years ago

Truly wonderful. I look forward to more from FP Richmond VA!

9 years ago

Glad you had fun here! Love the photos!

9 years ago

Gorgeous pics! The one of the horse at the beginning really drew me in.

9 years ago

These are absolutely beautiful photos. I live in a farm town in Ontario and wouldn’t have it any other way – the simple life really is the best life. Looking forward to more photos in this series!

Northern Rustication

Ashanti
9 years ago

I am born and raised in Richmond, and it’s nice to see my hometown in another perspective as well as see some new sites for me to see!

9 years ago

These are great photos, I grew up around Richmond and I just love it! It is so nice to hear about your experience here! It was such a wonderful day at Graves Mountain, I feel so lucky to have spent the day with some of the Free People crew! You guys really embody the brand you represent! It was a pleasure meeting you! What a lovely group of girls and a magical day. I look forward to more great things from Free People RVA! I posted some great snaps from the day on my blog!

xoxo