A Weekend in Richmond and Fredericksburg, Virginia

An hour and a half away from the D.C. area (depending on traffic), Richmond, Virginia, makes for a great weekend getaway with plenty to see along the way. Richmond, capitol of Virginia, has a thriving craft beer scene, plenty of historical monuments and museums, and great parks along the James River. Fredericksburg lies about halfway between D.C. and Richmond. And, as we discovered, has lots of history to explore, much within walking distance.

A Weekend in Richmond and Fredericksburg, Virginia

My husband and I run at least one marathon a year and usually like to make a trip out of it. We registered for the Richmond Marathon, which had the appeal of feeling simultaneously like a local and a destination marathon from home in Arlington, Virginia.

Friday night we stayed downtown at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Richmond-Downtown, just a half mile from the marathon start line. The next morning we enjoyed great running weather, ample cheering throughout the race, and a well-designed course—a unique 26.2-mile tour of Richmond on foot. But the best was yet to come.

After enjoying the post-race festivities, we conveniently walked another half mile back to our hotel for a shower (couldn’t recommend this hotel enough for its convenience for the marathon start and finish). Saturday afternoon we took advantage of Richmond’s free public transportation to visit two fantastic breweries. (Pro tip: if you happen to be there for race day, be aware of bus rerouting. Neither Google Maps nor the live updates at the bus stops reflected these reroutes.) Sunday morning we gingerly walked around downtown to work out some of the lactic acid before the drive back home.

Saturday Afternoon in Richmond

Triple Crossing Beer

We met with a large group of friends who’d run the marathon and their families at Triple Crossing Brewery’s Fulton location. The atmosphere on their outdoor patio was lively, with other racers seeking to refuel with beer and pizza as well. Our table ordered several pizzas, including the delicious house sausage, as well as chicken wings, a Bavarian pretzel (which the kids loved), and Brussel Sprouts (which the kids were ambivalent about). As for beer, I would recommend the house double IPA, Dawn Chorus.

Stone Brewery

From Triple Crossing Beer we walked a mile to Stone Brewing’s Tap Room. The previous summer we’d moved to Virginia from San Diego, where we loved visiting the Escondido and Liberty Station locations. So, we were thrilled at the chance to drink at Stone’s only tap room outside of San Diego. We had the Imperial Stout (which my husband loved so much he ordered several six packs online when we got home) and a habanero pineapple margarita, which came with a large round of dried pineapple —perfect for a perpetually hungry post-marathoner. We mustered the strength to climb the stairs up (but took the elevator down) to seating overlooking the taproom. From the taproom we walked 0.7 miles to catch the #14 bus back to the hotel.

Sunday Morning in Richmond

A morning stroll downtown

If you’re like us and out and about too early to visit these museums, you can still enjoy a quiet walk and learn about Richmond’s history.

From the Homewood Suites by Hilton Richmond-Downtown we walked to:

• Library of Virginia: During open hours, check out their permanent and traveling exhibitions.
• Richmond City Hall: Unless you have some business there, you can just admire the building from the outside.
• The Wickham House and The Valentine: There is signage from Virginia’s Department of Historical resources that describe the significance of these homes. If you visit when open, admission is free every Thursday, but tickets are otherwise $12 for adults and free for children.

• White House of the Confederacy: The former official residence of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from 1861 to 1865, it is now a museum of Confederate memorabilia. There is descriptive signage out front of here as well. Adult tickets are $15, children $8.
• Virginia State Capitol Building
• In Capitol Square you can see: Old City Hall, the Executive Mansion, the Virginia Civil Rights Monument, the Virginia Washington Monument, and more. (See that cool header image on this post for the Richmond Capitol Square with a view of Virginia Washington Monument.)
• The Capitol building is open to the public, so you can visit and even take a free guided tour.
• Riverfront Canal Walk: This 1.25 mile walk takes you along the James River and the Kanawha and Haxall Canals. Though quiet on a crisp Sunday morning, a helpful biker may stop and encourage you to continue to the James River, unprompted.
• Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge: Make your way to Brown’s Island, where you’ll see crews dismantling the marathon afterparty tents and enjoy the James River by making your way across the “T. Pott Bridge.”

You can recreate our walk here. About 3.4 miles at a casual pace (making stops to read signs, take pictures, and admire the scenery) took us 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Sunday Afternoon in Fredericksburg

On our way to Richmond, I noticed the freeway sign for the James Monroe Museum and Library and suggested we check it out on our way back to Arlington on Sunday. Most trips require quite a bit of advanced planning, so when we took a chance and visited Fredericksburg, based solely on a roadside sign, it was a pleasant reminder of the rewards that come from a little spontaneity while traveling.

Mary Washington House

We started our Sunday afternoon in Fredericksburg at the Mary Washington House (we had an hour before the James Monroe Library and Museum opened). Upon entering we were greeted by Colleen, a former nurse turned amateur historian. Her colleague Heather, dressed in period attire, led us to the house’s back porch. Once seated she enthusiastically and meticulously inundated us with dates, deaths, and names of people who had shaped the life of Mary Ball Washington, mother of George Washington. (But don’t worry, the tour guides interject fun facts about the history for children and there is a basket of toys to keep them occupied while parents listen to the overview.)

Back inside, we stepped into a room added after Mary lived there, when the house had served as a boys’ school. There was a teapot known to have been used by Mary and some furnishings on load from Washington’s Mount Vernon. Before visiting the rooms upstairs and walking the grounds on our own, we crossed the hall to the original part of the house Mary had lived in for the last 17 yeas of her life. Our guide Heather talked about the layout and showed renderings of the interior during Mary Washington’s time.

Tours are given on a rolling basis, so there was no book ahead (though tickets can be purchased online). If a guide is in the middle of a tour when you arrive, you’ll be encouraged to start looking around the house until they’re available to give you the overview. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids.

Before heading out, Colleen (who we’d purchased our tickets from earlier) suggested we walk to the Mary Washington Monument, only 0.4 miles walk away.

Note: For anyone who has or is planning to read Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow, Mary’s portrayal as a selfish, distant, uncaring mother may not have been merited. When we asked for Heather’s opinion (feeling strange about celebrating a woman who seems to have given Washington such a hard time) she was quick to point out that there was a period of time when historians wanted to paint George Washington as a self-made man and so disparaged his mother to make that seem more realistic. So, when Chernow, according to Heather, requoted historians and writers before him, rather than the original documents (or didn’t use full quotes that actually revealed kind words to his mother) Mary Washington unjustly comes across as an unpleasant and unsupportive figure in Washington’s life.

Mary Washington Monument

The exact site of Mary Washington’s grave is unknown but believed to be near Meditation Rock, so called because she often came to pray there. (You can see her Bible, which she likely would have brought along, back at the Mary Washington House.) The Mary Washington Monument was dedicated on May 10, 1894—more than a hundred years after her death in 1789.

Immediately next to the monument you will find the small Gordon Family Cemetery, where graves for twelve of its family members lie within brick walls. From 1819-1859 the Gordons lived at Kenmore, the brick mansion George Washington’s sister and husband built.

Walk around behind the cemetery to find Meditation Rock and the Eskridge Oak, both marked by descriptive plaques.

James Monroe Library and Museum

From the monument we walked to the James Monroe Library and Museum, the site that led us to Fredericksburg. After purchasing our tickets, we were once again given an overview of the subject of the museum, this time James Monroe, and then left to explore the exhibits on our own. There is much to see and read, so take advantage of the Young Patriot’s where the kids can fill out worksheets, put on hats from the period, and try a quilting activity. There are also QR codes throughout the museum so you can learn more about items on display.

You’ll learn how James Monroe held nearly every public office available at the time, see the desk believed to be where he signed the Monroe Doctrine, and discover his connections to Fredericksburg. Elizabeth Monroe’s wedding dress was on display when we visited, apparently a rare display given how fragile it is.

Tickets are $6 for adults, $2 for children.

Once again you can retrace our steps here.

About the author: Chelsey Stone is a freelance travel and health & fitness writer who’s written for National Geographic, Runner’s World, and Bicycling. She lives in the DC area and loves to use books and running as a means to explore the city and anywhere she travels to. You can find her at chelseygrassfield.com or on Instagram @chelseygrassfield.