The New Confederacy: Jefferson, Snead & Hollywood

Needing another troika of days away, our duo headed south to the Old South's number one city -- Richmond, VA. Generally, they avoid I-95 with the fervor of drunks avoiding the water wagon, but the direct route offered by the East Coast's worst interstate was just too tempting. Just south of DC, in the precincts of Dale City and the commercial wonders of Potomac Mills, they were soon reviewing the definition of the verb "rue" to see if it would suffice for their dark mood. Indeed it did. Still, all things must pass, even on I-95, and after a delay of stop-and-stop-and-stop-and-go traffic they were able to make it at long last to Virginia's capital.

Thursday, March 29, 2013 -- Having left just as "rosy-fingered dawn" was painting the eastern Jersey horizon, even with the delay they pulled into Richmond just in time to get some of the last luncheon offerings of Sally Bell's Kitchen on West Grace Street. Sally Bell's dates from the 1920s, though its decor and attitude is more modern -- think 1950's. The offered box lunch is as charming and unique as the single-room atmosphere, which is overseen by mature southern ladies who are quite charming themselves.

Our duo had planned to have their box lunches (sandwich, potato salad, half deviled egg, wafer with walnut and cupcake) in the nearby Monroe Park, but the weather proved to be more Jersey Spring than Virginia Spring (overcast, cool winds, hints of rain), so they enjoyed their vittles in their B&B which was just a short drive uptown.

The Kensington B&B is a small, comfortable place, with elegantly decorated common rooms overseen by a friendly host. Our duo stayed in the separate Carriage House which would perhaps be better enjoyed by twosomes looking for... shall we say, "romance"? Our duo, having gorged on romance earlier in their decades together, found the studio room nice enough and deemed it certainly sufficient, but missed a comfortable reading chair and a bigger bathroom, and found the channel operation of the little TV to be often inscrutable. Still the Kensington can be recommended -- attractive prices, good location, reliable and easy to get on Wi-Fi, very nice breakfasts, and private parking.

James River in the distance

Veranda at Maymont

Energized by the box lunches, our duo took a quick drive to one of Richmond's most popular sites  --Maymont , a Gilded Age mansion dating from 1893. Being pre-Spring, even here, in the geographic top of Dixie, the expansive and fabled grounds (best viewed from the veranda) could only be imagined in their better-season splendor, but not so the 33-room house. The house tour is very worthwhile. Most interesting is seeing the rooms still full of the collected art, furnishings, dishes, lamps, etc, that were the everyday surroundings of the Dooley's, the childless couple who lived there until the 1920s. Both Jake and Stone were struck by how livable the house seemed.


Leaving the mansion just as it closed (5pm), our couple hoped to do two things: find a drink and get a haircut. The need for a drink is self-evident (and should have been included in the "Self-evident Rights of Man," as outlined some time ago by a famous Virginian), but a haircut? Ever since she got dynamite haircuts some years ago in places as diverse as Liverpool, Florence and Sequim, Stone likes to get her hair cut in shops distant from Jerseylicious, where she usually gets not only a great cut but also picks up on some of the local vibe.

They headed to Carytown, a part of Richmond termed by the Chamber of Commerce as a "Mile of Style," but it might also be described as an urban retailing district full of small shops and eateries. More certain of finding a good martini than a good cut, our adventures stumbled upon (and they had yet to have a drink!) a venue that provided both martinis and an upscale coiffeur. Karina's salon was able to fit Stone in if she could wait some 20 minutes, and the bar at Cstreet Restaurant offered a perfect environment in which to wait. Stone's call to the chair came earlier than anticipated, so the hairdresser suggested she bring her martini with her. Properly and proudly bald, Jake stayed at the bar, finished his martini, then tasted a Macallan single malt (only $10 for a generous pour), and passed the time happily conversing with the not-yet-busy restaurant host and another (not-bald) barfly.

Such serendipity augured well for the rest of the evening, and indeed, after a brief respite at the B&B, Jake and Stone had a nice "gastro-pub" dinner at the Magpie, where the chef disclosed to Jake that he happened to have received his training in Jake's hometown of Boulder, CO (termed "America's Foodiest Town" in 2010 by Bon Appetite).  The Magpie offered interesting and good food, nice drinks, good service, and a cool room. Back at the B&B sleep came easily.

Friday, March 29, 2013 -- There is plenty of history in Richmond, including golf history. In 1949 Jake's favorite old-time golfer Sam Snead won his second PGA Championship at the Heritage Country Club, about 10 miles north of downtown Richmond. The course was subsequently acquired by Henrico County, renamed the Belmont Golf Course, and now everyman-golfers like Jake can walk where Sam walked. And best of all, the course is pretty much the same as when Sam played it. Belmont is a A.W Tillinghast design, and the Tillinghast Association web site states: Today the public can essentially play the same course over which Sam Snead won the 1949 PGA.

Belmont is a short course with 13 par 4s, three par 3s and only two par 5s, and no hole measures more than 504 yards from the back tees. But the meandering streams, seemingly omnipresent and often deep-faced bunkers, and heavily contoured greens give everyone their money's worth -- even more so if, like Jake, you can get the senior rate and pay a mere $24. Belmont must be one of the best bargains in "historic golf," and no golfer should visit Richmond and miss it.

While Jake tried in vain to mimic Snead's silky swings, Stone meandered through the 280 acres of nearby Bryan Park. It was too early in the season to see the azalea gardens in bloom, but the terrain is varied, with several nice walking trails, and the 100 year old park sports some history, including the site of a planned slavery insurrection in 1800 known as Gabriel's Rebellion. 

After their walking adventures, Jake and Stone headed for Dots Back Inn, which is less than a mile from Bryan Park. Dots was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and has become, as it bills itself, "a destination diner." Even arriving after 2pm, the end of the lunch rush was still evident as they had to wait several minutes for a table. Once seated, Dots lives up to its rather sassy rep. The food is good, but the atmosphere is perhaps even better: Local, with a capital "L." You can't be in a hurry to eat at Dots, but who wants to be? Dots is not to be missed.  (At the cash register you can sign your credit card charge with the provided ballpoint promotional pen which gives the phone & address of Dots and this (most sassy) statement:  "We've upped our standards... Now up yours!")

Hollywood Cemetery and James River

 It's not often that a working cemetery gets a lot of visitors, but that is the case with the 135 acre Hollywood Cemetery whose winding paths traverse a hilly, picturesque, hillside location overlooking the wide rapids of the James River. The grounds are so expansive that it is suggested visitors drive rather than walk, and for $1 a map and suggested driving route can be obtained at the cemetery's office. The heavily treed cemetery is simply bursting with funeral statuary, fortress-like mausoleums, obelisks tall and short, and even a giant stone pyramid in memory of the thousands of Confederate Soldiers buried here.

President Monroe's "Birdcage"

But most impressive is the list of famous people interred here, including Presidents James Monroe (who gets an impressive, if rather flamboyant, iron tomb nicknamed the "Birdcage") and John Tyler (who gets what must be the tallest obelisk around), Jefferson Davis (who gets a statue and a large garden setting), and Confederate Generals George Pickett and J.E.B Stuart. Burials are still available here "for a most reasonable fee," obelisks probably not included.

Our duo finished the evening with a dinner at La Parisienne, a downtown bistro that does most of its business in the mornings and afternoons with the business crowd. But Jake and Stone found the dinner quite satisfying, and walking to the restaurant from the car gave them their only view of the tall office buildings of downtown Richmond.

Saturday, March 30, 2013 -- The spring weather that they had hoped for finally arrived on Saturday. After another very nice breakfast at the B&B, shared with two young Danish women who were next to visit Williamsburg, Jake and Stone put Belle Isle in their sights. On the weekends especially, you must arrive fairly early (before 9 AM to be safe) to get a parking place on Tredegar Street beneath the Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge. From the parking area the unique pedestrian bridge to Belle Isle is boldly visible, suspended on steel cables beneath the giant bridge above.

Suspension Bridge to Belle Isle

Walking the suspension bridge itself, which dangles quite high (but very safely) over the James River, is a thrill itself as geese, ducks and cormorants fly about beneath. Once on the island, most walkers/bikers/runners head on the trail to the right, but Jake and Stone headed left and were rewarded with a view of the Richmond skyline and a quiet, solitary amble through the bushes and trees.

The main trail basically goes around the 54 acre island and could be easily walked in a hour, but most everyone lingers here and there to see the remnants of a granite quarry, an iron milling factory and foundry, a hydroelectric plant, and most haunting of all, a civil war POW camp where thousands of Union Soldiers tried to survive often brutal conditions.

But the main attraction of Belle Isle is the fields of large smooth rocks between the island and the mainland where no one seems to be able to resist a bit of rock jumping, and several hearty souls (on the quieter south side of the island) could be seen sunning themselves. On the north side of the island (taking the trail to the right off the foot bridge) are two sets of rapids, and a nice view of Hollywood cemetery across the churning water. Jake and Stone, who always enjoy a good walk, found Belle Isle to be belle indeed.

Back at the B&B they looked for a neighborhood place for lunch and found (thanks to Google Maps) Chiocca's, virtually around the corner on Belmont Avenue. On the sidewalk outside this easy-to-miss deli/bar was a chalkboard sign that said, with a wonderful economy of words: "Eat Meat."

Inside our duo found another local scene to match the wonders of Lucy Bell's and Dots. Chiocca's seems to be part college hangout (Virginia Commonwealth University dominates a good portion of Richmond), part local pub, and all sandwiches and brew. Their less-than-spacious booth had ripped seat covers and a beat-up table, but this hardly mattered in this semi-rathskeller sort of old mom-and-pop place, as the service was friendly, the sandwiches tasty and big, and the beer selection in both bottles and tap more than ample.

Statue of TJ in Upper Lobby

If there is a polar opposite to Chiocca's it is The Jefferson Hotel. In 2001, Forbes magazine called it the best hotel in America, and it is one of the rare hotels to receive both Five Diamonds from AAA and Five Stars from Mobil. Now over 100 years old, this Gilded Age icon demands a visit. Glamorous, historical, gracious, and just downright beautiful, the hotel's lobby is ringed by polished marble pillars and has a sweeping staircase said to have inspired the slightly more famous one in Gone With the Wind. No less than twelve presidents have stayed here -- from Harrison to Obama -- so it seemed like a good enough place for Jake and Stone to rendezvous with the Labetts, good friends down from their DC-area home for an afternoon/evening visit to Richmond.

After three martinis and a craft beer at TJ's, the bistro/lounge just off the hotel's lobby, our duo-turned-quartet headed to Carytown for some walking, window shopping and perhaps a snack or two. On this Saturday before Easter the sidewalks of Carytown were very busy, so it took little more to get this foursome out of the crowds and into the Secco Wine Bar where they sampled some tasty Mediterranean cheeses and meats, accompanied by a bottle of Spanish wine. Secco offers dozens of wine-by-the-glass as well as nine or ten beers, and is an unassuming place (not always the case with "wine bars") with a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.

Dinner that night was at Chez Foushee, a well-thought-of and well reviewed-restaurant in downtown Richmond on Foushee Street. The restaurant's room is simple but classy, and our quartet enjoyed the attentive service, the excellent food that is not limited to French fare, and the nice selection of wines. One of the best things about Richmond (the relative low cost of just about everything) was evident here as well, as the bill was under $50 a person. It proved to be a wonderful way to end a wonderful day.

After wishing the Labetts a safe journey homeward, Jake and Stone returned to their B&B, rose the next morning to another fine breakfast in the quietly elegant breakfast room, and then headed back to Jersey. The Easter Sunday traffic caused them to detour westward off I-95, thus increasing their mileage home, but at least they were constantly moving rather than debating the merits of a lane change in crawling traffic (that would, once accomplished, inevitably prove to be the wrong choice), or trying to appreciate the countryside when traffic was completely stopped. And, once off I-95, the extra hour on the road home let them happily review their three-night visit to Richmond, which they agreed was very rich indeed.

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