On our trip to Lake Phoenix, we did some other things. I went looking for geocaches, which was harder than I thought it would be. The town of Blackstone is about half an hour away and promised to have almost a dozen geocaches. Unfortunately, some of them were no longer active (why don't people take them off the web site?). I did visit Schwartz Tavern which dates back to 1798. It's a museum now but the museum was not open when I visited. The geocache under the porch wasn't there either!
Schwartz Tavern |
Across the street from the tavern is the Harris Memorial Armory, which also was not open. It does look like a cool building.
Looks older than the tavern, huh? |
After the first evening of diving, we went to a Japanese restaurant called Narita. I had a box dinner, which included California rolls, tempura, and beef teriyaki. Yummy!
A satisfying dinner |
Darkest beer ever? |
Hash browns and frittata |
We walked over to capital hill where the state government is located.
A small tower on the way to the capital |
The main building is getting a face lift so the area had construction equipment and fences galore.
Capital building |
The Virginia Women's Monument is a tribute to famous (First Lady Martha Washington) and not-so-famous (seamstress and author Elizabeth Keckly) women who have had an impact on the state and the country at large.
The Virginia Women's Monument |
Ready to join the ranks |
Printer Clementia Rind and Martha Washington (seated) |
Nearby is the Virginia Washington Monument, with George Washington on horseback and several Virginia founding fathers (like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson) around the base.
Washington monument |
Across the street is the Old City Hall which looks very fancy.
Old City Hall |
Another monument on the north side of the Capitol is dedicated to Doctor Hunter Henry McGuire. He was an American Civil War-era doctor who was physician to General Stonewall Jackson. After the war, he founded a medical school in Richmond and provided medical service to the indigent and to the freed Blacks.
Hunter Holmes McGuire |
The next monument is the Virginia Civil Rights Monument. It is a four-sided granite block with statues on every side representing the struggle for school desegregation in Virginia.
Barbara Johns led one of the protests as a teenager in 1951 |
The civil rights lawyers who took the case through the Virginia legal system |
A great quote from Thurgood Marshall |
The final side of the monument |
Nearby is the Virginia Executive Mansion where the governor lives and works.
Executive Mansion |
Just down the hill is an office building for various government departments along with the Lieutenant Governor's Office.
Offices |
Another view of the Capitol |
Fenced-off front! |
A comprehensive list (slingshots?) |
On the way back to the car, we spotted a small plaque commemorating the location of a building where Edgar Allen Poe once lived. The original building is gone.
Sinister angle courtesy my daughter |
Hopefully we'll get to visit the local Poe Museum on another visit to Richmond!
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