When in Richmond...

In order to finish out our summers with a little together time, I met my parents in Richmond VA last evening, just in time to convince them that dinner at Double T's bbq in Carytown was much more authentic than the diner on the corner in the commercialist mecca where we are staying. We enjoyed some southern bbq on the patio in the beautiful night air. On the way back to the hotel I took them on a small tour of the lesser known areas of Richmond (i.e., I had no idea where we really were, but pretended we were on an adventure....), and discovered a tower of some kind (i.e., I have no idea what the function of the tower is, but I pretended that I really wanted them to see it....). It was stunning. Quite tall. Magnificent. I think they really appreciated it. (:-/)



This morning we rolled out of bed and (after a small detour to drop my car off at the local toyota dealership for alien noises) went to visit the Shirley plantation. We chose this particular plantation (since there were quite a few to choose from) because it promised outbuildings. I do love a good outbuilding. I was not disappointed--if ever you are in Richmond, I highly recommend Shirley to you. Not only are the buildings well-kept and well-explained, but the house sits on the bank of the James and the view is quite refreshing.


We took advantage of a bench above the river
for some reflection and picture-taking.

The reflection had to do with the fact that my mother was in BIG trouble for suggesting to our tour guide that I might like to meet the bachelor heir of the house who currently resides on the 3rd floor of the plantation and has made it what it is today (with the implication that he might then continue the family line). I'm not sure that she has yet been forgiven for that small moment of our day. (I am not sure that she ever will be either.)

I am, however, a gracious daughter, and so I merely let her know that I was not looking in her direction for a reason instead of giving her a good piece of my mind.

(Unfortunately, I could not stop laughing, so it wasn't really that effective....)


Upon leaving the plantation (along with its various outbuildings) we headed downtown, stopping for lunch at the famous 3rd street diner for a $3.99 cheeseburger. Yum.


We then found the canal walk that promised much history, and
walked the 1.25 mile length of it (in order to work off our $3.99 cheeseburgers). The canals were George Washington's idea, and the word "Shockhoe" means "rock" in Powahatan. These are the things I learned, and the things that make me smarter than I was this morning...




We finished off our canal experience with a tour boat trip that

caused us to reminisce about our fateful tour boat trip in Paris (about this time last year) where it rained through most of it and where the tour guide (though translating what she'd said in French into English) was nearly un-understandable. We had a good laugh, and were grateful that in Richmond they promise a refund in the case of inclement weather. (We were further grateful that we did not need to test whether or not they were telling the truth.)

Then we went to pick up my car (anybody know where I can

get good tires in State College?) and then headed back downtown for dinner at Bottom's Up, an authentic hole in the wall pizza place down on Dock Street (I am insisting on authentic holes in the walls this trip, and so far the parents have not fought me on it...)

I am having a blast with my nearly senior-citizen (nearly senile) parents (seen here organizing their various pills), and we have spent a large amount of time cracking ourselves up. It turns out that senior citizenship and senility are topics that bear much joke potential. (And, as much as I love those brothers of mine and their women, it is nice to have some time with just Mom and Dad all to myself.)

Tomorrow is Monticello and more good eatin'... hopefully there will be no heirs at the Jefferson estate for my mother to get her hopes up about bringing into the family....I think we can also guarantee some more good laughing, as there seems to be no avoiding it.....(ie., pretty much anything seems to set us off, and I don't know how the rest of the world functions without us in their lives....)

i.e., my embracing of my last week of summer is going quite well.