Richmond, VA has a special place in our heart. It all started in February, 2020 when we were still unsure if we were ready to jump headfirst into vanlife…
The Setup
We knew that vanlife was definitely what we wanted to do ~ in theory ~ but we hadn’t actually tried it out yet! So in February 2020, we decided we’d use Outdoorsy and find a suitable rig that would give us the closest experience to what we expected, to see if this was going to be a reality. Eventually we settled on a little 2014 Ram Promaster 1500 that had all the very basics. Unfortunately the van is no longer listed on the site, but we were able to nab some pictures from the original listing on the app from our past trip history (sorry for the somewhat grainy photos, but we found them!) The target was our 10-year anniversary weekend (Valentine’s Day) of being together to take a trip down through Richmond to Raleigh North Carolina, where Bryn’s best friend since childhood was living. The prospect of getting out of Maryland that was seeing 30 degree temps at the time was motivation alone, but the idea of making some cool stops along the way and really test out our vanlife “mettle” sounded perfect.
If you have never lived in a van before but you are on the fence about it, we highly highly highly recommend renting one for a weekend and getting out there to explore a place you’ve never been. It really does capture the essence of what living this way is all about. If you break down while on the road, even better!! Lol no but seriously, taking in the raw experience is the best way to decide if vanlife is for you. (Photos: The Promaster was rigged with solar and very simple vinyl wood siding on the inside w/no insulation - top & bottom left, Cassette toilet that we did NOT use - middle, tiny sink and counter space for a kitchen - top right, view of the bed, which acted as a bench during the day but slid out at night for a little-larger-than-single-sized mattress at night - bottom right)
Obviously we were apprehensive about things, asking ourselves questions like “are we really cut out for this?” and even more seriously “how are we gonna poop?”. SPOILER ALERT: For this trip we did not. At least… not in the van, which was equipped with a cassette toilet that we’d only use in an emergency. Since it was a rental, we’d have to clean it ourselves before returning the van and for a trip this quick, it seemed a) like a lot of work and b) just sort of grossed us out. We actually use a composting toilet in our rig today (and poop in it often, we’re proud to say) but not in the rental van we used for this trip. Anyway… by the time we stopped outside Charlottesville to pick up our life-decision-maker, we felt pretty psyched. Something happens when you realize you’re moving freely with everything you need in this world right there. We pulled into a walmart to sleep for our first night (as avid vanlife youtube followers we knew, that’s just what you do) and we were 100% sold. We knew this was our future.
Once we hit the highway in the rental rig, it was pretty magic. Everything we had thought about for over a year was finally being put to the test, and it felt right pretty much from the start. (Photos: Josh driving during golden hour - left, Bryn and Josh enjoying their first homemade meal in the van… sandwiches? We can’t remember - right)
Scott’s Addition, this little revamped ex-industrial complex neighborhood nestled in Richmond, VA is definitely worth the visit. The atmosphere is very inviting, maybe a little grungy at times (and completely over-the-top bougie at others) but also full of little secrets and cool surprises. Excellent coffee shops (like Blanchard’s are found every other block. There’s an amazing barcade (The Circuit Arcade Bar) for late night fun. If you like tattoos you are in luck (we actually grabbed a little momento ourselves to celebrate our 10 year!) and to top it all off, the whole neighborhood is amazingly walkable and overnight parking is very easy to find. Check out the pics below for all the places we visited.
Pipeline Overlook
The Pipeline Overlook is such a freaking cool spot. The street art will blow you away, it feels like an urban, outdoor museum and one of the best parts is it’s 100% FREE! When we were walking through the area, there was even a model shoot casually taking place, nbd. The industrial vibes are over the top, and the close proximity to the James River adds to the whole experience. Walking on the actual pipeline under the bridge along the river is exhilarating - you feel like you’ve found something super secret and also can’t believe that the city would just let any random person walk along that area. Eventually the pipeline walk ends, literally going straight into the river… don’t fall in!
Tattoos @ The Classic Tattoo
Somehow Walmart parking lots have the BEST VIEWS and skylines… it’s so wrong. But so amazing at the same time. (Photos: Bryn and Josh sitting in the back of the rental van appreciating the end of their trip - top, Bryn getting her tattoo by Charlie at The Classic Tattoo - bottom left, Bryn and Josh the day after no turning back - bottom right)
When we pulled into Richmond with ZERO intention of getting any tattoos (even though Bryn is always itching for something new), but as we were driving through the city towards Scott’s Addition we could NOT STOP seeing them EVERYWHERE. Our minds were unconsciously influenced apparently and before to long the idea clicked in both our minds. At this point Bryn already had a handful of tattoos, but I (Josh) on the other hand, was still a blank canvas. So I can’t lie that I was quite apprehensive. If there was ever a good reason to take the plunge once and for all, it was because you’d been with the love of your life for an official 10 YEARS. Full disclosure, at this point we’d been married for almost 3 but we had dated for 7. High School sweet-hearts and all (awwww…). When we initially got into town we mulled the idea over a bit and decided that if we could come up with a good idea for both of us before THE END OF THE DAY, then we’d get them. Plenty of time right?
It actually was pretty quickly that we both converged on the idea of getting an Alder branch. We both happen to be the Alder in Celtic Tree Astrology, in case you’re mind didn’t immediately come to that (Shame on you if you didn’t. SHAME. You need to go buy tickets to the next Maryland Renaissance Festival now and get educated). We spent the next few hours bar hopping and instagram surfing for the perfect walk-in tattoo shop somewhere in the area.
After a few turn aways and “come back tomorrow’s" we found The Classic Tattoo where we met Charlie and who got us in and out in less than an hour for $100 total! Quite the steal for an everlasting memento and plenty of time to continue our bar crawl…
Richmond Breweries!
There are NO SHORTAGES of breweries in this city, and every single one of them was a great experience (Photos: Veil Brewing Co. - bottom left, bottom center & top right, Buskey Cider - top middle, Ardent Craft Ales - bottom right, Triple Crossing - top left)
The Veil Brewing Co.
Veil is located right on the South West edge of Scott’s Addition, which has an awesome outdoor space complete with shipping containers, awnings and lots of lounge-y seating. Parking wasn’t too bad, but they don’t have their own dedicated parking lot - street parking only. There was a brand-new apartment complex that had been erected right across the street, a sweet location for a casual beer run. The beer selection was more than adequate, and I couldn’t resist buying a t-shirt (hint hint: you might see it in later pics). They didn’t have a food menu when we visited, but they had small snacks and meat/cheese lunchable-type goodies to munch on. This was the first pit stop we made after entering the city, so it really sticks out to us as a fabulous place to celebrate and feel proud of yourself for the decisions that you make all on your own, large or small.
1301 Roseneath Rd,Richmond, VA 23230
Buskey Cider
Also in Scott’s Addition, this time on the South East corner, Buskey had so many different flavors of cider - definitely recommended to get a few flights and compare them all. We sat inside and took a little breather - walking around in the neighborhood will wear you out! This is the place where we actually started contemplating whether or not we should actually get a tattoo for our 10 year, scrolling through instagram after instagram profile and comparing google images.
2910 W Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23230
Ardent Craft Ales
There’s also Ardent Craft Ales that sits almost right in the center of Scott’s Addition, which has a fantastic outdoor space as well and room for a regularly rotating food truck. The outdoor space was gated making it a friendly spot for dogs and drunk hipsters trying to escape its grasp (we loved it). Ironically, we actually did end up sitting inside near the windows. I mean it was February after all. We were there on Valentine’s Day evening and they had a pop-up chocolate stand inside. Absolutely divine, I tell you. That night we were parked just 100 footsteps away on the street so it was a cinch to get back “home” and tuck in for the night.
3200 W Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23230
Triple Crossing
This one is actually located in downtown Richmond and has quite a lot of heavy hitter beers, not to mention a really aesthetic logo. Their Falcon Smash IPA is smooth and fruity, a must try.
113 S Foushee St, Richmond, VA 23220
Honorable mentions
We can’t exclude Starr Hill brewing and The Answer Brewpub. Unfortunately we have no pictures of these places, but both are JUST as good as the rest and will not disappoint. Starr Hill feels like a long-time establishment with a HUGE indoor and outdoor area, including a roof deck. It’s in Scott’s Addition, while The Answer is heading north out of the downtown Richmond area all together moving towards Dumbarton. The Answer is super cool because it’s connected to a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant owned by the same guy. We went. We ate. We died and went to heaven. Keep Reading!
Star Hill: 3406 W Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23230
The Answer: 6008 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230
Maymont Mansion & Gardens
We had very little expectations going into visiting Maymont and it totally made the trip for us, it would not have been the same without. We think this is an important lesson we’ve learned for sure in the road… some of the best things you’ll ever do are one’s where you either didn’t plan it, or you had no idea what it would be going into it. Take chances gosh dangit! (Photos: Bryn cranking through a scavenger hunt worksheet with Ducks giving her some hints - top left & center, Josh taking in the moment - top right, Josh & Bryn in the Japanese Gardens - middle & bottom left, Bryn also taking in the moment - bottom right)
Okay if you’re still reading with us, we’ll let you in on a little secret. This blog post actually covers the span of TWO trips that we made to Richmond/Scott’s Addition. There’s no real rules to blog post writing right? After our first trip to test out vanlife, we absolutely knew we needed to return for a longer stay. The next time we made it back was September 2021, right after we’d finished building out our lovely van, Josie. This second trip was massively significant because it marked our very first trip in Josie and the beginning of our shiny new “vanlife”. So it’s cool in a way that Richmond, VA is such a milestone marker in our journey. There’s no doubt in our minds that we’ll be visiting this town again.
During our second trip to Richmond we stumbled upon Maymont Park. The weather was gorgeous and we wanted to visit a botanical garden or a big outdoor space of some sort to catch some rays. Maymont had all of that, the gardens were expansive and beautifully landscaped. There actually is even a small aquarium inside of the main visitor center which was a surprise to us. After the initial excitement, the aquarium turned out to be a little bit of a let down, as half the tanks were totally empty and most of the fish they had in the exhibits were basically ordinary fish 😅. We still had a great time walking through on our way to the outdoors and learned a little more about the species native to the area.
There were the remnants of a wedding which had just ended in the Italian gardens, and the Japanese gardens were some of the most zen we’ve experienced. There’s also a rose garden, which is no joke, and they even had a SCAVENGER HUNT you could go on, which was essentially a dummy-down map of the property with a cross-word puzzle on the back. What also blew our minds about the property was the fact they had EXTENSIVE animal exhibits outside as well, including all types of birds (Owls, Eagles, Falcons, etc…) and even a BEAR habitat. BEARS.
1700 Hampton St, Richmond, VA 23220
Food
If there’s anything that we might regret on these trips looking back is the fact that we didn’t go to as many restaurants as we probably could have. We did however make a conscious decision that we wanted to try and make meals in the rental van to try that whole thing out and make sure it was kosher ~ it was ~ and that we could save a little money this way ~ we sorta did ~ (Photos: House made poptart and macha latte at Roastology - top & bottom left, Vietnamese Spring Rolls at Mekong Restaurant - middle, random burrito at Shields Lake near Maymont - top right, the best poke bowls we suprisingly most likely ever had at North American Sake Brewery - bottom right)
Roastology
We kind of feel bad putting a coffee shop in the food category, but technically we did get food there. And they made it themselves. So… bases are covered. In reality though, Roastology should have its own entire dedicated section on this post because of its EXCELLENT quality and overall atmosphere. The shop is situated in an old building which has been refurbished tastefully and possesses massive garage doors, which when opened turns the front of the store into a giant sprawling patio of sorts where inside is outside and outside is inside in that magical sort of way. The music wasn’t too loud and although it was crowded, the customers were very polite and mindful of personal spaces. I (Josh) actually built a large majority of the blog site while sitting in this exact coffee shop, so it has made a unique mark on me for that reason. If we ever own a coffee shop in the future, it would do us well to follow in Roastology’s footsteps.
Mekong Restaurant
It’s very very fuzzy now (considering this was over a year ago that this happened) but somehow we got a recommendation from somebody seemingly random in the Shenandoah Valley who said that we HAD to go to Mekong. He told us the history of the joint and it definitely has a unique one at that. The owners are from Vietnam and immigrated back in the late 80’s when the craft beer market was still in its early stages. They initially opened a pretty stereotypical no-frills Vietnamese venue dishing out phó and all sorts of classic Vietnamese faire. But then… they made an unexpected move and opened a microbrewery (The Answer, which we mentioned above) that’s attached right on the side of it. This is a total clash of worlds, and let us tell you, we LIKE.
Mekong definitely lived up to the hype of the faceless man down South. We got there around 6pm and not to be dramatic, but we were STORVING. The beer list in the restaurant itself is actually quite international, and everything on the menu was absolutely delectable. Deliciousio. Chef’s kisses galore. Let’s just say we both ordered entrees… twice.
Random Burritos at Shields Lake
We grabbed these hefty burritos from a food truck sitting in the parking lot of Shields Lake. Maybe it’s because we ate them outside next to this very picturesque lake, but these were some of the best burritos we’d ever had! The lake is sizable, taking probably a good 25-30 minutes to walk the full circumference if desired (we did, highly recommend). There were not a lot of people around the lake while we were there, a few people fishing and walking around it. There were picnic tables scattered about and a decent sized parking lot which seemed like we were the only ones actually parked there. Picnics are indeed fun, and it’s highly unlikely you’ve gone on one in a while. Take this as a sign - do it!
Shields Lake - Richmond, VA 23220
North American Sake Brewery & Restaurant
Okay… so we know that this is NOT in Richmond. It’s in Charlottesville. Remember how we determined that there are no rules to a blog? Right. We passed through Charlottesville on our way down to Richmond for a day since we’d never been. Full disclosure we only knew of Charlottesville from its terrible recent history, but after our quick drive through in 2020 picking up our Outdoorsy van, we thought it was worth a deeper exploration. This stop over did not disappoint! Charlottesville is full of some incredible wineries and a thriving arts district. North American Sake Brewery was a gem. It was so unexpected and most certainly deserves some praise. The sake IS expensive, going for something like $12-$15 per 5-8oz glass. It’s really like wine prices, not beer. But don’t let that dissuade you, if you find yourself in Charlottesville, make it a point to go! As mentioned above, the poke bowls that we got were stunning, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is quite nice. There’s even a few tables at the very front of the place which are low to the ground and are equipped with little cushions to sit on the ground - cool! This was a restaurant where we both did some work for a few hours after exploring the massive farmers market that surrounded the neighborhood. It must be highlighted that they had high quantities of AC outlets scattered about as well, big plus.
2GG9+F3 Charlottesville, Virginia
Conclusion
Go to Richmond, VA and enjoy every single thing we listed above. You won’t regret it. Also, we (SPECIFICALLY JOSH) took way too long putting this post together and it’s also his very first one… so do him a favor and don’t judge to harshly please 🙏. Thank you so much for reading this far, and please reach out to us on our instagram for any follow-up questions, comments/suggestions on ways to improve the blog or if you just want to say hi!
See you on the road, Josh & Bryn 🖤
Thanks so much for following along!
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