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Now that I’m retired I might end up going up and riding the Capital Trail from Williamsburg to Richmond. Supposed to be a nice bike ride. Stay over night and hit up some breweries.
I’m a NC native and have only ever been to Richmond once, for a wedding 35 years ago. I’ve got friends and family in most areas of NC so had reasons to go to various towns here in NC, but never felt compelled to visit Richmond. One big reason why I knew people all over the state was people going to various state universities and staying in that area (I did the same). I’ve visited Norfolk/Va Beach and Bristow for concerts, but Richmond never seemed to get stuff there that we (or another NC venue just as close) weren’t getting. I also always hated the drive north. Going up US 1 was never any fun back, then you get to the state line and it’s just one long, dark, monotonous speed trap until you hit Petersburg (which always seemed to have terrible driving).
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HatchChile
In what way VFMA is better? More permanent collections or do they attract better exhibits? Thanks!
I am thinking of combining a couple of VA cities in one trip. Maybe Richmond and Norfolk/VA Beach. Is that double? I'd probably drive to Richmond and get there early, have brunch there, spend some time and then drive to Norfolk. Find a nice seafood place for dinner, and spend a night there. Check out Norfolk and VA beach the next day, and then drive back to Durham. I have done like zero research on this. Just looked at the map a while back, and thought that would be a good weekend trip. Thoughts?
I think that sounds like a lot to do in one weekend. I'd drive up to Richmond and spend an overnight there (so two days, one night). I would save Norfolk/VA Beach for a separate trip. I would do Norfolk/VA Beach and add in a walk around Colonial Williamsburg and/or a visit to Jamestown/Yorktown on the same trip.
Virginia is going all in on rail expansion through the state.
One of the first projects is speeding up service to D.C.
If they can reduce travel time to one hour, that will usher in a Richmond renaissance I believe.
A very fast train could make it a bedroom community for Washington.
The abandoned S line, now owned by Virginia will be rebuilt for faster service to Raleigh's Union Station without the slow trip through Rocky Mount now.
That $4 billion rebuild of the 100 mile missing link between Raleigh and Richmond which both states will pay for, will reduce travel time to D.C. from Raleigh to 3 hours, making Washington a decent day trip in complete comfort san any stress.
Richmond and Raleigh and D.C. will become more intrinsically linked in about 10-15 years.
The success of NC's intrastate rail service (Ral-Char 4 daily roundstrips prepandemic) makes that an even stronger prediction.
Richmond was once one of the most influencial cities in America's early days right up there with Charleston and Philly.
Climate change could make NC too hot and leave Virginia as the best locale for a taste of all 4 seasons one day.
Now that I’m retired I might end up going up and riding the Capital Trail from Williamsburg to Richmond. Supposed to be a nice bike ride. Stay over night and hit up some breweries.
If they can reduce travel time to one hour, that will usher in a Richmond renaissance I believe.
60 minutes absolutely will not happen in my lifetime or yours. The fastest train today takes 138 minutes, and that's from the Staples Mill Road station in north Richmond. Engineering studies say the best that can be done -- without building an entirely new railroad at a probable cost of $15 billion, and there would be massive NIMBY opposition -- is reducing the downtown-to-downtown time to 100 minutes, possibly 90 if a train makes no intermediate stops.
Quote:
Originally Posted by architect77
That $4 billion rebuild of the 100 mile missing link between Raleigh and Richmond which both states will pay for, will reduce travel time to D.C. from Raleigh to 3 hours
The objective for Raleigh-DC is 4 hours, not 3, and it's predicated on 2 hours Raleigh-Richmond and 2 hours Richmond-DC. The more likely outcome, at least for the first 20 years, is 2 hours 40 minutes Raleigh-Richmond compared to today's 3 hours 45 minutes. Why more likely? Because neither VA nor NC is anywhere close to the political commitment to actually spend billions on this. For $500 million or so, you could get 2 hours 40 minutes (which, by the way, is the same as the fastest trains in the 1940s).
Quote:
Originally Posted by architect77
Climate change could make NC too hot and leave Virginia as the best locale for a taste of all 4 seasons one day.
There's not that much difference in summer climate between Raleigh and DC. The profound difference is between western NC and central/eastern NC, and between western VA and central/eastern VA. If Raleigh becomes too hot, people won't be flocking to DC (a move that very few people in Raleigh could afford, anyway). Rather, people will be fleeing to the NC mountains.
Virginia is going all in on rail expansion through the state.
One of the first projects is speeding up service to D.C.
If they can reduce travel time to one hour, that will usher in a Richmond renaissance I believe.
A very fast train could make it a bedroom community for Washington.
The abandoned S line, now owned by Virginia will be rebuilt for faster service to Raleigh's Union Station without the slow trip through Rocky Mount now.
That $4 billion rebuild of the 100 mile missing link between Raleigh and Richmond which both states will pay for, will reduce travel time to D.C. from Raleigh to 3 hours, making Washington a decent day trip in complete comfort san any stress.
Richmond and Raleigh and D.C. will become more intrinsically linked in about 10-15 years.
The success of NC's intrastate rail service (Ral-Char 4 daily roundstrips prepandemic) makes that an even stronger prediction.
Richmond was once one of the most influencial cities in America's early days right up there with Charleston and Philly.
Climate change could make NC too hot and leave Virginia as the best locale for a taste of all 4 seasons one day.
While I do believe in climate change....this bolded sentence is very silly.
The difference in climate between Richmond and Raleigh is minimal. If climate change ever comes to the point where people are literally escaping from too-warm weather and migrating north; I think said migrations would be significantly larger distances than that from central NC to central VA...and also we'd basically be in a post-society/apocalyptic world so I don't think museums or cultural attractions (or being a city at all) are going to be driving factors in where the refugees choose to migrate.
While I do believe in climate change....this bolded sentence is very silly.
The difference in climate between Richmond and Raleigh is minimal. If climate change ever comes to the point where people are literally escaping from too-warm weather and migrating north; I think said migrations would be significantly larger distances than that from central NC to central VA...and also we'd basically be in a post-society/apocalyptic world so I don't think museums or cultural attractions (or being a city at all) are going to be driving factors in where the refugees choose to migrate.
Richmond has a ton of historic sites compared to the Triangle. There are no neighborhoods similar to the Fan (Monument Ave, etc.) in the Triangle, for example. Also, Richmond's art museum (VMFA) is really underrated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppydog
Not really selling me on it.
Doubt their awesome mountainbike trail system right in the middle of town, up and down the James River and across Belle Island would sell it either, but that would be my #1 attraction.
Great food and drink there, but I really don't partake as much on a day-trip.
Richmond is a cool city. VERY cool. Unique blend of Northern Industrial and Southern Charm and Tradition. I don't know why I don't go there more than I do.
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