Belle Isle

 

 

Belle Isle, Virginia 

Northbank Trail

While in Richmond, I decided to hike the Northbank Trail across to Belle Isle. Never heard of Belle Isle? Well, here's some info from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources:

"The human history on Belle Isle predates the arrival of Europeans. Over the centuries, it was home to a Powhatan settlement, a rich fishery, a 19th-century ironworks, a 20th-century hydroelectric plant, and most tragically, a notorious Confederate Army prisoner-of-war camp. Today, it is an immensely popular location for outdoor recreation and wildlife watching in the Richmond area."

Accessing Belle Isle requires crossing the James River on a suspended pedestrian bridge. 

Connecting again today to Skywatch Friday.

Bike Race

 

They had a police escort through Richmond last Saturday, so I can only conclude that this was either an official bike race or, alternatively, that they were all being escorted to prison. :-)

821 Café

 

The 821 Café is a popular eatery just across the street from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. It has a very small dining area, hence the people outside waiting for tables to open up. But what it lacks in space, it tries to compensate with good food at more or less reasonable prices. I had their Grummus Wrap loaded with hummus, field greens, feta, kalamata olives, banana peppers, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette in a flour tortilla and a side cup of fruit for $12. 

The Staples!

 

 

I took this picture on S. Cherry Street in Richmond not so much because of the poster but because of the amazing number of staples people have used over time to hang other posters. Obviously a very popular corner.

Raleigh Ringers

 

The Raleigh Ringers concert at the Second Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia last Sunday. 

Bowden-Armistead House

"The Bowden-Armistead House, a three-story Greek Revival home surrounded by black wrought-iron fencing, stands out. It is an antebellum relic; the last remnant of the post-colonial homes and businesses present before the 1930s restoration of Williamsburg was finished. The house is located at 207 W. Duke of Gloucester Street, on a lot once owned by the adjacent Bruton Parish Church. Built in 1858 by prominent lawyer Lemuel J. Bowden, local gossip of the time reported its astonishing cost to be more than $10,000. The Bowden-Armistead House has ever since been a landmark on the cultural and geographic landscape of Williamsburg’s main street." -- The House & Home Magazine