"The Walls are Cracked, the Paper Peels like Rust"

One of the biggest surprises of my road trip was Richmond, VA.

It was supposed to just be a pit stop along the way, but ended up being one of the coolest cities I've ever visited.  Obviously a historical city in the annals of America, Richmond now seemed to offer a great hybrid of old and new generations.  The people were extremely welcoming and they had small town-feel bars and restaurants.

The one thing I couldn't believe was the curated works at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  One specific exhibit that left me astonished was the Fabergé and Russian Decorative Arts.  On display they had five of the (only-52 total) imperial Easter eggs.  Created for the last tsars of Russia, Tsar Alexander III commissioned Fabergé to create the first in 1885 as a gift for his wife.  The eggs featured at the museum were the following:

· Rock Crystal – (1896, for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna)

· Pelican –  (1898, for Empress Maria Feodorovna)

· Peter the Great – (1903, for Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna)

· Tsarevich – (1912, for Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna)

· Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg – (1915, for Empress Maria Feodorovna)

Living in Chicago, I have access to some of the greatest fine art in the world, but Richmond's topped them all.  On my next visit, I will spend more time probably enjoying more of the colonial sites and landmarks, but until then...I'm comin' home, baby.

 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Richmond, VA
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Fabergé Imperial Egg Collection
• Commercial Taphouse - Great atmosphere and selection of draft beer

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Make sure you allocate plenty of time to spend at the museum and colonial sites, should you do a full trip
• Hotels might be pricey, but I was able to find a very reasonable AirBnb downtown
• Grab a beer after your full day of tourism at Commercial Taphouse.  The people were great, with a small-relaxing vibe inside