We're heading to Richmond in March and although we have a list of places to visit, we'd love to get your suggestions. What's on your list of "must see" attractions or favorite restaurants in the area?

Be careful in downtown richmond, go only in the daytime. Go to the fan and Shockoe bottom. Have lunch at Bottom's up Pizza. Cary Town is a big deal here. Walk around and enjoy people watching. Hollywood cemetary is interesting, but dangerous. Maymont park is free and pretty spectacular you can tour the mansion for free and there is a great free nature center. The Virginia house has a fee, but is an interesting tour. Be sure to see the James river, it is very important to Virginia history. Henricus park is a living museum that is lots of fun. The edgar allen poe museum is small but nice, you can also see where Patrick henry did his Give me Liberty or Give me death. Chesterfield County Pocahontas park is a nice place to Park your RV. It is very close to the city, but in a nice low crime area. While in Chesterfield county you can see magnolia grange. Be sure you next head up to Jamestown and Williamsburg. You can tour almost all of Colonial Williamsburg without buying tickets. You will be able to walk through the city and go in all the stores and restaurants where the costumed period interpreters will tell you all about the city for free. While you are there eat lunch at the Kings Arms Tavern and tour the College of William and Mary, the College of Presidents.

Wow! This is just the type of info we were hoping for...the inside scoop! Thank you for your suggestions!
Jennifer

These are several places on our list to see. We may not make it to all of them and we'll be adding a few based on the suggestions that we've gotten. Are there any that you would skip? Remember, we'll be there in March, if that makes a difference.

Meadow Farm Museum
Colonial Williamsburg
Jamestown Island
Jamestown Settlement
Yorktown Battlefield
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Chincoteague
Norfolk - Nauticus
Virginia Beach
Cape Hatteras - lighthouse, crabbing
Kitty Hawk
Fredricksburg - Hugh Mercer Apothecary shop

Thanks for your suggestions!

There are many civil war battle fields in and around Richmond that are worth looking into. We enjoyed some of the plantations in the area too. A must see and visit is the state capital building in Richmond! take the docent's tour and take a look at George Washington's statue! Be sure to drive down the main road from the capital (name escapes me) and look at all of the statues of war heroes etc. Saint Johns church is where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech and they do reenactments there every Sunday afternoon in the summer time. I'm not sure when that starts but I would definately look into it! It was an awesome experience!
Going out of Richmond east to Williamsburg and Jamestown and Yorktown, be sure to take the parkway drive between those places! It's beautiful and worth the drive.
If you go north up towards DC. be sure to stop in Charlottesville and visit Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home) and check out UVA. The Rotunda and Green are beautiful and historic. You might like to drive the Shenandoah Parkway (very pretty). Once near DC be sure to check out George Washington's home, Mount Vernon! We all learned so much there! You might already do this but in all your travels participate in the national park and historic park ranger program for kids. They learn a lot, it's fun and they get to collect cool ranger patches and stamps!

Monument avenue is the road with all the statues. Very good to see, but it will really only take about 10 minutes, you can't really get out of the car to look at them.
Chincoteague is way cool but about 5 hours outside of Richmond. Just so you are prepared for the drive.
Outside of James town are the Carrot Tree Bakeryhttp://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/ctree.html in a precious little line of shops where you can get carrot cake that is better than anything you have EVER had before. Very close to that is also the James River pie company. They make pizza and Pecan pie for takeout. Wonderful! For lunch, when not dining at Kings arms, go to Old Chickahominy house http://oldchickahominy.com/
Be sure to read the Felicity American Girls books and her cookbooks so you will know what to order at the Kings Arms tavern.
At night in Colonial Williamsburg, go to Chownings Tavern http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/diningExperience/chownings/ (pronounced chewnings) The kids can go too. You sit at a table with strangers, order snacky foods and talk. Historical interpreters walk around and teach colonial games, sing colonial songs, play instruments and entertain the guests. There will be a line to get in, but it is well worth the wait! Remember, you can go to any restaurant or shop in colonial williamsburg without buying a ticket. They do strictly enforce parking times and you will get a ticket if you park too long. Park in the parking garage so you won't have to worry. It obviously costs more than free parking, but they have police patroling the free lots all day marking tires and giving tickets.
They have colonial williamsburg ghost tours which is usually a fun way to teach the kids history, but we didn't enjoy the ones in williamsburg. Don't waste your money. You can tour william and Mary for free and see the current students taking classes in historic buildings. Be sure to see the sunken gardens there. That is what people will ask the kids about when you go back home. Glen Close, John Stewart, and many US presidents were educated at William and Mary. It is called a "public ivy league" school. You can often see Bruce Hornsby walking around campus. Colonial Williamsburg is very beautiful, but not as safe as it looks or seems. Be careful at night. If you walk with a group and stay in well lit areas you should be fine.
While you are in Richmond, have dinner or lunch at least once at a Ukrops grocery store. They are a very big deal to richmmonders.
On the drive from Richmond to Williamsburg , right before the williamsburg exit, you will see Pierces Pitt Barbecue http://www.pierces.com/ You must stop here! People drive for HOURS to go here! They even catered my wedding! It looks like a biker hang out, but is very nice inside. Order BBQ sandwiches and Hush puppies. This is Virginia Barbecue.
If you take the Jamestown ferry (right next to Jamestown, the ferry transports you and your car) to surry http://www.toursurryva.com/
You can see the site of Bacon's rebellion and go to Chippokes state park. In Surry there are still cotton farms where you can pull the car over and see the cotton growing.
Be sure to try Virginia Peanuts at some point during your stay!