Roadtrip to Richmond! Travel Guide for Redskins Training Camp

As a Richmond native, I can assure everyone that this year will surely be worth the drive- both in seeing our beloved almighty Redskins and what the beautiful city of Richmond has to offer. Whether you're here with the family or coming down with some close friends, there is something for everyone. We're here to help.

2013 Redskins Training Camp Schedule. July 25-August 16, 2013. Specific Practice Times to Be Announced. Fan Appreciation Day is August 3, 2013.

Travel can be tricky. Let's not make it difficult. Here are some hotels near training camp with some specials worth looking into. Discounts are available via Richmond, VA website, but here's my rankings:

1. Jefferson Hotel (101 W Franklin St.) Historic hotel, great lodging, beautiful in every aspect. A bit pricey but if you're for a nights stay it is absolutely worth considering.

2. Commonwealth Park Suites Hotel (901 Bank St.) 8 mins from training camp

3. Richmond Marriot (500 E Broad St.)

4. Hilton Garden Inn (501 E Broad St.)

5. Comfort Inn (3200 W Broad St.)

6. Sheraton Richmond Park South Hotel (9901 Midlothian Tp.) 15 minutes

With as much as the city as to offer it's hard to pack it all in one trip, here are a few to consider when planning for some extracurricular family time. Ranging from museums to hiking to:

1. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts - Nationally renown Art Museum in the heart of the city. Exhibits from all over the world come in and attract hundreds. Until July 28th is the national Pop Art exhibit, followed by particular and peculiar art from all 50 states. Most of the museum is free, tickets are about $10-$20, cafe included inside.

2. Science Museum of Virginia - Right next to training camp is a really cool science museum. Robots, NOAA, physics behind space, and science behind personal athleticism are just a few of the exhibits this gigantic museum has to offer. Not to mention one of the biggest IMAX theaters on the East Coast..

3. Friday Cheers - Spectacular summer series with music ranging from ska reggae to funk to folk. Food, cigar, and beer trucks are all available. Even wine too. Great for the whole family, located on the beautiful Browns Island overlooking the James River on Friday evenings. [Editor Note courtesy of Parks Smith: Friday Cheers ends June 28th).

4. Maymont - Beautiful public garden with spectacular scenery and great walking trails. Perfect for a picnic or an afternoon to contemplate why Jason Garrett still has a job.

5. Belle Isle - Used to be home to one of the largest ironworks of the Confederacy, then home to a Confederate prison to house captured Union soldiers. Now home to one of Richmond's best hiking/biking/walking trails. Enjoy the scenery and the serenity on one of our most unforgettable landmarks.

6. Childrens Museum - Entertaining for both kids and adults, great fun with simplified science behind things we would've never thought of before. Located right next to the Science Museum and in front of Training Camp facilities

7. Richmond Flying Squirrels - Baseball is back in Richmond and we couldn't be happier with the team we have! Be sure to check the schedule for firework nights and specials ($2 beer Wednesday nights) They do a great job making the entire game entertaining, not your typical Double-A baseball game.

8. Richmond Kickers - Local minor league soccer team, check the schedule as they normally play some big name contenders.

9. Jumpology - It's a ton of trampolines, and it's awesome. Do yourself a favor and go.

10. Richmond Zoo - Cool zoo with tons of animals, ranging from Giraffes, tigers, penguin feeding, and many more. Enjoy the Safari ride and see the whole park.

It's hot as hell as it is everywhere else in Richmond so we want to find a nice place to find a good drink and some delicious craft beer. Here are some local hot spots to catch up with some pals and just kick back a little:

1. Hometeam Grill (1630 W Main St.) Huge sports bar, tons of tv's, daily specials, banging philly cheese steak.

2. Penny Lane Pub (421 E Franklin St.) Pub food, great UK beer and whiskey choices, worth the trip for ambiance and an authentic UK pub feel.

3. Portrait House (2097 W Cary St.) New addition to our famous Cary Town shopping/restaurant district. Located across the street from the historic Byrd Theater. Primarily burgers and pizzas, don't let this fool you the amount of options and creativity in these foods is unimaginable. Highly recommended.

4. Comfort (200 W Broad St.) Feeling guilty? Ain't nothing a little comfort food can't fix, whether it's meatloaf, grilled cheese, ham steak, fried catfish, or a simple hamburger this will satisfy your comfort food cravings for months on end.

5. Mama J's (415 N 1^st St.) This comfort soul food staple located in historic Jackson Ward holds daily specials ranging from spaghetti to corned beef with cabbage along with a grand list of more soul food must haves.

6. Station 2 (2016 E Main St.) Interested in people watching? This place will fill that interest with a spectacular beer choice and great burger options to complement it. A burger lover must visit.

7. Saison - Highly recommended for drinks and bite.

It's late, training camp just ended, and you don't have work tomorrow. Here are a few places to let your hair down and enjoy the city, likely to see a few Skins players themselves as these are some of the more popular bars in the city.

1. Cha-Chas (1419 E Cary St.) With bar stations set up around the restaurant, its difficult not to find a place to get a drink.

2. Baja Bean (1520 W Main St.) Newest addition includes an outdoor patio and bar that attracts visitors to the fan district. A few craft options and any drink imaginable, worth a shot or two.

3. Sticky Rice (2232 W Main St.) Karoake, fully stocked liquor bar, and sushi. It makes for quite the trio of action.

4. Patrick Henry's Pub (2300 E Broad St.) No matter what the occasion is, Patrick Henry is appropriate for just about every one of them. Not the loud party bar atmosphere you might expect, this is a classic Richmond Pub (like Penny Lane) to grab a well poured drink and some great bar bites to chase with. Featured on "Drinking Made Easy"

5. Poe's Pub (2706 E Main St.) Charming, dim, cool atmosphere in this neighborhood joint. Comfortable and unpretentious, sit on the patio or at the bar. Seat yourself and enjoy your stay.

6. Lady N'awlins (2329 W Main St.) Classic laid back bourbon street during the day, spectacular Cajun dishes anything fish or gumbo. By night, come as you are leave as you will.

We in Richmond tend to think of ourselves as beer enthusiasts and are quite supportive of our local brewers.

1. Legend Brewing Company (321 W 7^th St.) Great restaurant and fresh beer straight from the taps. Found all around VA.

2. Hardywood Brewery (2408 Ownby Ln.) Incredible beer, making it's way to the top of the chain of local brewing. Every Thursday, the great food trucks of Richmond park out front the Brewery and attract hundreds. Best food and drink combination on a Thursday in the entire area.

3.) Strangeways Brewing (5 miles from town).

For groupons visit:

http://www.visitrichmondva.com/events/redskinsinrichmond/?gclid=CPi3xJOW87cCFc-f4AodTg8AhA

Trust me, this city is as welcoming as the people in it. We can't wait to have the Redskins join us for summer as we prepare for round 2 of NFC East superiority. Hail the Almighty!

Here's a link to an interactive Google map with some of the locations mentioned above: