Big, bright sun and fields of green grass. An endless sea of trees that filter out until there are miles and miles of ocean. Mountains, valleys, Midwestern grassland, railroad tracks, one-horse towns, big city lights, warm, sunny days and chilly, endless nights.
I could useeeeeeeeeee a vacationnnnnnnnnnnnn.
If you’re reading this and you happen to be one person short for a cross-country road trip, I’m your girl. I don’t care if it’s to Wisconsin or Las Vegas or Maine or New Mexico, I’m ready to pack up my stuff and hit the highway. I’ll even paint the “Or Bust” sign for the back of your Mom’s Volvo.
It seems like everyone I know has been somewhere exotic or exciting this summer—somewhere besides hot, sticky, humid Richmond.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the eight-oh-four; but summer means vacation, and I would pay good money to go on one.
But since spending money is scarce, I’ve had to live vicariously through the marvelous vacations of my friends this summer. So far, they’ve been to Disneyworld, Italy, France, South Carolina, Costa Rica, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Germany, New York, Jamaica, and England over the duration of the break, while I’ve been working 8-5, Monday through Thursday, May to August.
Okay, so I’m just a little bit jealous.
But also very, very happy for them :)
But, if you want to know how I’ve most skillfully used my time here in Richmond the past couple of months, you can either click here or read this brief overview of the life of Erin Brooks, ultimate connoisseur of Richmond summer festivities:
Movies: the Goochland Drive-In Theatre is a serious must-see for you last-minute I-better-do-something-with-my-summer procrastinators. It’s a good drive from Richmond (though it’s scenic), but they play anything from Grease to Despicable Me to Inception to, unfortunately, Twilight. Who wouldn’t want to get $2 hot dogs, $1.50 snowcones, and pay $7 for a double feature under the stars? Plus, it’s a cheap date idea :)
Festivals: we have the Strawberry Festival, the Tomato Festival, the Watermelon Festival, the Greek Food Festival, the French Film Festival…the list goes on and on. From great wine to good music to free T-shirts, there’s a little something for everyone. I almost always hit up the Strawberry and Tomato Festival in Ashland (I was runner-up for Little Miss Strawberry of Hanover in the 90s haha), but I’ve heard woooonderful things about each and every festival Richmond has to offer.
Sales: for all you shopaholics (and yes, I’m one of you) there are oodles of great sales in the summer. Saxons’ semi-annual sale puts Nordstrom’s semi-annual to shame. For you out-of-towners, Saxons is a giant Utopia of footwear in Short Pump that is most likely worth your time and effort to visit. Why pay $200 for cowboy boots when you can wait until July and get them half price? And for those of you who like to plan your fall wardrobe as early as you can, you’ll appreciate Nordstrom’s fall preview sale. I first experienced it this year, and I’ve never felt more like a movie star. I literally was whisked behind VIP curtains to check out this fall’s best goods, all for a discounted price. Satins, velvets, leathers, you name it—it was a shopaholic’s dream and a wallet’s worst nightmare. All in all, wonderful experience :)
Concerts: Innsbrook, my friends, is kick-A for concerts. This year Blake Shelton made an appearance, as well as Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Counting Crows, and Sublime. Nearly every musical taste is satiated during the course of the summer, and all well-worth the $20 or so. Throughout my 20 years on the planet, I've seen my fair share of live music, but I'll admit that there is simply no comparison to a good outdoor concert on a breezy summer night. Last year I saw Willie Nelson up-close and personal for under $15…where else can you listen to cheap-yet-classic live music and pick up a marijuana leaf shirt for a decent price?
Well, that’s only partly how I spent my summer…we also put a pool in, so as of mid-July, I’ve been basking in the sunshine, getting burned to a crisp, and enjoying the smell of chlorine in my hair.
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