I'm always on the hunt for family friendly activities that cater to our particular interests, especially on Mother's Day and Father's Day. Luckily, Richmond has so many kid friendly parks, trails and restaurants. Here are five "dad-approved" adventures around Richmond, Virginia that perfect for celebrating Father's Day.
1. Ashland, Virginia: Located less than 30 minutes from Richmond, Ashland provides a quaint atmosphere with lots for families to see & explore. It’s a Virginia Main Street Community, and the highlight for everyone is the trains! With the tracks going right through town, you are guaranteed to see a cargo or passenger train! Over 60 trains come through the town in 24 hours & there is usually at least one per an hour.
We like walking North Ashland's Railside Park. We eat at The Iron Horse almost every time we visit, and Canteen has live music on Saturdays from 1-3 and Sundays from 12-2.
*Check here for my full review.
2. Hardywood at West Creek: We love everything about the West Creek location - the atmosphere, the greenspace, and the food trucks! Hardywood West Creek has 24 acres next to the peaceful Tuckahoe Creek, and the outdoor space has a lawn, a large concrete patio, a natural play area with swings, a see saw and hammocks, plus there are two regulation-sized bocce courts! You don't need reservations to visit, but you can reserve a tent, burly fire pit, or gazebo. This is the first brewery we visited with a baby & this is also where we held my husband's most recent birthday.
Hardywood West Creek is hosting Keg N’ Oyster Fest on Father’s Day this year, and this is a family-friendly event. They will have fresh shucked oysters from Rappahannock Oyster Co. and live music from 1-3:30 by Wayward Bills. Two of our favorite food trucks will be serving food & treats too: River City Pizza, El Guapo, Birmie's Fixins, and Return of Mac. They also serve King of Pops ice cream treats!
3. Point of Rocks Park: Located in Chesterfield, this park is 176 acres with a lot of history. The grounds of the park were used during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, and there are remnants of these battles & historical markers around the park. Point of Rocks Park has two main areas: an upper area & a lower area. The upper area has athletic fields, picnic areas, a large playground with two play sets and swings. The lower area has a play space, 2.7 miles of trails (paved & hard pack), and a floating boardwalk over tidal marsh! This is a free, family adventure, too.
We love the paved insect trail down to the natural play area. It has insects painted along the walk, and my littles really enjoyed hunting for them on our walk.
Saucy's Bar.B.Q, one of our favorite BBQ restaurants, is less than 8 minutes away from the park. Saucy's is closed on Sunday, so make sure to check this one out on Saturday.
4. The Potterfield Bridge: We have been enjoying this walk since our son was just a baby! I like The Potterfield Bridge because it isn't as loud as the pedestrian bridge to get to Belle Isle, and you still get the beautiful views of the river, the city, and train tracks. Parking is relatively easy, too. You can park by Tredegar Iron Works or on the southside of the bridge near the SunTrust building. The trail is mostly flat, but there are a few inclines. You can walk your dog, ride bikes & scooters, and rock climb all along this trail! There are porta potties by Brown's Island. This is a free family adventure, too.
We love to add on a visit to Legends Brewery on nice days. It's about a mile walk, and it takes us between 30-40 minutes to walk with the kids.
*Check here for my full review.
5. Uptown Alley: Located in Midlothian, the family-friendly bowling alley offers so much more than bowling! Besides the 38 bowling lanes, Uptown Alley Richmond has a restaurant & sports theater, an arcade, billiards and virtual reality arena. They offer daily specials so you could create a family date on a budget or go all out! Uptown Alley Richmond also hosts birthday parties & school events.
*Check here for my full review.
6. A Richmond Kicker's soccer match: Our local soccer team has a home game on Saturday, June 18th at 6:30 against the Northern Colorado Hailstrom FC. All of their games are played a City Stadium, and parking is free! We've enjoyed attending these games because they are stroller friendly, there is a lot of shade inside the stadium, and kids can run around while parents watch the game - you don't have to stay in your seats! You can see the field from almost anywhere in the stadium. Local food trucks like Kona Ice, Cary Street Cafe and Chick-fil-a pop up at the games. Also, kids 4 and under don't need a ticket - they are free!
*The Richmond Flying Squirrels have away games the weekend of Father's Day, but they have home games on June 21-28. This is definitely a fun "experience" gift!
*Staying at home on Father's Day? Here are some ways to make Father's Day special at home!
Tazza To Go: This is one of our favorite places to order a complete meal. You can order a BBQ Kit, a Taco Kit, salads, entrees, desserts & cocktails. All items come chilled; you just have to heat them up. They are closed on Sunday, so make sure you order for pick up on Saturday.
Triple Crossing Brewery: Triple Crossing is continuing its delivery service for orders of $50 or more. There is a $5 delivery fee for each order. You can place your order 24 hours a day on line, and delivery is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Their pizza is fantastic, too!
Saucy's Bar.B.Q: Saucy's is the best BBQ we've had, and it's even rated by Southern Living Magazine! Anytime we are in the area, we stop to eat or grab takeout. It has two locations: Hopewell and Petersburg. It's closed on Sunday, so make sure you visit on Saturday!
Shyndigz: Shyndigz's treats are incredibly decadent & made for sharing. Our favorites are Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake, Peanut Butter Pie, and their cookies - but everything is delicious! The Fancy Biscuit, their sister company, has grab & go deli items and charcuterie boards in the market. Both their sweet & savory items available for pickup in their market or by delivery through Chop Chop. You can also place orders in advance. It's closed on Mondays.
Ukrop's: I grew up shopping at Ukrop's with my family, so this spot reminds me of almost every celebration. Ukrop's Market Hall is a specialty grocery store, selling only their products. You can get options like breakfast pizzas, classic fried chicken, chicken bites (our fav), potato wedges, and classic pizza. There is also a deck & patio area for eating.