I get to spend a little over 24 hours in my old community this weekend. The question is how to best spend that time. I expect that I will be largely on my own with no obligations or commitments until right before we leave. I don't want to waste the day just hanging out in the hotel, but I also don't want to just go the entire time. There are restaurants where I would like to eat and an ice cream place that I will visit at some point during the day. Let's break down the day and see what kind of plan I can put together (because if I play it by ear I will just drive around and not really do anything).
We arrive around 8:30. By the time we get off the plane and pick up the car it will be 9. It will take a half hour or so to get to where I will be dropping off my son so he can hang out with his friends (the purpose of the trip). Let's just say I start being on my own at 10. I plan on picking up breakfast while driving so that won't take any additional time. I don't expect that I will be able to check into our hotel until after noon. That leaves me with two hours to fill.
I stumbled on a live stream from a railroad crossing in a small town about 20 minutes north of Richmond. I thought it would be funny to drive up there and wave to the camera so my wife can see me during the trip. I think I head that way as soon as my drop off is complete. I won't have any place to hang out other than the rental car so taking a half hour to drive up there will give me something to do. Parking, finding the camera, and putting on my little show will take 15-20 minutes. It's getting close to 11 at this point. Assuming I can get a day pass to my old gym, I think I would like to get in a workout. By the time I drive down there, get changed, workout, and get back into my regular clothes, it's a little after 12. First big decision time. Where do I get lunch? There is a fun place to get Asian/Mexican fusion dishes on the way to the hotel. A quick take out order from there would be a good choice. I could get unique food and head over to the hotel. Baseball games will be starting at 1 so I can eat while checking out some games on which I have placed a few dollars in wagers. After lunch, I will be taking a nap. No doubt about that.
Let's say I'm awake from my nap and ready to do something around 3. I want to spend some time reading. I'm not sure for how long I want to read, but let's see what the rest of my day looks like if I read for an hour. It's now 4ish. I will likely eat dinner at 6 so I have a couple of hours. The only things I really miss about Richmond are being able to bet and the beer. I will already be betting so maybe this is the time to get some beer. The closest brewery to the hotel is Hardywood. Not my favorite but they have plenty of good options. They also usually have some bottles that I would be able to drink in a single night. Other breweries have better beer, but they are a good 30-40 minute drive from the hotel. I could go get a 4 pack from The Veil or The Answer, but I wouldn't be able to finish all 4 of them. Let's say I decide to do this. A trip to The Veil would be long enough that I would likely just go get dinner right after. Dinner is an easy choice. Rico's. We'll say I finish dinner around 6:30. I'm planning on taking a walk in my old neighborhood that evening. I will leave my car at a park and walk the loop that was our staple route for years. That will take about an hour. After my walk, I'm getting ice cream at Gelati Celesti. Two scoops of something delicious. Or I get a pint and have some for breakfast the next day? Maybe. Either way, I'm getting ice cream.
The first big decision may not be where to get lunch, but whether to hit a brewery right after the gym or to head to the hotel and come back later. The clock will likely be the deciding factor here. If I'm finished working out before 12:15, I could head to The Answer or Veil and still eat lunch around 1. As a bonus, I could have one beer while I was eating lunch and another while I was reading. I wouldn't get drunk if I did it that way. That also assumes I can get into my room soon after 1 pm. Maybe I should try that online check in option. The later I get into my room, the less likely I am to get a good nap. If I'm a nomad all day, I can't exactly pass out somewhere. That would be the least favorable outcome. I've caught an early flight to Richmond before. I felt fine until late morning. Once I hit the wall around 11, I wasn't doing much without a nap. I will be struggling if I can't get into my room until the afternoon.
I have no plans for the evening. I expect to just hang out in the room. I would like to say that I will spend that time reading, but it's more likely that I will be watching TV or messing around on my phone. I could hit the mall or walk around B&N. There's a used bookstore that has a really nice selection that could be fun to visit, but I would almost certainly buy something. I'm trying very hard not to buy books at the moment so that would probably be a bad choice. Those would also be things to do if I hit Veil before I have lunch. We'll see how the day unfolds!
