TRAVEL

IN THE SOUTH

Great dining, gorgeous homes, and a whole city in bloom make Virginia's capital a great place to visit, no matter what your budget.

Richmond truly gives travelers something to rave about this time of year. With its walkable streets and a vibrant city scene, this suburban town plays to all your senses without overextending your wallet. Whether on a budget or a big expense account, visitors will get their fill of fun and exciting things to do.

Where To Stay

$: Those who want to be centrally located in downtown for minimal cost and without staying in a chain hotel should opt for the Commonwealth Park Suites hotel (901 Bank Street). Rates range from $79 to $ 169, and each room is designed with 18th-century elegance in mind; 1-888-343-7301 or www.commonwealthparksuites. com.

$$: The Berkeley hotel (1200 East Gary Street), though a bit pricier, is prestige personified. It's the location you're paying for here, being within easy walking distance of most downtown attractions. Situated in historic Shockoe Slip, this venue pays homage to England's Berkeley Castle. Rates range from $140 to $675; 1-888-7804422 or www.berkeleyhotel.com.

$$$: The name for grandeur in Richmond is The Jefferson hotel (101 West Franklin Street), a town landmark since 1895. Coined for Virginian President Thomas Jefferson, this establishment provides stellar service. We dare you not to look around in awe as you explore the historic facility, complete with a 70-foot-high ceiling, stained-glass skylight, and a sweeping staircase that seems right out of Gone With the Wind. Rates range from $285 to $335. Suites cost up to $1,800; 1-800-424-8014 or www. jefferson-hotel.com.

Where To Eat

$: Head into boxed lunch bliss at Sally Bell's Kitchen (708 West Grace Street). A city institution for more than 75 years, this place makes you smile all over. Cheese biscuits, potato salad, chicken salad sandwiches, and their novel upside-down iced cupcakes (try the lemon) are boxed up for $5.75. Homemade never tasted so good.

Hop to Croaker's Spot (119 East Leigh Street) for a sample of Richmond's soul. This jumpin' venue in the historic Jackson Ward district dishes up plenty of it. Their signature cornbread appetizer, aptly named hot Buttered Soul ($5.95), is drizzled with a sugary-sweet butter concoction and tastes like nothing on this Earth. For a meal, try the Eggleston's Famous Fish Boat, which combines fried lake trout, cornbread, potatoes, green peppers, and onions ($6.75).

You'll find the Capital Ale House (623 East Main Street) a fine place to stew over a good brew. More than 200 bottled beers and about 40 on draft make this place a lager-lover's hideout. Dark beer drinkers relish the Smutty Nose Old Brown Dog ($3.50 for a small glass, $6.50 for a big one). This ale may possibly become man's new best friend. Visit on Monday night for the dollar burgers, which come with lettuce, tomato, and onions. You can't beat the price or the taste. Or opt for Tuesday evening when they offer two pizzas for the price of one.

With all the dining choices in town, sometimes good food isn't the only element of an establishment's success. Visit Strawberry Street Cafe (421 North Strawberry Street) for their salad buffet served inside the restaurant's famous bathtub bar. For $7.95 choose from all-you-can-eat chicken curry salad, shrimp pasta salad, Greek salad mix, potato salad, and others. Then marvel over the tub bar, taken from a turn-of-the-20th-century house in the historic Fan District and installed when the restaurant opened in 1976.

When you want a hearty breakfast, sit down at the River City Diner (11430 West Huguenot Road). Their yummy pancakes stack up against the best. Try Here's Looking at You, which comes with two pancakes, two eggs, home fries or apples, and a choice of sausage or bacon ($6.99).

$$: This town offers tons of alfresco dining, so stop by City Bar and Chop House (1548 East Main Street) for stellar food with uptown ambience. As Richmond's premier oyster venue, City Bar serves the seafaring delight a number of ways. Order The hot Oyster Sampler ($12.95), which comes with four different kinds. They include oysters imperial stuffed with lobster and crab in a cream sauce; oyster au citron sprinkled with preserved lemon and shallots; oysters casino topped with garlic butter, red pepper, and bacon; and lastly, oysters Rockefeller.

City Bar even goes a step farther with a specialty menu that includes an entree, such as the New Zealand rack of lamb; a house salad; and a bottomless glass of wine, which patrons may choose from 10 whites and 12 reds (all for $24.95).

At Havana '59 (16 North 17th Street), visitors not only enjoy the tasty mojitos ($4.50) but the cool decor as well. This Cuban-style eatery serves up a mean bowl of black bean soup ($4.95).

$$$: Speaking of soup, Lemaire, a five-diamond AAA restaurant at The Jefferson hotel, keeps their signature peanut soup ($7) on hand at all times. One of our favorite entrees here is the Grilled Chesapeake Bay Rockfish adorned with local products such as country ham, saffron potatoes, and wild forest mushrooms ($29). It is absolutely divine.

What To Do

$: For a spirited time visit Hollywood Cemetery (412 South Cherry Street), the final resting place for U.S. Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Situated west of downtown, the cemetery offers self-guided driving tours of the grounds. Stop inside the office for a brochure.

If your trip leads into the beginning of April, stop by the 17th Street Farmers' Market (17th and Main Streets). You get in free, and starting on April 1, each Thursday and Saturday, the market stays abloom with the season's best. From vendors selling homecooked Amish soups to fresh, hand-cut flowers, you're guaranteed an inexpensive but priceless time. Note: Also check out the Shockoe Flea Market here every Sunday to find a fun selection of antiques and crafts.

Next, take a trip down memory lane with a visit to the historic Byrd Theatre (2908 West Gary Street). Each movie is only $1.99, and on Saturday evening visitors witness a practice not continued in today's modern theaters. The in-house organist rises from an orchestra pit like a phantom and pipes out tunes on the Byrd's vintage Wurlitzer organ before the show.

Maymont (2201 Shields Lake Drive) provides a one-stop playground for families. Home to a children's farm, a nature center, and Japanese and Italian gardens, this 100-acre site bursts with spring fever. Donations are suggested.

Another great way to see Richmond's spring glory is on foot. Take one of the many Historic Richmond Tours (1015 East clay Street), and be guided through such areas as the Fan District, Church Hill, and Hollywood Cemetery. Walking tours begin April 1 and cost $7; (804) 649-0711, ext. 334.

$$: Outside the Richmond limits in Charles City County lies a distinctively Virginian experience. Spend some time wandering the James River Plantations (12602 Harrison Landing Road). Take a tour of two grand homes of the past, Shirley and Berkeley Plantations, which respectively date back to the 160Os and 170Os. Admission to each costs $10.50 adults. While you're here, consider eating at Coach House Tavern at Berkeley Plantation, a great and moderately priced place for lunch ($8 to $13). The waitstaff wears period costumes and provides diners with a memorable Southern-style meal.

$$$: For a bit of culture, spend an evening enjoying the soothing sound of the Richmond Symphony. Tickets cost $25 to $54; (804) 788-1212 or www.richmondsymphony.com. If singing suits you better, spring for opera tickets ($30 to $87) at the Virginia Opera, which holds court at the Carpenter Center; (804) 643-6004 or www.vaopera.org.

Antiques buffs find shopping on West Gary Street at Thomas-Hines store a thrill all unto itself. Visitors delight over the 18th- and 19th-century English and French finds.

Formerly Richmond Lamp Company, Poesis (20 East Main Street) brings springtime to your shoulder. Owner Denton Kump retired as a scientist for more artistic endeavors. "I had a hard time deciding what to do because my interests are on opposite sides of the spectrum," she says about having both left- and right-brain abilities.

The creativity coming forth from her purse boutique should be banned because it's easy to spend all your money in this one place. Her bags have been seen on the shoulders of everyone from Richmond ladies to celebs such as Jennifer Love Hewitt. Moms wanting a special treat should purchase A Girl's Best Friend. This diaper bag includes a changing pad and a detachable clutch ($170). It's a worthy splurge.

If you still haven't spent enough, then get ready to max out your credit card at The Shops at Libbie & Grove. You'll find furniture and gifts for your home at Arcade on Grove, artwork at The Barber Gallery, and fine Italian shoes at The Shoe Box.