Author: Chris Peralta

Snapshots of RVA: Winter Snow

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February 25th, 2015

  • Broad Street was covered in snow Broad Street was covered in snow.
  • IMG_4173 Broad Street was covered in snow.
  • Broad Street was covered in snow Broad Street was covered in snow.
  • Snowfall in the bushes Snowfall in the bushes.

The snow that fell in Richmond during the 2014-2015 winter season was the first snow I ever saw in my life. Having grown up in Miami and lived in Florida my whole life up until I moved here, I was never exposed to it before — and it did live up to what I pictured […]

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Special ‘Snapshots’ Post: Washington, D.C.

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February 7th, 2015

  • 20140702_174724 The U.S. Capitol.
  • 20140731_150240 The U.S. Capitol.
  • IMG_2610 The White House.
  • IMG_2618 The Washington Monument.
  • IMG_2634 The Washington Monument.
  • IMG_2642 The U.S. Capitol from Pennsylvania Ave NW near the National Archives.
  • IMG_3391 The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building facing Pennsylvania Avenue.
  • IMG_3450 The U.S. Supreme Court.
  • IMG_3464 The U.S. Supreme Court.
  • IMG_3477 The U.S. Supreme Court.
  • World War II Memorial World War II Memorial
  • The National Mall The National Mall
  • The National Mall The National Mall
  • The National Mall The National Mall
  • The National Mall The National Mall
  • Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial
  • The White House The White House
  • Organization of American States Organization of American States
  • The Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve
  • Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial

Ok, this isn’t quite in RVA, but Washington, D.C. is also a pretty photogenic city. Having grown up as a government and politics nerd hundreds of miles away from the nation’s capital, I try to take advantage of my closer proximity to D.C. to explore and geek out. This is a compilation of pictures I’ve […]

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Snapshots of RVA: RVA At Night

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January 5th, 2015

  • IMG_3786
  • IMG_3798
  • IMG_3826

These are pictures of the Richmond skyline at night, taken in January 2015. Some of the buildings are decorated with lights for Christmas. Several pictures were taken at Richmond Hill in Shockoe Bottom, which has a great view of downtown Richmond. There is also a picture taken from the Virginia War Memorial, which also has […]

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Snapshots of RVA: Confederate War Memorial Chapel

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November 28th, 2014

  • IMG_2758 This cannon was used to defend Fort Sumter.
  • IMG_2763 This cannon was used to defend Fort Sumter.
  • IMG_2766 The Confederate Memorial Chapel.
  • IMG_2770 This cannon was used to defend Fort Sumter.

The Confederate War Memorial Chapel was built as a memorial to the soldiers who died on the Confederate side during the Civil War. Right in front, very unassumingly, sits a cannon with a plaque that reads “One of the guns used in the defence of Fort Sumter.” So, basically, a piece of U.S. history is […]

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Snapshots of RVA: Virginia Capitol Square

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November 11th, 2014

  • IMG_3758 This is the Virginia State Capitol. It's on a big hill in downtown Richmond.
  • IMG_3764 This is the unassuming Governor's Mansion. It's a little tough to find -- it's on Capitol Square hidden behind the trees you see.
  • IMG_3768 This is the a dining room in the Governor's Mansion. This pic was taken during a tour in October, which you can tell by the decor.
  • IMG_3769 This is the Governor's Mansion "back yard." It's some rare green space in the middle of downtown Richmond.

This is a collection of pictures from around the Virginia Capitol Square, where the Virginia Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion are found. The Virginia Capitol houses the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate, while the Virginia governor lives in the Governor’s Mansion (surprise). History factoid: the Virginia Capitol was designed by Thomas Jefferson […]

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Snapshots of RVA: Maymont

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October 30th, 2014

  • IMG_3496 This is a fountain near Maymont's entrance.
  • IMG_3546 This is a fountain in the Italian Garden.
  • IMG_3501 This is Maymont's Italian Garden.
  • IMG_3522 This is a pathway in the Italian Garden.
  • IMG_3537 This is another view of the Italian Garden.
  • IMG_3564 This is near the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3569 This is near the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3601 This is the lake in the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3599 This is the lake in the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3586 This is the lake in the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3587 This is the lake in the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3624 This neat waterfall and bridge is near the Japanese Garden.
  • IMG_3676 This massive praying mantis was hanging out near the Maymont mansion.
  • IMG_3693 Trees change color with the season here!
  • IMG_3689 Trees have dropped leaves with the arrival of the fall.
  • IMG_3748 Benches are spread throughout Maymont's green spaces.
  • IMG_3730 Here's more of Maymont's green space. There are a lot of hills throughout the area.
  • IMG_3729 It was clear and sunny for most of the day.
  • IMG_3678 This is the Maymont mansion.
  • IMG_3750 The day became cloudier and more ominous near the end.
  • IMG_3755 This is a last shot of the Maymont mansion.

These are pictures from a trip to Maymont, which is an estate that was first donated to the City of Richmond and is now run by the Maymont Foundation, a nonprofit. The estate has gardens, a nature center, a wildlife area, and the estate mansion. I made this trip in October 2014.

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Snapshots of RVA: Petersburg National Battlefield Park, September 2014

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October 30th, 2014

  • IMG_2772 A cannon near the entrance of Petersburg National Battlefield Park.
  • IMG_2781 A display of several Union cannons near the front of the park.
  • IMG_2783 A close-up of one of the previous cannons, with its sign.
  • IMG_2787 Another close-up of one of the cannons near the park's front entrance..
  • IMG_2803 This fancy cannon is along the trail within the park itself.
  • IMG_2815 This is a view of one of the batteries at the park. Several cannons were placed here.
  • IMG_2820 Another view of the battery.
  • IMG_2835 A view of the trail beyond the previous battery.
  • IMG_2842 A view of the trail on the way back to the battery.
  • IMG_2846 Another view of the previous battery.
  • IMG_2854 A large grassy expanse covers the area between the park entrance and the battery.
  • IMG_2868 This is the trail and the grassy area between the park entrance. The battery is in the distance.
  • IMG_2872 This is the road leading away from the park entrance.

These are pictures from a trip to Petersburg National Battlefield Park, which I visited in September 2014. The battle that took place here was decisive in the Civil War, as the Confederacy’s loss at Petersburg led to the later evacuation of Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy. I came in at the eastern front visitor […]

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Introducing Snapshots of RVA

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October 13th, 2014

The James River in the foreground and the Richmond skyline are divided by the CSX train tracks.

elcome to Snapshots of RVA! This is a new pictures-driven blog I’ve begun following my move to Richmond, Virginia in May of 2014. I moved to Virginia after growing up and going to school in Florida — first in Miami, then in Gainesville, where I went to the University of Florida. During my first few weeks […]

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Snapshots of RVA: James River Park and Belle Isle, October 2014

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October 13th, 2014

  • IMG_2916 16x9 Near the James River Park's Reedy Creek entrance.
  • IMG_2924 16x9 Near the James River Park's Reedy Creek entrance.
  • IMG_2937 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_2961 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_2977 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_2986 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3010 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3017 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3025 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3031 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3052 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3055 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3073 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3096 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3108 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3122 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3130 16x9 Near the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3161 16x9 Along the Reedy Creek trail.
  • IMG_3175 16x9 A narrow part of the James River.
  • IMG_3178 16x9 A view of the bridge connecting to Belle Isle.
  • IMG_3190 16x9 Part of the Robert E. Lee Bridge that connects Belle Isle to south Richmond.
  • IMG_3210 16x9 Entrance to the James River Park.
  • IMG_3238 16x9 A view of the Richmond skyline from the Robert E. Lee Bridge connecting Belle Isle to South Richmond.
  • IMG_3248 16x9 A view of the Lee Bridge over a shallow James River.
  • IMG_3255 16x9 On a trail at Belle Isle.
  • IMG_3274 16x9 A view of part of Tredegar Street from Belle Isle.
  • IMG_3300 16x9 The pedestrian walkway under the Lee Bridge -- suspended by cables from it!
  • IMG_3306 16x9 The Richmond skyline from the pedestrian bridge.
  • IMG_3318 16x9 A view of the shallow James River from the pedestrian bridge.
  • IMG_3330 16x9 A view west of the James River from the pedestrian bridge.
  • IMG_3336 16x9 A view east from the pedestrian bridge. The Manchester Bridge is in the distance.
  • IMG_3344 16x9 The Richmond skyline from the pedestrian bridge.
  • IMG_3387 16x9 A view of the James from the pedestrian bridge.

These are pictures from a trip along the James River Park System. I made this trip on the first day of fall of 2014 — and as you can see in the pictures, it was a great day to be outside. The trip began at the James River Park System’s Reedy Creek entrance, extended to Belle […]

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Snapshots of RVA: Gambles Hill Park and Canal Walk, September 2014

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October 13th, 2014

  • Downtown street light 16x9 At the intersection of 9th Street and East Byrd Street in downtown Richmond.
  • Fence and railroad track and field 16x9 The view from the 2nd Street Connector near Gambles Hill Park of the James River
  • Murals 16x9 An artsy area along Canal Walk features several murals.
  • Open field and skyline 16x9 Gambles Hill Park in the foreground and parts of the Richmond skyline in the background.
  • Under bridge 16x9 The view from under a bridge along Canal Walk.

This trip began at Gambles Hill Park — where I was able to find a parking spot on a Sunday afternoon when parking was at a premium — and ended at the Manchester Bridge, near the intersection of 9th Street and East Byrd Street, and included parts of Canal Walk.

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