A Dog Friendly Day

annestuartteter
Jan 22, 2018
3 min read

We were blessed with amazing weather in Richmond this past weekend after what felt like ages of frigid temperatures. Knowing this weather wouldn’t last long, I decided to make the most out of it. On Saturday Phoebe and I took a 2.7 mile walk to parents house, hung out for a bit, then walked home. It was great exercise for both of us and I love walking around Richmond.

On Sunday we (Phoebe and I) decided to have a girls day. The only rules were it had to be outside and I had to be able to bring Pheebs. I decided to head to Church Hill. Our first stop was Libby Hill Park, aka the park that gave Richmond its name. (If you don’t know the history, google it. It’s pretty interesting!) We walked along the cobblestones for a bit, stopped to take some pictures of the scenery and then found a bench to soak in the sun for a bit. I read my book, Phoebe sniffed around and enjoyed attention from other walkers.

After awhile I got hungry and headed for the next dog friendly spot - Union Market. (By the way, Union Market just made this list from Thrillest.) If you aren’t familiar, it is an adorable neighborhood market with a little cafe and bar. The patio is perfect for sunny afternoons. I found us a spot in the sun (and out of the way) and went inside to order. Deciding what to get was tough, they have amazing sandwiches, salads and sides. I decided on the prosciutto and fig sandwich with homemade pasta salad. I placed my order at the counter then headed to the bar to order a beverage. They have quite a large selection and the bartender was great about helping me make a decision. I decided on the Strangeways sour they had on tap. I grabbed my beer and the bartender was nice enough to bring Phoebe a bowl of water too.

I sipped on the beer and just enjoyed people watching for a bit until my food arrived. The service is casual but excellent. Very friendly staff ready to help you with anything. I dove into the delicious sandwich and was thrilled with my decision. Next I tried the pasta salad. Holy moly was that good. My friend Jane, who met up with us afterwhile, agreed. We need that recipe!

After a couple hours spent lounging, imbibing and eating on the patio, it was time to move on. Pheebs and I headed to Triple Crossing to visit our bocce friends and see what they had on draft (water for her). I got their new Waxing Poetic which was amazing. In my opinion, Triple Crossing always produces great beer and their sours have been excellent in the past. We sat on one of the benches while I read and sipped my drink. Once again, Phoebe enjoyed the attention of everyone around her.

After that, we decided it was time to head closer to home. We met up with friends at The Veil. I got their Prblms IPA (I spelled that correctly) which was awesome. Once we were done there, we walked to Vasen, where they had an awesome Raspberry Saison. I’m not typically a saison drinker but this beer was excellent. After that it was dinner time and time for us to finally head home. I called ahead to Robin Inn for takeout and picked it up to enjoy on the comfort of my couch with my dog by side.

All in all, it really was a perfect day with my four-legged best friend!