Halloween, 1900 block, Hanover Avenue, Richmond, VA

I've enjoyed Halloween in the past and so long as the kids are polite, in fancy dress or at least wearing a mask, they're welcome to knock at the door. It is a great way to meet the neighbours. And so with a small amount of effort I'd usually got one of the best Halloween houses around (though the smarter kids had begun to note the same ageing ghosts from earlier years). Anyway, all those efforts paled tonight at Hanover Avenue's Halloween street party where unless you have a 20ft Galleon in your front garden, The Cat in the Hat themed porch (with Thing One, Thing Two, Sally and I), or a reconstruction of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, you're just not even trying.

Spot M the Witch in the blur.

Halloween on Hanover Avenue

Blue Ridge Parkway, Waynesboro, VA

Ninety minutes west of Richmond is, so we are told, a beautiful route - the Skyline Drive, along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. If you intend to enjoy the drive and see the lovely autumn colours but find the road is closed due to inclement weather, there can be no better alternative than French Toast at Weasie's Kitchen and a walk along the temporarily pedestrianised Blue Ridge Parkway with plenty of tarmac for picnics.

Weasie's Kitchen

Blue Ridge Parkway

Anderson Gallery & The Sponge HQ, Virginia Commonwealth University

A soothing goldfish pond in a mini courtyard, then three floors of great content, from familiar African artists to newer kids on the block, all facing issues of the environment. El Anastui's golden throws of bottle tops still glow and Bright Ugochukwu Eke's bark installation is gently satisfying.

In the attic the real surpirse - VCU's scultpure programme, alongside biologists, open their minds to the inter-displinary with honey bees, aquariums, lotus plants, comfort-nests and an amazing library. On hand the sweetest student - who changed our day.

The Anderson Gallery

The Sponge HQ

Maymont Park, Richmond VA

A totally relaxed huge park with pot bellies pigs and raptors and bears (somewhere). Restful Japanese gardens, then up a waterfall to an Italianate garden full of roses and a vine covered walkway, then fountains, lawns and more lawns to roll down, before an aquarium with enormous fish and otters and eels... all locally sourced and it's free.

Maymont Park

Whole Foods, Short Pump, Richmond VA

The ultimate supermarket breakfast in or outdoors. Organic sesame bagels and cream cheese, decaf Columbian on tap and ethically disposable flatware aka cutlery. The corporate take on the organic deli with very classy rest rooms and lots of home-schoolers.

Whole Foods

Goochland Drive-In, Hadensville VA

Happy staff in great T-shirts lined up the trucks and saloons amidst a camping-cinema atmosphere. End of season vegetarian food option was yellow! Fighting robots and Hugh Jackman, toned and under the stars proved the perfect combination for a chilly night out.

Goochland Drive-In

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond VA

Restroom wallpaper so good it gets touched up by hand and outside - expansive and immaculate gardens of frothing fountains, still lakes and a palatial glasshouse. Hidden in the children's zone was a quiet sandpit full of plastic dinosaurs.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Caffespresso, West End, Richmond VA

Slow sunday service but great sweet pastry twists, artichoke paste and grilled eggplant, plus cute book take-away and a 1957 chevvie outside.

Caffespresso

Lighthouse Beachside Grille, Virginia Beach VA

In amongst the blandness - a truly fabulous beach bar, open to the wind, beneath a tower block of holiday apartments and with completely welcoming staff and cliental. Seafood offer looked fun and the chilled beer a perfect pause on an underwhelming seafront, though not far behind it, a great 1960s motel.

Lighthouse Beachside Grille

Carrot Tree Kitchens, Jamestown near Williamsburg VA

A great luncheon on the road with a colonial twist, thanks to the historically significant location. On the menu was the Colonial Gardners' burger with an awesome sun-dried tomato mayonnaise; Spinach Artichoke Dip, allegedly made famous during surrender negotiations when commissioners agreed to combine French artichokes with British spinach and its namesake 'carrot' cake cupcakes.

Carrot Tree Kitchens