The Holocaust Museum of Virginia along the James River, Richmond, Virginia

Best Pizza

One of the prison box cars brought from Germany

We got to the Colonial Heights Baptist Church at 8 a.m. in order to board our church bus to go up to Richmond. Our plan was to visit the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The day promised snow but our morning trip was only cold and overcast. When we got to the museum an administrator greeted our group of 26, ushered us to their theater and showed us a short introductory video. The video was a quick overview of the life of Mr Jay Ipson, Richmond's youngest holocaust survivor. He was about five years old in Konvo, Lithuania when the German Army invaded. He and his family were forced into the Kosno Ghetto until the Nazis ordered a number of them, including Mr. Ipsom, deported to another concentration camp. At the last minute a Lithuania guard who knew Jay's father directed them to a different line and they were returned to the camp. All those destined to the other camp were in reality being separated out for execution. After the video a holocaust refugee, a 67-year old gentleman came to guide us through the tour. He was the best tour guide I've ever walked with. He explained in great detail life as a prisoner in a concentration camp. He was born nine days before their camp was liberated but was telling the story as his partisan parents had told it to him. The museum is well worth every cent. Our fee was paid by the church and I don't know what the individual price is. We were so wrapped up in the tour that we lost track of time. Before we knew it had been there for three hours. I sent my wife to the bookstore along with others from my group with the instructions to call me when the group got ready to leave. My GPSr indicated that I was less than .1 miles from the Virginia Capital Trail Richmond Edition. I wrapped up good in my heavy winter coat with a hood and headed out. The track took me down to the Riverwalk Greenway. The railroad trestle traveled over the greenway for a stretch and the GPSr indicated it was in an area with rocks and several upright steel supports. When I got there several city road maintenance men were hanging around in their trucks very nearby. I made a quick search and came up with nothing. I knew the group was likely to be finishing up so I abandoned my search and wrote this one off. I didn't know if I'd get back to it ever again. I hustled back to the museum and joined the rest of the folks on the bus. Off we went. The drive took us to Bottoms Up Pizza along the James River riverfront. Talk about great pizza! I've never had better. Even better was the fact that the restaurant was just three blocks from the cache I wanted to get. This was one of those leisurely hour and a half buffet meals so I saw the opportunity I was looking for. I just happened to be sitting across from the bus driver. I told him about geocaching. He'd never heard of it. I told him I was going to walk back up to find the cache and not to leave without me. I needed ten minutes to find the cache. He assured me I had plenty of time. Of I went up the greenway. The GZ at first had me looking at a large rock and one of the upright supports. I searched the area and discovered nothing. I walked away and tracked back in and found I was at a different area along the greenway. I started my search and this time came up with the cache. It only took five minutes of searching. I got the log out of its micro container, signed it, replaced it and put the cache back in its cozy location. I headed back to the restaurant with plenty of time. The bus driver was now intrigued with this sport he'd never heard of. I showed him the photo I had taken just so I could explain it to him better. If you get the chance to come to Richmond I highly recommend the Holocaust Museum. While you are at it be sure to grab this cache. I didn't have time on this trip to get any others but maybe you will.