Local Experiences That Make Awesome Gifts
BY THE RVAX TEAM
Whether you schedule your pal for a monthly delivery of flowers, take your family on a food tour or to a terrarium-building workshop, or opt for any of the other entertaining activities in this roundup, your thoughtful gesture is sure to be appreciated — and purchasing it will support a local business! Talk about a win-win.
Virginia State Park Annual Pass
The Richmond area is home to dozens of natural playgrounds, and one of the most beautiful and most expansive is Pocahontas State Park. Visitors can enjoy boating, picnicking, 90-plus miles of trails, and much more, plus the new aquatic center. If you’re looking to way-up the ante from a day pass, buy your special someone a Virginia State Park Annual Pass, which covers year-long entry to Pocahontas State Park *and* every other state park in Virginia.
The Glass Spot
The Glass Spot offers hot glass experiences, offering varying levels of workshops and courses. Buy a seat in class for your loved one (and maybe one for yourself), and create gorgeous solid or blown-glass paperweights, ornaments, drinking glasses, or vases.
Hazel Witch Farm + Florals
We love a flower delivery over here, and when the blossoms are local, that’s even better. Hazel Witch Farm + Florals has its very own Flower Club, which you can subscribe your loved one to for monthly or biweekly deliveries of curated, local blooms.
RVA Paddlesports
RVA Paddlesports offers rafting, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and much more, but if you want to add a festive twist to your gift, the org *also* has its Richmond Tacky Light Tour experience. Gift your friend or family member a group trip around the city to see all best holiday light displays. They’ll get a personal driver, several stops along the way, plus hot cocoa and cookies for their travel slots.
Hotel Greene
Upscale yet playful, Hotel Greene offers “high-falutin’ mini-golf” in a gorgeous indoor space that looks like something straight out of a Wes Anderson movie. While it’s not actually a hotel, Hotel Greene does offer a whole host of delicious snacks and libations in the Lobby Bar to enjoy before, during, or after your round(s) of mini-golf.
You can purchase gift cards here for your gift recipient(s), or you can make a reservation for your party here.
Discover Richmond Tours
Discover Richmond Tours shuttles guests around to some of the best eateries and drinking holes in town. Take your loved one on a neighborhood food tour of Carytown, Church Hill, Scott’s Addition, or the Arts District, or narrow in on a specific menu with the Pizza & Ice Cream Tour or Brewery Tour. If you’re feeling a more outdoorsy theme for your gift instead, the org also offers a Hiking Tour, or you can book a self-guided Scavenger Hunt for your gift recipient.
PS: Don’t forget your Member Perk!
RVATukTuk
RVATukTuk is another great way to tour our beautiful city, with even more emphasis on the journey itself. The spot’s three-wheel, fully electric, open-air limos will scoot your giftee (and his or her private group!) around Richmond in style, pitstopping along the way at iconic landmarks, stunning murals, or more, all depending on which tour you choose.
PS: Don’t forget your Member Perk!
Hand / Thrown
Fun fact: Two years ago, one of our team member’s friends bought three spots at a Give It A Shot! Wheel Throwing class at this Northside ceramics studio, and as she put things, it was easily her favorite gift she received that year!
Hand / Thrown has plenty of other classes to choose from, whether you’re purchasing a spot for a total beginner or a ceramics pro. You can buy a spot for yourself as well so you can tag along, or give them the chance to play with clay on their own (or with their SO) — either way, they’re sure to have a blast.
PlantHouse
If you’re shopping for a loved one who has a green thumb (or even one who simply aspires to have a green thumb), then a workshop at PlantHouse might be just what you’re looking for!
Check out their upcoming workshop schedule here and make an online reservation for your gift recipient (and yourself!) to craft your own air plant ornaments, holiday air plant hoops, terrariums, succulent planters, or whatever else strikes your fancy — all while enjoying complementary beverages.
Mise En Place or Kitchen Classroom
You know what they say: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. So, why not give your loved one the gift of learning to cook, so they can gain a skill set (or at least a recipe or two!) that will last them a lifetime?
When you purchase an online class gift card from local cooking school and “culinary experience” Mise En Place or book a class with Kitchen Classroom, you can either send the recipient off to a class of their choice.
PS: Don’t forget your Member Perks!
Basket & Bike
Basket & Bike’s Signature Ride option is a fan favorite! It includes a leisurely, 14-mile, guided bicycle tour along the Virginia Capital Trail ending with a glass of wine and a picnic at Upper Shirley Vineyards.
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