The colonists didn't want to eat any unfamiliar food. Most of the settlers of the Virginia wilderness were from the English middle class. They were tradesmen and merchants who knew very little about fishing, farming and hunting. Fortunately for the settlers (less so for the Indians), the Native American tribes began to trade with them, and soon surviving off the land was possible. In fact, in just a few decades the colonists had a booming tobacco business going. It was an extremely profitable crop and led to the development of large plantations.

A 20-minute drive east of Richmond along the James River brings you to Shirley, a plantation established in 1613. These days it's home to the 10th and 11th generations of the Carter family, who let visitors tour some of the historically significant areas of the property, like the central hall of the main house, which features a 250-year-old "flying staircase." Supported by two wrought-iron straps -- each an inch thick and 4 inches wide -- the staircase is like an indoor suspension bridge. According to engineers, this kind of construction shouldn't hold. It's like the bumblebee that shouldn't be able to fly, given its disproportionate design, but manages anyway.

Down the hall from the staircase, visitors can view the portraits from each generation of Carters. Portraiture was common in the days before photography, of course, and artists had to work quickly to capture entire families on canvas. For expediency, it was not uncommon for an artist to show up at the family home with a whole selection of pre-painted bodies. The subject would pick out the body he or she wanted and a face would be added. Visitors will notice that in her portrait, Elizabeth Carter's body and dress bear a striking resemblance to those of her relative Lucy Randolph. The artist, a Mr. Walliston, seems to have had a very consistent standard for cleavage in his portraits.

The Executive Mansion is another historic home on the tour of Richmond. It has been the residence of Virginia's governors since 1813, which makes it the oldest continuously occupied governor's mansion in the United States. Nearby, the White House of the Confederacy, built in 1818, was the home of President Jefferson Davis and his family during the War Between the States. Not surprisingly, the Museum of the Confederacy is right next door. It has the country's largest collection of Confederate artifacts.

Inside the Virginia State Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1785, you'll find two remarkable things. One is the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere. The other is a sculpture of George Washington -- the only representation of our first president produced during his lifetime. The head was made from a plaster cast of his face, so it's more accurate than what we see on our dollar bills. That image was produced by an artist named Gilbert Stuart, who openly admitted that he disliked Washington and intended to make him as unattractive as possible. Among those who know this story, some have requested that the government redesign the bills with a more honest likeness. Fitting for a president who couldn't tell a lie.

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