I’ll be the first to admit that Richmond, Virginia, has never topped my travel bucket list. However, I live 45 minutes north of Washington, D.C., and one of my best friends lives near Hampton, Virginia. While we try to visit each other regularly, I am always on the lookout for unique destinations to meet in the middle so our families can hang out – if only for a few hours. I love a good day trip destination, and on this warm, sunny summer weekend, I discovered one of my new favorite spots: Maymont Estate.

A quick Google search of kid-friendly attractions in Richmond led me to Maymont Estate, a sprawling historic estate home to a mansion, gardens, live animals, and a nature center.

With four kids between our families, we opted to purchase tickets for The Robins Nature Center, a 29,000-square-foot attraction and the largest facility of its kind in central Virginia. It holds nearly 30,000 gallons of aquaria home to animals of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay – plus an indoor waterfall!

From a 34-foot-tall centerpiece sculpture made for climbing to play river, complete with rocks to climb, a kayak to hop inside, and a beaver lodge to explore, this unique nature center is an interactive oasis for young kids.

From the nature center, we wandered outside and enjoyed a quick snack on the lawn before walking to Maymont Farm, where we saw roosters, sheep, cows, donkeys, goats, pigs, and horses.

You can purchase feed machines on-site to purchase treats for these furry pals, but our crew preferred to stick to the playground.

Pro Tip: If you plan to visit during the summer like we did, make sure to use sunscreen and pack plenty of water. We didn’t bring enough water, and while there were vending machines in the farm area, they were out of regular water, so we purchased a few vitamin waters to hold us over through the afternoon.

After exploring the farm, we walked past their wildlife habitats, which housed a black bear, bald eagle, bobcat, and red fox. Many of the animals were snoozing in the heat, but our favorite animal encounter here was legitimately wild – we saw a baby fawn splashing in the creek nearby.

We looked at a map and had two options: turn around or keep walking through the estate’s gardens. We chose to stroll through the Japanese garden, and while its crowned jewel – a stunning waterfall cascading down a sheer rock face – was nonexistent when we visited, it was still a gorgeous walk.

On our way back to the Nature Center, we walked past several of the property’s historic buildings but didn’t go inside. On the property, you will discover a 12,000-square-foot mansion, a Normandy-style carriage house, a three-story stone barn, and a water tower.

Tired and satisfied from four hours spent surrounded by good people and nature, with plenty of sunshine, we departed from Maymont. When you combine a quiet nature escape with quality time spent with one of my favorite humans and her children – whom my own daughter refers to as her cousins – I couldn’t have asked for a better day, even if half of it was spent in the car.

It was nearing 5 p.m. when we left Maymont, but we couldn’t resist the pull of trying out a local coffee shop on our way out of town. When we parked, Sugar + Twine was closing in just 15 minutes, so we beelined to the shop and ordered two iced lattes for the road.

The barista handed us our coffees at 4:52 p.m., and she asked if we wanted a pastry, as they could not sell them the next day. We happily said yes, and she handed us a bag filled with a mouthwatering maple scone and two pieces of coffee cake. As we drove out of town past charming murals and beautiful homes, I started to understand Richmond's appeal.

Have you ever visited Maymont? Visit the Maymont website for more information or to plan a visit.

No matter where your travels take you this year, we recommend keeping a National Geographic Road Atlas in your car.