Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Goodbye For Now
My final week in DC was a great way to finish up the semester.
Tulips are everywhere in the city. And they are my favorite which is fitting!
On Monday I had to take a final for my foreign policy class.
Wednesday night everyone in the Washington Semester Program gathered for final presentations and dinner. It was a great evening to reminisce on the whole semester and all of our fun times together as a group.
Thursday was my last day at my internship. I can’t thank everyone enough at my internship for making it an absolutely amazing and valuable learning experience.
My parents also arrived in DC on Thursday. That afternoon I had the opportunity to give them a tour of the Capitol. We were able to even go onto the House Floor which was really neat. Afterwards we had dinner at a little Italian place I had wanted to try, Toscana.
Mom and Dad in the "center of DC"
Friday we each ate “The Brick” for breakfast at Eastern Market before we went to the Newseum. The Newseum was an awesome museum that we spent hours exploring. There were so many exhibits to see about how the media has covered certain events including Hurricane Katrina. There were also a few photography exhibits including Pulitzer Prize exhibit and a Presidential photography exhibit. Then we went out to dinner at Ted’s Bulletin where I had the delicious country fried steak, macaroni and cheese, and green beans. Of course we couldn’t pass up homemade cherry pop tarts for dessert! After that we began packing my apartment up for the journey home.
Saturday morning we finished up packing. Then we went to Georgetown and explored. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so it was very crowded. We shared pizzas and salad for lunch at Pizzeria Paradiso. We saw the flood damage and clean-up down around the waterfront area. We found the campus of Georgetown University and were amazed at some of the old architecture, including Healy Hall. I tried to get a little shopping in. My favorite store was Patagonia where I found some great hiking shorts! We finished the day with Sprinkles cupcakes at a beautiful spot down by the water.
Sunday morning we went to Arlington National Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers as well as the eternal flame at the Kennedy grave. I took lots and lots of pictures. After that we went to Alexandria. We walked all 17 blocks along King Street and down to the water. We had a wonderful seafood lunch at The Warehouse Bar and Grill. The best part of lunch was the crawfish and shrimp beignets. Yum!
Tomb of the Unknowns
One of my favorite quotes from the Kennedy grave site: "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Monday morning I had my last adventure in DC: a Capitol Dome tour. It was absolutely incredible. We got to climb up over 300 stairs to the top of the frieze around the rotunda, the balcony around the Bermidi fresco on the ceiling, and the outside walkway at the very top of the dome. What an experience and a way to say goodbye to DC! Hang tight - pictures to come!
Tulips are everywhere in the city. And they are my favorite which is fitting!
On Monday I had to take a final for my foreign policy class.
Wednesday night everyone in the Washington Semester Program gathered for final presentations and dinner. It was a great evening to reminisce on the whole semester and all of our fun times together as a group.
Thursday was my last day at my internship. I can’t thank everyone enough at my internship for making it an absolutely amazing and valuable learning experience.
My parents also arrived in DC on Thursday. That afternoon I had the opportunity to give them a tour of the Capitol. We were able to even go onto the House Floor which was really neat. Afterwards we had dinner at a little Italian place I had wanted to try, Toscana.
Mom and Dad in the "center of DC"
Friday we each ate “The Brick” for breakfast at Eastern Market before we went to the Newseum. The Newseum was an awesome museum that we spent hours exploring. There were so many exhibits to see about how the media has covered certain events including Hurricane Katrina. There were also a few photography exhibits including Pulitzer Prize exhibit and a Presidential photography exhibit. Then we went out to dinner at Ted’s Bulletin where I had the delicious country fried steak, macaroni and cheese, and green beans. Of course we couldn’t pass up homemade cherry pop tarts for dessert! After that we began packing my apartment up for the journey home.
Saturday morning we finished up packing. Then we went to Georgetown and explored. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so it was very crowded. We shared pizzas and salad for lunch at Pizzeria Paradiso. We saw the flood damage and clean-up down around the waterfront area. We found the campus of Georgetown University and were amazed at some of the old architecture, including Healy Hall. I tried to get a little shopping in. My favorite store was Patagonia where I found some great hiking shorts! We finished the day with Sprinkles cupcakes at a beautiful spot down by the water.
Sunday morning we went to Arlington National Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers as well as the eternal flame at the Kennedy grave. I took lots and lots of pictures. After that we went to Alexandria. We walked all 17 blocks along King Street and down to the water. We had a wonderful seafood lunch at The Warehouse Bar and Grill. The best part of lunch was the crawfish and shrimp beignets. Yum!
Tomb of the Unknowns
One of my favorite quotes from the Kennedy grave site: "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Monday morning I had my last adventure in DC: a Capitol Dome tour. It was absolutely incredible. We got to climb up over 300 stairs to the top of the frieze around the rotunda, the balcony around the Bermidi fresco on the ceiling, and the outside walkway at the very top of the dome. What an experience and a way to say goodbye to DC! Hang tight - pictures to come!
Monday, April 11, 2011
birthday extravaganza
A lot has happened in the past few weeks. The week before last I was battling a cold, coughing, and sneezing, but thankfully I am feeling a lot better. During the week we had a seminar that was filled with debate about a national energy policy. We also had a hallway potluck dinner. I made brownies!
Last Saturday we attempted to go to the Braves v Nationals game. On our way to the game, it started sideways raining with intense wind so we decided to make a pit stop at a nearby Starbucks. Once the shower passed we continued on our way to the game. We watched about the first four innings and the Braves were not looking their best when another storm came up. This time it began to hail so we found a stairwell to take cover in. At this point we were fed up with the crazy weather, cold, wet, and the Braves were losing so we headed home. The rest of the day was filled with us hanging out, eating Good Stuff burgers, and watching movies.
On Sunday, I had a photo walking tour scheduled for the afternoon. Stu Estler leads photo tours around the DC area, giving pointers on how to take good photos. We spent the afternoon around the tidal basin, taking pictures of the cherry blossoms which were in full bloom. I had a paper due on Monday so Sunday night was a very late night of writing and editing my paper.
Last week was even more busy than the previous week. My 21st birthday was Wednesday! To kick the celebration off, Shayna made me a chocolate cake Tuesday night which was so yummy! I got to work and there was a cake and card on my desk from the office. After being at work for just a few minutes, I received a call that Firehook bakery (the bakery with the best cakes in town) had a cake to drop-off for me. It was from Justin, and it was my favorite cake that they make: chocolate raspberry truffle cake. The whole office joined in the festivities and sang me happy birthday which was really nice. When I got home from work, there were two packages waiting for me. One was a box full of goodies from my parents. Thank you Mom and Dad!!! And the other box was wine glasses from Justin which are hand-painted with cherry blossoms on them. They are beautiful. Thank you too, Justin!!! My roomie, Bethany had our room decorated with streamers. We got ready and almost everyone in the program went out to dinner at Nando's in Chinatown. They are known for their chicken, vegetables, and sangria all of which were delicious.
Wine glasses from Justin!
Wednesday was the first day of my online photography class. Sharon Clark's company, Smitten Photography, is one of my favorite photography blogs online and she offers an online photo academy which I am super excited about!
On Thursday we went to the Phillips Collection for Phillips after five. I was very excited to see works by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, El Greco, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Mark Rothko.
On Saturday I took a trip to Eastern Market to take pictures. The tulips all over DC are in bloom and are absolutely gorgeous. I have had my heart set on a few watercolor paintings of the Capitol and the National Cathedral so I went ahead an made the investment. They are all absolutely beautiful and will be a great way to remember my time in DC.
Tulips: My favorite!!!
Saturday evening I went to church and then Bethany and I went out for Thai food which was so good! I had drunken noodles which were egg noodles cooked with peppers, chicken, egg, and chili sauce. After dinner we found a Krispy Kreme and could not resist the hot sign.
On Sunday I went on the White House Garden Tour. I basically got to walk around the Presidential backyard. There were many commemorative trees planted by different presidents. I also got to see Michelle Obama's kitchen garden which grows vegetables and herbs for the White House kitchen. My favorite part was seeing the walkway from the house to the West Wing where presidents walk.
On top of all the stuff going on, I am trying to work out the details of my plans for this summer! So many decisions to make!
Last Saturday we attempted to go to the Braves v Nationals game. On our way to the game, it started sideways raining with intense wind so we decided to make a pit stop at a nearby Starbucks. Once the shower passed we continued on our way to the game. We watched about the first four innings and the Braves were not looking their best when another storm came up. This time it began to hail so we found a stairwell to take cover in. At this point we were fed up with the crazy weather, cold, wet, and the Braves were losing so we headed home. The rest of the day was filled with us hanging out, eating Good Stuff burgers, and watching movies.
On Sunday, I had a photo walking tour scheduled for the afternoon. Stu Estler leads photo tours around the DC area, giving pointers on how to take good photos. We spent the afternoon around the tidal basin, taking pictures of the cherry blossoms which were in full bloom. I had a paper due on Monday so Sunday night was a very late night of writing and editing my paper.
Last week was even more busy than the previous week. My 21st birthday was Wednesday! To kick the celebration off, Shayna made me a chocolate cake Tuesday night which was so yummy! I got to work and there was a cake and card on my desk from the office. After being at work for just a few minutes, I received a call that Firehook bakery (the bakery with the best cakes in town) had a cake to drop-off for me. It was from Justin, and it was my favorite cake that they make: chocolate raspberry truffle cake. The whole office joined in the festivities and sang me happy birthday which was really nice. When I got home from work, there were two packages waiting for me. One was a box full of goodies from my parents. Thank you Mom and Dad!!! And the other box was wine glasses from Justin which are hand-painted with cherry blossoms on them. They are beautiful. Thank you too, Justin!!! My roomie, Bethany had our room decorated with streamers. We got ready and almost everyone in the program went out to dinner at Nando's in Chinatown. They are known for their chicken, vegetables, and sangria all of which were delicious.
Wine glasses from Justin!
Wednesday was the first day of my online photography class. Sharon Clark's company, Smitten Photography, is one of my favorite photography blogs online and she offers an online photo academy which I am super excited about!
On Thursday we went to the Phillips Collection for Phillips after five. I was very excited to see works by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, El Greco, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Mark Rothko.
On Saturday I took a trip to Eastern Market to take pictures. The tulips all over DC are in bloom and are absolutely gorgeous. I have had my heart set on a few watercolor paintings of the Capitol and the National Cathedral so I went ahead an made the investment. They are all absolutely beautiful and will be a great way to remember my time in DC.
Tulips: My favorite!!!
Saturday evening I went to church and then Bethany and I went out for Thai food which was so good! I had drunken noodles which were egg noodles cooked with peppers, chicken, egg, and chili sauce. After dinner we found a Krispy Kreme and could not resist the hot sign.
On Sunday I went on the White House Garden Tour. I basically got to walk around the Presidential backyard. There were many commemorative trees planted by different presidents. I also got to see Michelle Obama's kitchen garden which grows vegetables and herbs for the White House kitchen. My favorite part was seeing the walkway from the house to the West Wing where presidents walk.
On top of all the stuff going on, I am trying to work out the details of my plans for this summer! So many decisions to make!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
"It is not down in any map; true places never are."
On Thursday, my group from UGA had the opportunity to visit the State Department which was exciting. We were able to tour the diplomatic reception rooms on the 8th floor which were incredible entertaining rooms full of historic furniture, including a desk that Benjamin Franklin signed the Treaty of Paris on. Neat!
Thursday night Justin flew into DC to visit for the weekend! We had an amazing time and were able to pack a lot of sight-seeing into one weekend. I think I saw more this weekend than I have seen the rest of the time I have been here. Haha...
We made dinner Thursday night and then we took a long walk on the National Mall going all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. By the time we made our way from the Capitol to the Washington Monument to the World War II Memorial to the Korean War Memorial to the Vietnam War Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial, we were exhausted. Justin suggested taking a cab back, and although my thriftyness didn't want to spend the money, I agreed so my feet wouldn't continue to suffer.
Friday morning we woke up super early to go to the White House for a tour. We had a great tour guide with a booming, theatrical voice who showed us around the East Wing of the White House. We were able to see the china room, the library, the red room, the green room, the blue room (they are really creative with names), and more. It was a great tour and definitely made it worth waking up early. Our next stop was the Capitol where I got to be our tour guide and show Justin around.
After our morning tours, we came back to my apartment and made lunch. After lunch I had to attend a seminar at the CIA with my UGA cronies. The CIA tour was really neat. What an incredible opportunity to visit a top secret agency! There was a museum full of secret, operative gear, and we were able to meet with UGA alumni who currently work for the CIA.
When I got back from the CIA tour, Justin and I had a date night! We went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where we encountered huge dinosaur skeletons, lots of rocks and minerals (including the Hope diamond) and an orchid garden. We had dinner at Acadiana which was delicious. I had blackened redfish over spinach and cornbread with crawfish etouffee on top. Yum!
Saturday we woke up super early again, but this time to get it line for tickets to go to the top of the Washington Monument. Once we picked up our tickets, we went to Eastern Market for breakfast and to look around a little bit. There are several artists who set up on the weekends. I am trying to decide which piece of art I want to bring home, and I got to get Justin's opinion. For breakfast I had "The Brick," a breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, potatoes, cheese and green chile cheese grits. We were also convinced by the staff to order a blueberry, buckwheat pancake which is their specialty. Everything was delicious. After we finished up breakfast, we made our way back to the Washington Monument for our allotted ticket time. We took an elevator to the very top where we had amazing views of all of DC. I think the best part was on the trip back down when the magical elevator doors would become unfrosted so visitors could see the special commemorative stones inside the monument.
Justin and the Washington Monument
Justin in line for Eastern Market Breakfast
Justin and I at the top of the monument
Next we walked over to the Tidal Basin to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival. It was packed with people everywhere, but the blossoms were absolutely gorgeous as they are starting to bloom. We took tons and tons of pictures and walked around the entire Tidal Basin. The first monument we saw around the Basin was the Jefferson Memorial. The second was probably one of my favorite things we saw all weekend and that was the FDR Memorial. It was a beautiful space beside the line of cherry blossom trees. The memorial was made up of fountains and gardens and statues. It was very neat.
Cherry Blossoms!
Justin and I with the Cherry Blossoms
Justin and I at the FDR Memorial
After all of our excursions that morning we were feeling pretty exhausted. We made our way to the George Washington University campus and found a Starbucks to warm up in and have our packed lunch. We went back over to the National Mall and walked around the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Our last stop for the day was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and it was HUGE. We walked around for hours looking at all the different exhibits from the Wright Brothers to modern technology in airplanes, from the planets to walking inside a spaceship. I can't believe we did all of that in one day, but we did. For dinner we went to Matchbox and had great pizza and baby burgers.
Justin in the Sculpture Garden
Justin in the Air and Space Museum
Sunday we went to church which was fun to introduce Justin to some of the girls in my small group and show him Ebenezers Church. After church we went to a wonderful place for brunch, Founding Farmers, which is known for its commitment to making food using all fresh ingredients. We had a cranberry cucumber cooler (Justin's favorite) and a homemade ginger ale to drink. Both were amazing. We also shared beignets which are served with raspberry, chocolate, and caramel for dipping. They were light and fluffy and wonderful. Both of our meals were delicious. It was a great place for brunch!
After brunch we went out to the National Cathedral which is still as magnificent as it was the first time I saw it. I was still amazed by the size and beauty of this building. After walking around the Cathedral we went back to the White House to take pictures. On our way, we encountered some friendly squirrels and birds who loved our goldfish that we were eating. Justin became the squirrel whisperer and was able to have them eat straight out of his hand. After another cold day we went to Starbucks for coffee and to warm up. We went home and made some pasta for dinner.
Justin and I at the National Cathedral
Justin and his squirrel friend
Justin and I in front of the White House
To finish up the weekend we walked around the neighborhood, saw a few last minute things, and had two of my favorite snacks: a homemade pop-tart from Ted's Bulletin and Village fries from Good Stuff Eatery.
It was a great weekend and a nice break from the daily grind. This week I am back to my internship and school work with a paper to write for the week.
Thursday night Justin flew into DC to visit for the weekend! We had an amazing time and were able to pack a lot of sight-seeing into one weekend. I think I saw more this weekend than I have seen the rest of the time I have been here. Haha...
We made dinner Thursday night and then we took a long walk on the National Mall going all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. By the time we made our way from the Capitol to the Washington Monument to the World War II Memorial to the Korean War Memorial to the Vietnam War Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial, we were exhausted. Justin suggested taking a cab back, and although my thriftyness didn't want to spend the money, I agreed so my feet wouldn't continue to suffer.
Friday morning we woke up super early to go to the White House for a tour. We had a great tour guide with a booming, theatrical voice who showed us around the East Wing of the White House. We were able to see the china room, the library, the red room, the green room, the blue room (they are really creative with names), and more. It was a great tour and definitely made it worth waking up early. Our next stop was the Capitol where I got to be our tour guide and show Justin around.
After our morning tours, we came back to my apartment and made lunch. After lunch I had to attend a seminar at the CIA with my UGA cronies. The CIA tour was really neat. What an incredible opportunity to visit a top secret agency! There was a museum full of secret, operative gear, and we were able to meet with UGA alumni who currently work for the CIA.
When I got back from the CIA tour, Justin and I had a date night! We went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where we encountered huge dinosaur skeletons, lots of rocks and minerals (including the Hope diamond) and an orchid garden. We had dinner at Acadiana which was delicious. I had blackened redfish over spinach and cornbread with crawfish etouffee on top. Yum!
Saturday we woke up super early again, but this time to get it line for tickets to go to the top of the Washington Monument. Once we picked up our tickets, we went to Eastern Market for breakfast and to look around a little bit. There are several artists who set up on the weekends. I am trying to decide which piece of art I want to bring home, and I got to get Justin's opinion. For breakfast I had "The Brick," a breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, potatoes, cheese and green chile cheese grits. We were also convinced by the staff to order a blueberry, buckwheat pancake which is their specialty. Everything was delicious. After we finished up breakfast, we made our way back to the Washington Monument for our allotted ticket time. We took an elevator to the very top where we had amazing views of all of DC. I think the best part was on the trip back down when the magical elevator doors would become unfrosted so visitors could see the special commemorative stones inside the monument.
Justin and the Washington Monument
Justin in line for Eastern Market Breakfast
Justin and I at the top of the monument
Next we walked over to the Tidal Basin to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival. It was packed with people everywhere, but the blossoms were absolutely gorgeous as they are starting to bloom. We took tons and tons of pictures and walked around the entire Tidal Basin. The first monument we saw around the Basin was the Jefferson Memorial. The second was probably one of my favorite things we saw all weekend and that was the FDR Memorial. It was a beautiful space beside the line of cherry blossom trees. The memorial was made up of fountains and gardens and statues. It was very neat.
Cherry Blossoms!
Justin and I with the Cherry Blossoms
Justin and I at the FDR Memorial
After all of our excursions that morning we were feeling pretty exhausted. We made our way to the George Washington University campus and found a Starbucks to warm up in and have our packed lunch. We went back over to the National Mall and walked around the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Our last stop for the day was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and it was HUGE. We walked around for hours looking at all the different exhibits from the Wright Brothers to modern technology in airplanes, from the planets to walking inside a spaceship. I can't believe we did all of that in one day, but we did. For dinner we went to Matchbox and had great pizza and baby burgers.
Justin in the Sculpture Garden
Justin in the Air and Space Museum
Sunday we went to church which was fun to introduce Justin to some of the girls in my small group and show him Ebenezers Church. After church we went to a wonderful place for brunch, Founding Farmers, which is known for its commitment to making food using all fresh ingredients. We had a cranberry cucumber cooler (Justin's favorite) and a homemade ginger ale to drink. Both were amazing. We also shared beignets which are served with raspberry, chocolate, and caramel for dipping. They were light and fluffy and wonderful. Both of our meals were delicious. It was a great place for brunch!
After brunch we went out to the National Cathedral which is still as magnificent as it was the first time I saw it. I was still amazed by the size and beauty of this building. After walking around the Cathedral we went back to the White House to take pictures. On our way, we encountered some friendly squirrels and birds who loved our goldfish that we were eating. Justin became the squirrel whisperer and was able to have them eat straight out of his hand. After another cold day we went to Starbucks for coffee and to warm up. We went home and made some pasta for dinner.
Justin and I at the National Cathedral
Justin and his squirrel friend
Justin and I in front of the White House
To finish up the weekend we walked around the neighborhood, saw a few last minute things, and had two of my favorite snacks: a homemade pop-tart from Ted's Bulletin and Village fries from Good Stuff Eatery.
It was a great weekend and a nice break from the daily grind. This week I am back to my internship and school work with a paper to write for the week.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Weekend Shenanigans
I had a really fun weekend! Friday night I cheered on the Dawgs as much as I could all the way from DC. Unfortunately, my cheering didn't being a win, but it was a great game! I can't wait to be back in Athens next year for basketball season.
On Saturday I woke up early to go to the United States Botanic Garden. They have such a beautiful space. I was itching to take some pictures (see previous blog post). After that, I went over the the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and looked around. They have some really neat exhibits about the history of American Indians.
I met up with some girls from my small group and we went to Georgetown. There are several rival cupcake spots, but we went to the newest: Sprinkles. I bought two cupcakes, a strawberry and a milk chocolate, and both were delicious!
My next stop was my weekly adventure to the grocery store. Somehow I bought more than I usually do, which made the walk home quite the workout. My biceps are going to be HUGE from shopping here.
I went to the Saturday night service at Ebenezers Church which was amazing as usual. We talked about Abraham and his amazing faith.
For dinner Bethany and I went to Ted's Bulletin. They specialize in classic American items, and I heard they had great sloppy joe sandwiches so that is what I had. And it was really good! They also have a pastry chef who makes homemade pop-tarts, twinkies, and snowballs. Fun! Bethany and I lucked out and got a free cinnamon sugar pop-tart which was also delicious!
The finale of Saturday was an impromptu dance party on the hall.
On Sunday a small group of us ventured out to Mount Vernon. It was a very long journey on the metro and then on a bus to get there, but it was well worth it. We took a mansion tour and learned about how President Washington and the First Lady lived. They had an amazing view of the Potomac River from their back porch. President Washington was also a farmer with over 8,000 acres. They had many farm animals including some especially cute lambs. We were able to meet First Lady Washington who was very quick on her feet as she answered questions about her life and the era. It was a neat day trip!
On our way home from Mount Vernon, we stopped in Old Town Alexandria for dinner. We decided on Hank's Oyster Bar which was a really fun place. They specialize in oysters and when I ordered half a dozen, they brought me 6 different kinds from the Eastern Seaboard. It was neat to try different ones. I also had some delicious lobster bisque. Yum!
Our final stop was Alexandria Cupcakes. As if two cupcakes were not enough Saturday, Sunday I had a chocolate peanut butter which was out-of-this-world good.
It was a successful weekend!!!
On Saturday I woke up early to go to the United States Botanic Garden. They have such a beautiful space. I was itching to take some pictures (see previous blog post). After that, I went over the the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and looked around. They have some really neat exhibits about the history of American Indians.
I met up with some girls from my small group and we went to Georgetown. There are several rival cupcake spots, but we went to the newest: Sprinkles. I bought two cupcakes, a strawberry and a milk chocolate, and both were delicious!
My next stop was my weekly adventure to the grocery store. Somehow I bought more than I usually do, which made the walk home quite the workout. My biceps are going to be HUGE from shopping here.
I went to the Saturday night service at Ebenezers Church which was amazing as usual. We talked about Abraham and his amazing faith.
For dinner Bethany and I went to Ted's Bulletin. They specialize in classic American items, and I heard they had great sloppy joe sandwiches so that is what I had. And it was really good! They also have a pastry chef who makes homemade pop-tarts, twinkies, and snowballs. Fun! Bethany and I lucked out and got a free cinnamon sugar pop-tart which was also delicious!
The finale of Saturday was an impromptu dance party on the hall.
On Sunday a small group of us ventured out to Mount Vernon. It was a very long journey on the metro and then on a bus to get there, but it was well worth it. We took a mansion tour and learned about how President Washington and the First Lady lived. They had an amazing view of the Potomac River from their back porch. President Washington was also a farmer with over 8,000 acres. They had many farm animals including some especially cute lambs. We were able to meet First Lady Washington who was very quick on her feet as she answered questions about her life and the era. It was a neat day trip!
On our way home from Mount Vernon, we stopped in Old Town Alexandria for dinner. We decided on Hank's Oyster Bar which was a really fun place. They specialize in oysters and when I ordered half a dozen, they brought me 6 different kinds from the Eastern Seaboard. It was neat to try different ones. I also had some delicious lobster bisque. Yum!
Our final stop was Alexandria Cupcakes. As if two cupcakes were not enough Saturday, Sunday I had a chocolate peanut butter which was out-of-this-world good.
It was a successful weekend!!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
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