Week 13

This week was glorious because the weather finally started to warm up, and the promise of cherry blossoms was in the air! Krysta, Caroline and I walked over to the Lincoln Memorial one day because the weather was just too good not to.

Still early enough that there aren’t too many tourists.

This week was Krysta’s “unbirthday,” and to celebrate we took a long lunch at Founding Farmer’s on Friday. Even though it is very mainstream D.C., FF is still one of my favorite restaurants. Their chicken pot pie is the best I’ve ever had (sorry Mom!).

We told the waiter it was her unbirthday, and the beignets came with candles!

Erica and I had been planning to go to New York, and this weekend seemed like the perfect time. We got on a bus at 6:30 Saturday morning, and we arrived in NY around 10:45. I had been to NY once before, but it was Erica’s first time so I was excited to be the person to introduce her to this amazing city!

Obligatory photo in Times Square.

We did some thorough planning and booked a hotel just a couple of blocks away from the bus stop, so we checked into our hotel first thing and dropped off our bags before making our way to the Rockefeller Center. Our tickets were for 2:00, so we had plenty of time to sight-see along the way.

M&M World is a very unique experience to say the least.

Our first big touristy spot was Times Square. We of course had to stop in the Hershey store and M&M World. We did the custom fill-your-own bag of M&M’s, and it was insane to see all the flavors/colors offered. I may have went a little overboard (I think I bought a pound).

It was so good. I can see why it’s the most popular food truck in the city!

One of my best friends Nicole lived in NY for over a year, and she insisted we stop at this food cart on our way to the Rockefeller Center, “The Halal Guys.” It is so popular that there are even imposters along the same route, but we knew we found the original when we saw the line. We had this huge container full of lamb, chicken, rice, veggies, pita bread, and their special white sauce, all for six bucks.

Incredibly high.

The Rockefeller Center is on fifth avenue, so we did some window shopping while we were waiting to go in. We of course had to go in Saks on Fifth Ave; I can’t even imagine actually buying something in that place. They had a fur room if that tells you anything! We also went into American Girl, which was like being transported back in time. (Erica and I were distraught to learn that our dolls -Felicity & Samantha- had been retired.)

The most beautiful view of the city.

It was finally time to go to the top of the Rock. This was probably my favorite thing we did all weekend because it gives you such an incredible view of Manhattan and an appreciation for how large it is. I especially love the view of Central Park; how cool is it that this little piece of nature has been preserved in the middle of the country’s biggest city?

Do you see a theme here? The child-geared stores were the best.

I could have stayed up there for hours, but there was a pretty brisk wind that made it quite chilly. After we left the Rockefeller Center, we meandered up fifth avenue and ducked in and out of stores. We bought new lipstick at the MAC store, played in iconic toy store FAO Schwarz, and of course made a stop at Tiffany’s.

Inside one of Manhattan’s most famous hotels, the Plaza.

Once we reached Central Park, we decided to take the classic carriage ride. I know there’s a lot of controversy over having the horses in the city, but ours looked well-fed and happy, and our driver was awesome. His name was Sal, and he was so knowledgeable about the history of Central Park and who lived in the surrounding buildings. The most famous person he’s given a ride to? Jackie O!

Totally worth the money.

The dynamic duo, Sal & Shaggy.

Our carriage ride was only twenty minutes, so once it was over we headed back into the park to explore on foot. We learned on our ride that Manhattan is built on granite, one of the strongest rocks, which is how the foundation can support such tall skyscrapers. We found some of this exposed granite and sat with dozens of others enjoying the last rays of sunshine.

So peaceful in the midst of a chaotic city.

After we were done sunning, we set off to figure out how to work the NY subway. Let me tell you, after experiencing the metro in NY I realized just how incredibly nice DC’s metro is. The NY metro was dirty, gross, and old. It’s also amazing how many stops there are; it took us a little while, but Erica and I figured it out and always got where we wanted to go!

I love the show Gossip Girl, and Dylan’s Candy Bar has been featured on it several times so I had to try it!

On our way back to the hotel room to freshen up before dinner, we stopped at Dylan’s Candy Bar, which claims to be the largest specialty candy store in the world and is owned by Ralph Lauren’s daughter. There were two floors filled with candy and a bakery, and a third floor with a cafe that served all kinds of delights. Think of any obscure candy you’ve had as a kid and chances are you could find it here!

Living the dream.

After freshening up at the hotel, we headed back out to eat a late dinner and catch a comedy show. We weren’t even very hungry because our portion was so huge at lunch, so we decided an authentic slice of NY pizza would be the perfect dinner. Although it didn’t look like much from the outside, the Yelp reviews for NY Pizza Suprema in Chelsea were off the charts so we decided to give it a whirl.

White pizza with added pepperoni.

Oh. My. Gosh. This pizza was delicious because it encapsulated everything I look for in a pizza – thin crust, no marinara, and the perfect amount of cheese. The best part was the hunks of fresh mozzarella sprinkled on top. Yum!

After dinner we went to a comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre there in Chelsea. The show we went to was improv, and based on secrets audience members wrote down before the show started. It was especially funny because my secret was one of the ones used. (No telling, Erica!) We loved the show!

I love all of the architecture.

The next day we started off by going to the 9/11 memorial. The museum doesn’t open until May so we were only able to see the actual memorial site, which really put into perspective how devastating the event was. The bases of the twin towers comprise the memorial, and it is pretty incredible to see how huge they were.

Right by the Brooklyn Bridge.

After going to the memorial, we just wandered around and enjoyed the day. We walked up to Chinatown, which aside from Times Square is the most crowded area of NY I’ve been to! We also saw Little Italy, and then walked to SoHo to do some shopping.

Possibly my favorite cupcake to date.

After checking out SoHo (which was adorable!) we walked over to Greenwich Village to go to Molly’s Cupcakes. I did my research on Yelp to find out the best place for cupcakes, and Molly’s Cupcakes was it! Erica and I shared their three most popular flavors, and mine favorite out of the three was easily cake batter.

That is actual cake batter. How can you top that?

The cake was funfetti with a blue buttercream frosting, sprinkles, and cake batter core. Normally I would pick something chocolate over this any day, but it was absolutely amazing. I will have dreams about this cupcake.

The most peace and quiet I had all weekend was running into the American Indian museum to use the restroom.

After enjoying our cupcakes, we grabbed falafel sandwich at a hole in the wall shop with a line sprawling into the street, and then ate in Washington Park. We then headed to Battery Park to get a good view of the Statue of Liberty. The sun was out in full force at this point, and we sat on the benches right by the water and gave our feet a break.

This sculpture is made entirely out of flowers.

With our time in NY coming to a close, we headed to Herald Square to do a little more shopping. This is where the huge Macy’s is, which had been completely transformed. The theme of the store was “Secret Garden,” and the inside literally looked like a greenhouse! Everywhere you looked there were flowers and plants.

Tiniest restaurant I’ve ever seen.

We went back to Greenwich Village for dinner at Westville. In my picture above you can see how small this restaurant was; there is no way it could have held more than 24 people. There were constantly delivery guys going in and out which must be how they make their money. It’s really popular because they have such a wide variety of farm-fresh sides, everything from plantains to brussel sprouts. We loved it!

Breathtaking views like this are around every corner.

Alas, two days in New York was not enough! I had such a good time going back, and of course Erica was enamored after experiencing it for the first time. It was so fun planning it together, and I can’t wait to go back!

 

 

 

 

Week 12

This was a fun, relaxed week. On Wednesday night, I went with Casey and Krysta to Rasika, my absolute favorite restaurant in D.C.! Rasika is an Indian restaurant, and serves up the best chicken tikka masala I’ve ever had.

Dinner with my girls!

This restaurant stays booked up weeks in advance, but we were lucky to score a spot at the chef’s table, which is first come first served. We also tried their most popular appetizer, palak chaat, and it was incredible. Crispy spinach, tamarind/date chutney, and yogurt sauce makes an excellent combination!

Unbirthdays are fun!

Caroline had her birthday earlier this semester, and Krysta and I brought her cupcakes. Caroline decided we would celebrate Krysta and I’s “unbirthdays” since our actual birthdays are later this year. Mine was Friday of this week, and they brought me cookies in tons of different flavors. So sweet!

Pancake breakfast date.

On Friday night, I had a sleepover with Krysta. We watched movies, painted our nails, and then got up in the morning to hang out in Alexandria. Krysta promised me the best pancakes in the world from the restaurant Chadwick’s down by the water on King Street, and they didn’t disappoint!

I love all the storefronts in Alexandria. So cute!

After breakfast, we wandered down King Street and did some shopping. Krysta needed a dress for her law school graduation, and we found her one! Krysta lived in Alexandria last summer, so she knows all the best places to go, including her favorite cupcakery, Lavender Moon.

Best dad in the world.

Saturday afternoon, I headed back to D.C. to meet my dad, who surprised me when he called and said he was coming to see me! Dad has a job in Virginia, so he drove up to spend the rest of the weekend with me. He got in around six and was exhausted from fighting through the traffic, so we decided to go to Whole Foods for dinner (it’s only a five minute walk from my apartment).

Yummmmmm! My dad makes the best apple pie.

While we were at Whole Foods, my dad decided he wanted to make an apple pie in my apartment (which I was obviously not opposed to). We spent the rest of the evening baking and reading our books while waiting for our pie to finish. And oh my goodness, it was incredible straight out of the oven!

I’m so happy Erica came with us.

I really wanted to go to Monticello this semester, and having my dad in town with a rental car was the perfect opportunity! We picked Erica up Sunday morning, and embarked on our journey to Jefferson’s estate, which is just a little over two hours from D.C.

It may not be the Potomac, but Monticello also has a gorgeous view.

Our drive was so pretty. At one point, we were on a winding highway with farm after farm, and I loved seeing the Virginia countryside. Monticello (“little mount”) is aptly named, as it is built on the summit of a peak in the Southwest Mountain range just outside of Charlottesville. Almost immediately I knew I was going to like TJ’s estate better than Washington’s.

Gorgeous.

First of all, the house is so much bigger, and has an open-concept with tall ceilings and lots and lots of windows to utilize the natural light (we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside). I loved Jefferson’s study, which had thousands of books and all of these quirky inventions.

I could not stop laughing at this setup. It’s hard to tell, but this is a tiny camper complete with an outdoor bathroom.

After spending several hours wandering around Monticello, we started on our roundabout way back to D.C. Erica and I had both never been to West Virginia, so Dad decided we would jaunt over on our way back. We took the Wolf Gap trail through the George Washington National Forest, and the drive was beautiful.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It was interesting because the state line between Virginia and West Virginia is basically the imaginary line that divides the Blue Ridge Mountains, or at least the peak we were on. After making our way back to Virginia, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Who says you can’t be in two places at once?

Cracker Barrel is one of my dad’s favorite restaurants, and it is rare that we go on a trip together without stopping at one. I actually somewhat miss eating at chain restaurants (it’s nice to go somewhere and know exactly what you want and that it’s going to be good), and Cracker Barrel hit the spot. I drank so much sweet tea!

I’ve played this game hundreds of times.

I am so happy my dad came to see me, and that we got to spend quality time together. Monticello was even prettier than I expected it to be, and it was also fun to see more of the surrounding countryside!

Week 11

After my family left, I was so thankful to have a fun weekend lined up with the two girls who share the bullpen (our charming arrangement of cubicles) with me, Krysta and Caroline. While she is interning at State, Caroline is living with her aunt, uncle, and their little girls in Leesburg, Virginia, and she invited Krysta and I to spend the weekend with her.

I wanted to take Sadie home with me! Those eyes.

Leesburg is a good forty-five minutes to an hour outside of the city, and can be even further if there has been an accident or something else occurs to hold up traffic. I loved seeing Caroline’s commute and even experiencing the D.C. traffic; by the time we made it to the house, I was much more appreciative of my thirty-minute commute!

Heaven.

Krysta and Caroline were shocked to find out I had never been to the grocery store Wegmans, so they took me there for dinner. It was awesome! There is tons of ready made food, an extensive selection of baked goods, and a bulk candy section. After dinner, we went to this cute little shopping area to kill some time before our movie.

We had been planning this for forever!

We had all read the book Divergent, and made plans a long time ago to go see the movie together. Thankfully, the movie did not disappoint! Saturday morning, we got up and headed to the outlet malls in Leesburg, which I was so excited for. Shopping is always so much more fun when you have your friends there to give their opinions.

Shopping + beautiful weather + fresh kettle corn = perfection

After finishing up shopping, we headed to this teeny tiny town with adorable antique shops and most importantly: a roadside kettle corn stand! Caroline had been telling me about this place for weeks, and we had our fingers crossed that the weather would be nice enough for the stand to be open. Sure enough, when we pulled up there they were. Our kettle corn was so fresh we watched them make it! (This involved lots of oil and sugar. Yummmmmm.)

Oh so fresh.

The perfect popcorn-eating position.

After getting our delicious popcorn and looking around the antique stores, we went to check out one of the many vineyards in the Lucketts area. We ended up going to Tarara Vineyard and did a wine tasting, which was so much fun. I don’t know very much about wine, so it was cool to learn about the different types and try samples. They also had a gorgeous back patio overlooking the woods, and there were tons of people out enjoying the weather.

So thankful for these two!

After our wine tasting, we went back to the house to have dinner with Caroline’s family. I was introduced to some new foods, salt potatoes and fiddlehead ferns, and I loved it all. Later that evening we watched Frozen with Caroline’s little cousins. They giggled and squealed through the whole movie!

Never too old for Disney.

It was such a relaxed weekend, and I enjoyed getting out of the city and spending time with Caroline and Krysta. Caroline’s family made us feel right at home, and I’m so happy they hosted us! There is never a dull moment in our office, and I would not have had such a good time this semester if I hadn’t spent it with Caroline and Krysta. I know that I have found two new lifelong friends. (Come see me in Oklahoma!)

Week 10 1/2

This week was so much fun because I had Monday through Wednesday off to spend entirely with my family! I can’t even remember the last time I got to spend so much uninterrupted time with them, and I cherished every moment. Being with my little brother and sister makes me feel like I’m twelve again instead of twenty-two.

The federal government called a snow day, the fourth one since I’ve been working.

Remember how snow was predicted for Monday? Well the weathermen got it right, because we woke up on Monday to a winter wonderland! We decided to drive out to the Air & Space Museum annex by Dulles Airport to check out the shuttle they have, but unfortunately it was closed.

The White House is only a few blocks east of my apartment, so basically I’m neighbors with the Obamas.

It probably would have been wise to check to see if the museum was still open before we left our hotel, but we recovered quickly and came up with Plan B: going to historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania! Thankfully Gettysburg is only about an hour and a half outside of the district. I was so excited to visit the battlefield because it was on my “bucket list” of things to do this semester.

Reagan and I letting Abigail pretend to be in charge. It doesn’t happen very often.

Our first stop was at the Gettysburg Visitor Center and Museum, which was so impressive. The Center was built a short time ago in 2008, and was much larger than I expected it to be. We started off by watching an incredible film detailing the Gettysburg battle, which was narrated by Morgan Freeman.

The Cyclorama was captivating; I can’t even imagine how much work went into its creation.

After the movie, we went upstairs to a platform to observe the Cyclorama painted by French artist Paul Philippoteaux in the late 1800’s. The painting completely surrounds the platform, and tells the story of the bloody battle. After that we headed down to the museum to learn more about the battle; we probably spent about 2 hours at the Center before heading out to tour the battlefield.

There were monuments and statues everywhere!

I loved how the majority of the battlefield has remained untouched by development so you can truly picture the armies clashing. If you do the full tour, it takes four hours! We just walked around a tiny part of it, and there was constantly something to read or look at.

My favorite.

After having our fill of the battlefield, we headed into town to get an early dinner. Since it was St. Patrick’s Day, we decided it was only appropriate to eat at the local Irish pub. I was so excited to have authentic bangers and mash! It was a really fun environment, and a good ending to our day trip.

Fitting right in with our red hair.

On Tuesday my family decided to knock out some of the museums while I prepared for my class. They went to the Archives and American History Museum, and I met up with them for lunch. I knew they would love Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, and I was right! The creme brûlée doughnut was a hit, and they agreed with me that the fried chicken was superb.

Meeting up at the Archives.

After I got out of class, my family was waiting and honking for me in the rental car! (Never too old to be picked up from school.) We had a relaxed evening; I took them to Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont (amazing!) and Second-Story Books. Reagan also discovered the Krispy Kreme right by the Dupont metro, so we had a fresh donut before going back to the hotel. (One of my favorite quotes from the trip, “I want a hot donut and I want to go to bed.” That came from the youngest member of our family.)

I couldn’t believe my mother when she said she liked the hideous green in the dining room!

On Wednesday, my last full day with my family, we went to Mount Vernon. Considering this was my third trip to the estate in less than a year, I would have been better off buying an annual pass, but I enjoyed seeing it again with my family. They were also impressed by the beautiful view behind the house.

I did get to see the Pioneer Farm area of the estate, which I had not been to before.

After spending a couple of hours on the grounds, we went to the Mount Vernon Inn for a spot of tea and a snack before checking out the museum. It was sprinkling while we were outside, so we were all pretty damp at this point, and it was nice to warm up. I had cherry pie, and it was so good!

This hit the spot.

After leaving Mount Vernon, we stopped in Alexandria to do some shopping on King Street and eat dinner. Wednesday was also my mom’s birthday, and I had so much fun being her personal stylist in H&M. She bought several pieces and even Abigail bought something, which is a miracle in and of itself.

Birthday girl with the sweetest polka dot cake!

We had Mom’s birthday dinner at an Italian restaurant, Il Porto Ristorante, and everyone loved it! I spent the night one last time with them, and then my dad took me to work in the morning. It was so hard saying goodbye because I had so much fun with them, but luckily I had a girls’ weekend planned to take my mind off their leaving.

 

Hershey, PA: The Sweetest Place on Earth

When my family came to visit me, we finally did something we have always talked about, which was taking a trip to a chocolate lover’s paradise: Hershey, PA!

This truly says it all.

And when I say “family,” I really mean Mom, Abigail, and I have talked about taking a girls’ trip to Hershey for years. Luckily for Dad and Reagan, we let them tag along.

Just following orders.

Hershey is about two and a half hours outside of D.C., so we hopped in the rental car and headed out early Sunday morning. We originally planned to go on Monday, but the weathermen were predicting snowfall for Sunday evening and Monday morning, so we decided to go Sunday.

Abigail vowed to design wider cars after this trip.

It was just like old times, crammed in the back seat with my younger siblings, irritating each other all the way to Hershey. As we drew closer and closer, the excitement in the car mounted. We all squealed as we saw the welcome sign and the adorable Hershey Kiss lightposts.

Can’t handle the cuteness.

Our first stop was at “The Hershey Story,” which was an incredibly fascinating museum detailing Milton S. Hershey’s life. Here we learned about how Milton started off making caramels, borrowed money from literally everyone in his family for his enterprises and failed over and over, and finally found success with his caramels and eventually turned to making chocolate because caramels were “just a fad.”

The only passport I need.

A fun part of The Hershey Story is creating your own chocolate bar. The name is a little misleading; in reality you get bowls of melted chocolate and pour it into a mold to swirl designs on, but it was really neat because we did learn the process of making chocolate while decorating our own bars.

It’s a family affair. (My dad immediately licked the spoon in the bowl!)

Some interesting facts about how chocolate is made: the cacao beans are roasted, which brings out the chocolate flavor, and then cracked. The remaining “nibs” (which we got to sample, they are VERY strongly flavored) are crushed into a paste called “chocolate liquor.” The chocolate liquor is then separated into cocoa powder and cocoa butter (which is colorless).

Showing off my artsy side.

Any of you white chocolate lovers like me? White chocolate is made entirely from the cocoa butter, which was rather nasueating when the lab techs held up a jar full of it that looked like mayonaise. Milk chocolate uses both the powder and butter, and Milton’s secret for the quality of all of his chocolate was the fresh, sweet condensed milk he added.

The finished products. I don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty certain mine is the prettiest.

After The Hershey Story, we had lunch at Houlihan’s (which was really good) and then headed over to Hershey’s Chocolate World to catch the trolley tour of the town. The trolley tour was probably my favorite part (getting about eight pieces of free candy helped). Our conductor told us all about this amazing community that Milton built himself in order to provide an environment his workers would want to live and raise their children in.

So much excitement!

Milton and his wife never had children, and it was her idea to start a school for boys, which is now home to underprivileged boys and girls. The school is for all grades, and the children stay with host families and are provided with absolutely everything they need. Milton left a significant amount of stock in his company for the school, which is how it is still in operation today.

Such a fun place.

After our trolley ride was over, we went into Hershey’s Chocolate World to take the free, interactive ride that imitates the chocolate factories that make the delicious Hershey products. I found it neat that Hershey still uses milk from local dairies, and continues to grow and support the community Milton started.

As you can see, I’m used to this. Always the only one awake while everyone else sleeps.

Since Hershey is in Lancaster county, we took a longer route back to D.C. and got to see some Amish country on our way. It started snowing on the way home, but we made it back safely. It was a magical day, and I am so thankful I was able to share with my family.