Since we're usually confined to a weekend of time together, an entire week is rare. Naturally there was much debate over what we would do with an entire week. But we ultimately settled on a road trip to the south-east coast.
Our first stop was Washington DC, where we got to visit my Mom (just in time for mother's day!)
Eric and I took a trip to DC a couple of years ago, where we made a point to see every monument and museum we could in a single day.
But there is so much more to DC than monuments, and this time we would be exploring a little more of DC's lifestyle.
And that started with the Dupont Circle farmer's market...
The farmer's market provides the Dupont neighborhood with local meat, dairy, and produce. The picture above is choosing which artisanal goat cheese we wanted on crackers later (talk about fancy -- the most I've EVER spent on a cracker spread).
After the farmer's market, we went on a walk around the national mall (only about a mile from Mom's apartment). We took a little break on the lawn. That shadow those people are sitting in to the right was from the Washington Monument.
One of the best parts of DC are the many completely free things to do there. Eric and I rode the metro all day to take a tour of the Capitol building, visit the Woodley Park Zoo, and experience the National Holocaust Museum.
The first panda I've ever seen! They were enjoying the air conditioning as opposed to the outdoor humidity and 80+ degrees.
Favorite statue in the capitol building -- three important women in the history of women's rights in the US. The artist left part of the statue unfinished, to represent unfinished business and progress yet to be made regarding gender equality.
Another great thing about DC living is the food.
We decided to explore Georgetown and found ourselves ordering cupcakes at Sprinkles. These served as appetizers to dinner at a local Ethiopian restaurant, where we sat outside under giant umbrellas while it absolutely poured as the sun went down. Sitting outside, protected from the rain and enjoying fancy cocktails and new dishes made for a gorgeous night in Georgetown.
Another great thing about DC living is the food.
We decided to explore Georgetown and found ourselves ordering cupcakes at Sprinkles. These served as appetizers to dinner at a local Ethiopian restaurant, where we sat outside under giant umbrellas while it absolutely poured as the sun went down. Sitting outside, protected from the rain and enjoying fancy cocktails and new dishes made for a gorgeous night in Georgetown.
We also had time to hit up the National Botanical Gardens, and take mom out to dinner before the second leg of our journey.
Look how well rested we looked at church Sunday! ...That was all about to change.
Early Wednesday morning we woke up and packed the car to get on the road to North Carolina. The plan was to spend the second half of the week on the outer banks in Kill Devil Hills (what kind of name for a town is that??) A more recognizable local town is Kitty Hawk. Sound familiar? This was where Wilbur and Orville Wright first took flight.
The outer banks area (and Kitty Hawk in particular) are famous for wind sports, due to the predictably steady winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean. Kite boarding, paragliding, parasailing, hang gliding, and even just plane flying are all common pastimes on the outer banks, and naturally we wanted to be in on the fun.
Those people climbing up those dunes with what look like little sunfish sailboats are gliders. After clipping a harness under the glider, the pilot runs down the hill and into the wind. After a few steps, the wind fills the sails, and the glider takes flight, gently soaring down the dune about 6-10 feet over the sand.
Here's Eric taking off. The pilot brings their legs up by crossing their ankles. Controlling the glider involves small adjustments to the bar in the front. A lot of people make the mistake of griping the bar too much, but the less you hold onto it, the more control you end up having. By the end of the lesson, Eric and I were ready for a 2,000 foot flight! I guess we'll need to wait for next time.
We were both stoked to be staying on such a beautiful beach for the remainder of the week. And that our hotel was great. If you were wondering, the definition of great is the following: 1. complementary waffles 2. pool and hot tub, and 3. great location.
This was the view from the hotel, and we were relieved to arrive here to sit in the sand and run around in the waves after being in the car all day.
We even got to watch pelicans and dolphins just off shore on the evening of our arrival.
It was a gorgeous area to be staying in.
We also LOVE seafood. But, as lobsters and crabs are in short supply in the midwest, we hardly ever get to enjoy (safe for VERY special occasions).
Naturally, being next to the ocean was like being a kid in a candy store. And the kid has been saving money for a while...and the candy is about a third of the price it usually is. And the candy was so fresh that it was alive 5 minutes before you ate it. This metaphor is breaking down, but you get the idea.
We didn't stop at soft-shell crabs. I also had my first "raw bar" experience with oysters on the half shell. Despite the nasty surprise of the terrible texture, I learned to love them (provided a large supply of cocktail sauce and lemon).
We enjoyed two days of flying, swimming, and exploring before finding out nightly seafood restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed spoiling ourselves. In no time, we were back in the car for the 15 hour drive back to Michigan.
I think we literally collapsed on the front door at Eric's parent's house on Friday night.
The next day we did nothing but lay on the couch and watch movies all morning. That night however, we were feeling more creative, (and still really excited about flying). Eric's dad allowed us to use his tools and expertise to build our own model hang glider to fly out the window.
It flew remarkably well the first couple of times, and if you're curious, there are Facebook videos. I for one, was pretty proud of our working knowledge of geometry (despite not having used it in YEARS). This little glider meant a lot of fun all evening spent with one of my favorite families :)
I already miss the coast...but now that we're back to the daily grind, I have new memories and maybe even a new hobby. I already can't wait to take flight again, and will be looking for the next opportunity soon!
Look how well rested we looked at church Sunday! ...That was all about to change.
Early Wednesday morning we woke up and packed the car to get on the road to North Carolina. The plan was to spend the second half of the week on the outer banks in Kill Devil Hills (what kind of name for a town is that??) A more recognizable local town is Kitty Hawk. Sound familiar? This was where Wilbur and Orville Wright first took flight.
The outer banks area (and Kitty Hawk in particular) are famous for wind sports, due to the predictably steady winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean. Kite boarding, paragliding, parasailing, hang gliding, and even just plane flying are all common pastimes on the outer banks, and naturally we wanted to be in on the fun.
Those people climbing up those dunes with what look like little sunfish sailboats are gliders. After clipping a harness under the glider, the pilot runs down the hill and into the wind. After a few steps, the wind fills the sails, and the glider takes flight, gently soaring down the dune about 6-10 feet over the sand.
Here's Eric taking off. The pilot brings their legs up by crossing their ankles. Controlling the glider involves small adjustments to the bar in the front. A lot of people make the mistake of griping the bar too much, but the less you hold onto it, the more control you end up having. By the end of the lesson, Eric and I were ready for a 2,000 foot flight! I guess we'll need to wait for next time.
We were both stoked to be staying on such a beautiful beach for the remainder of the week. And that our hotel was great. If you were wondering, the definition of great is the following: 1. complementary waffles 2. pool and hot tub, and 3. great location.
This was the view from the hotel, and we were relieved to arrive here to sit in the sand and run around in the waves after being in the car all day.
We even got to watch pelicans and dolphins just off shore on the evening of our arrival.
It was a gorgeous area to be staying in.
We also LOVE seafood. But, as lobsters and crabs are in short supply in the midwest, we hardly ever get to enjoy (safe for VERY special occasions).
Naturally, being next to the ocean was like being a kid in a candy store. And the kid has been saving money for a while...and the candy is about a third of the price it usually is. And the candy was so fresh that it was alive 5 minutes before you ate it. This metaphor is breaking down, but you get the idea.
We didn't stop at soft-shell crabs. I also had my first "raw bar" experience with oysters on the half shell. Despite the nasty surprise of the terrible texture, I learned to love them (provided a large supply of cocktail sauce and lemon).
We enjoyed two days of flying, swimming, and exploring before finding out nightly seafood restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed spoiling ourselves. In no time, we were back in the car for the 15 hour drive back to Michigan.
I think we literally collapsed on the front door at Eric's parent's house on Friday night.
The next day we did nothing but lay on the couch and watch movies all morning. That night however, we were feeling more creative, (and still really excited about flying). Eric's dad allowed us to use his tools and expertise to build our own model hang glider to fly out the window.
It flew remarkably well the first couple of times, and if you're curious, there are Facebook videos. I for one, was pretty proud of our working knowledge of geometry (despite not having used it in YEARS). This little glider meant a lot of fun all evening spent with one of my favorite families :)
I already miss the coast...but now that we're back to the daily grind, I have new memories and maybe even a new hobby. I already can't wait to take flight again, and will be looking for the next opportunity soon!
