Playing Photo Challenge Catch-Up

Day 11 - Something Blue

Day 12 - Sunset

Day 13 - Yourself with 13 Things

(I know, I know. It's only 12 - oops!)

Day 14 - Eyes

Day 15 - Silhouette

(I may have cheated on this one a bit, but it was just too perfect!)

Day 16 - Long Exposure

Adventures in Washington, DC

Sometimes I think people think I'm crazy for the amount of time I spend traveling. I mean, I literally can't remember the last weekend I spent in Gainesville. Sad....or awesome? To be quite honest, I LOVE traveling. If I could travel, take pictures and blog for the rest of my life, I'd be the happiest person on the planet. Hence, my excessive jetsetting. Where did I jetset off to this time? Washington, DC - one of my most favorite cities on the planet. Washington, DC is just one of those places that holds a special place in my heart. As a kid, we'd go there every summer to visit family. In my mind, I associate DC with family reunions, lightning bugs and fireworks - only the best summer activities ever! This time around, I was only there for a short three days, but had the best time. My mom's 7 sibs were in town to sort through my late grandpa's belongings, which sounds sad, right? Not necessarily. We had so much fun sorting through old pictures, videos and books - and had some great laughs while we were at it. Sidenote: I'd like to argue that I have the funniest uncles of all time. They are crazy, wild and downright hilarious. I could sit around and listen to them tell stories all. day. long.

Ok, so. Three days in DC. What to do...what to do. Bridget, my cousin/practically sister, was home from college, thankfully! We ventured to two different places over the weekend: Georgetown & the National Botanical Gardens.

Georgetown

Sitting atop a hill overlooking the Potomac, Georgetown definitely has a certain charm and London-esque ambience. Shops and cute little cafes line the streets, and people of all types crowd the sidewalks. Bridget and I weave in and out of the shops trying to restrain ourselves from spending our entire savings on one outfit. We decide we want to eat lunch somewhere that we cannot find anywhere else, and find ourselves at a charming little cafe called Snap. Snap is situated in a row of townhouses on a tiny, little sidestreet. Snap specializes in crepes and paninis and I, of course, need to get a crepe, while Bridget settles on a panini. Beyond the order counter and out the back door lies a quaint little brick courtyard surrounded by giant trees - the perfect place for a quiet lunch on a summer day. After gobbling up our delicious lunches, we set out to find two things: cupcakes and TOMS - both failures, may I add. Georgetown Cupcake (as seen on TLC) was jam-packed. I'm talkin "lines out the door for blocks" jam-packed. Quite the disappointment. As for the TOMS, well, let's just say everyone and their mother apparently wants grey TOMS in a size 8.5. Although unsuccessful, our day in Georgetown was perfectly pleasant and exactly what I needed in that moment.

National Botanical Gardens

Sunday morning, Washington DC. You'd think all would be quiet and calm...perfect for a stroll through the National Botanical Gardens. Well, I'm pretty sure everyone in the greater DC area also thought Sunday morning was the perfect opportunity to take the Metro into the city to visit the National Botanical Gardens. But, hey, whatcha gonna do? Nothin! Bridget and I, thankful for the no fee policy administered in all of the National Museums, happily tour the gardens. Let me tell ya - I've never seen anything quite like the National Botanical Gardens (NBG). The NBG is basically just a giant greenhouse sectioned off into different regions of the US - the jungle, the south, the desert, Hawaii, etc. - and, ok, I honestly had absolutely no idea we had that much variety of plants in this country. It's kinda crazy. Bridget and I stroll through each "room" ooo-ing and aah-ing at all the "crazy/evil/that thing's totally alive-looking" plants and comment on how we really want to have our own herb/vegetable/orchid gardens someday. (By the way, it's totally happening - that's my next project - an herb garden. I'm so excited.)

Before we head back for our final lunch with the fam, we walk the Mall just taking in the sites- the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian, and a totally awesome kickball tournament. DC, you will be missed!



Adventures in Minneapolis - Part II

Day 3:

I head to the conference till mid-afternoon. I learn lotsa fascinating orchestra thangs, then we decide to embark on more Minneapolis Adventures! This time, we head to Minnehaha Park (I prefer to call it Minnehahahaha Park where the hahaha is really a belly laugh - but that's just me). Minnehaha Park was just a short Light Rail ride away. The day was absolutely beautiful - sunny, and just cold enough to be comfortable in a sweater - basically, perfect! Therefore, it was destined to be a outdoors sorta day. Minnehaha Park gave me a completely new view on Minnesota. Prior to this point, I had really only seen the city - the buildings, the city parks, the river - which I loved - but I was completely blown away by the park. Minnehaha Park is home to Minnehaha Falls - where Minnehaha Creek flows into the Mississippi River. Surrounding the falls are hiking paths, playgrounds, even a little beach along the banks of the creek! I could see why it was such a hotspot. I had a hayday with my camera while there - the evening light coupled with the flowing water painted the perfect photo. It was hard to take a bad picture to be quite honest. Danny and I explored the falls and the surrounding paths, then headed to SeaSalt - a bustling little seafood eatery just outside the falls. Quite seriously, SeaSalt may have been one of my favorite restaurants I've ever been to. Not because of the fantastic food, although very tasty, but because of the ambience of the place. On a Wednesday evening, all sorts of people had come out to munch on one of their many clever entrees, indulge in a beer or two, while sitting outside under the trees next to the falls listening to the live band. Danny and I sat outside also enjoying the sites and the cooler weather - and we devoured their fish tacos (and a pitcher of beer, but shh) - mmm mmm. I've got to say...Minnehahaha was the highlight of my trip, and I would recommend it for anyone traveling in the area. It's enchanting!

Day 4:

Last day of the conference! I got to hear the founder of the Geek Squad speak, which was fascinating - and so inspiring. Danny meets me for my lunch break and we head to the "town square" where food trucks have lined the street and different musicians play each hour. The day, of course, was beautiful - sunny and in the 60s. Also, can I just say - I love food trucks. I think every city should have them. I especially love the ones that serve items you can't find anywhere else. Check out the Clover Food Truck in Boston, for instance. To this day, I still crave their rosemary fries and ginger lemonade.

After the conference, I decided I would totally regret not attending a performance of one of our conference host orchestras. I get last minute tickets for us to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. We take a bus over to St. Paul - Minneapolis' twin! Minneapolis is by far my favorite, but St. Paul definitely had a personality of it's own with it's old churches, winding streets and Europe-like squares. Danny took me to Mickeys - a famous downhome diner in a tiny trailer in the middle of the city. This place has been opened 24/7 since 1939, and has been featured on numerous channels, including the Food Network and the Travel Channel. When I heard that, I knew I'd like it. It was surprisingly quiet and they served up the tastiest burger and baked beans a gal could ask for - literally, the best baked beans I ever had! We headed to the SPCO (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra) performance, and feel wayy too underdressed, but what they gon' do? We enjoy the performance and head back to our luxurious suite at the Holiday Inn.

Some of my favorite photos from the trip....