Find Your Park!

To celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, the National Park Service launched a new advertising and marketing campaign called "Find Your Park" last year. Although it has only been in the last several years that I have begun to fully appreciate the NPS and its diversity, I now count myself as a huge fan. Just check out this video, and tell me this isn't an impressive park system?

Over time I have been fortunate to visit quite a few parks across the country: from Alcatraz Island in California to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan, from Craters of the Moon in Idaho to Boston National Historic Park in Massachusetts. A few visits I've blogged about include: Shenandoah National Park in Virginia,Yellowstone which I visited a few years ago, Cape Hatteras National Seashore which I saw and loved in 2014, Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland on a hot summer's day, Harper's Ferry National Historical Park in nearby West Virginia, plus recalling an earlier visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Naturally, given that the National Mall & Memorial Parks in Washington is also a national park, that's another spot about which I have blogged.

A park that I visited on the same trip as Yellowstone was neighboring Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Although I was there for only part of a day, it was a beautiful and memorable visit, as the place is stunning!

Doing some hiking for the best views!

There are many more I would love to visit some day, including Acadia in Maine, Yosemite in California, Glacier in Montana, Arches in Utah, and - well, the list goes on!

However, if you asked me to name "my" park, I would quickly answer: the C&O National Historical Park. While spots like the Grand Canyon (which I've had the fortune of visiting twice!) are far more impressive, the beauty of the C&O is that it's close enough for me to visit frequently. Also, the impressive 180+ mile length, which stretches from the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington through all the way to Cumberland in western Maryland, means that there is lots to explore! I have hiked only about 25 miles of that. I have written about several (but certainly not all!) of my visits over the last several years, both in areas that are close to Washington, such as the ever-popular Great Falls overlook, and areas further away, such as the Monocacy Aqueduct and the town of Williamsport.

It's no surprise that my first outing to a national park this year was to the C&O. I took a five year old friend for a walk in the Great Falls area. The weather had been quite variable that day, and as we drove to the park, a quick downpour almost changed our plans. However, perhaps sensing our dire need to experiences the great outdoors, the rain stopped. After parking the car, we began walking, and I noticed other hikers looking above us, so we turned around to spot a lovely rainbow. I did not have a camera along; this photo was snapped with my very old cell phone. I'm hoping for many more visits to national parks this year (as well as better quality photos)!

Happy 100th birthday, National Park Service!!!

Snowed In

With the Washington region expecting a blizzard of historic proportions, preparations are well underway as the area and its inhabitants prepare to hunker down and then eventually dig out. By the time you read this post, I -- and the rest of the DMV -- will be snowed in. If you know me or have been reading the blog for a while, you are aware that winter is not my favorite season. I don't mind a few inches of pretty snow, but the two to possibly three feet that may fall is far more than anyone needs. Now that I've finished all of my grocery store runs (buying all of life's necessities -- fruits, vegetables, yogurt, almond milk, bread, hemp seeds, eggs, walnuts, dark chocolate, purple hyacinths, and yellow daffodils), there's plenty of time to consider what I'll do to fill the time while it is too dangerous to go outside. It may be about 2 1/2 days before it's safe to leave the house, thus loads of free time for all sorts of activities. 

Things I Could/Should/Might Do During the Blizzard of 2016

1. Read

2. Work on the blog

3. Organize my digital photos

4. Organize old print photos

5. Do lots of yoga

6. Bake

7. Write a letter

8. Call several friends I've not talked to in a while

9. Organize my closet

10. Clean off my desk

11. Figure out what to do with all those CDs I never listen to anymore

12. Work on Latvian school report cards

13. Prepare Latvian school lesson plans

14. Shred old unnecessary documents

15. Start writing a book

Things I Most Likely Will Do During the Blizzard of 2016

1. Binge-watch any remaining episodes of "Transparent" and "Mozart in the Jungle" I've not yet seen

2. Sleep too much

3. Eat too much

4. Drink copious amounts of hot tea (selection has been almost fully restocked -- I could not find linden flower tea, but have plenty of jasmine green, decaf green, Earl Gray, chamomile, and more)

5. Complain about having to dig out my car

6. Dig out my car

7. Complain about how difficult digging out my car was

National Postal Museum

Washington has such an abundance of museums to visit and sights to see that in my sixteen years here I am still visiting and discovering new places. The National Postal Museum had been on my list for a while, but its location off the National Mall makes the slightly offbeat museum also more off-the-beaten track. Still, it is conveniently located next door to Union Station, and as a Smithsonian, entrance to the museum is free of charge. Even given its somewhat esoteric topic, it has plenty of very positive reviews online, and the museum is currently hosting a special exhibit in which I had particular interest.

Fittingly, the museum occupies the building which was Washington's main post office from 1914 through 1986. The building itself is quite impressive and attractive.

A step up from the modern America post office, wouldn't you agree?

This clock is in what used to be the postmaster's office.

Home to one of the world's largest collections of stamps and philatelic materials, the museum has done an excellent job of creating colorful, educational, and interactive exhibits. For example, the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery displays many stamps, including a variety of rare ones.

Washington cherry blossom stamp in top left is one of my all-time favorites!

Whoa, the stamp on left looks familiar!

This gallery also has a computer on which a visitor can create - and email to themselves - a stamp or two, including with one's own photo. These are two I created.

Mailboxes from various countries are scattered around the museum. Some looked familiar, but others were quite different than the North American or European mailboxes I have seen.

The museum's collection also includes numerous vehicles - from wagons to cars to airplanes - that have been used to transport and deliver mail by the U.S. Postal Service.

Old mail wagon.

Railway post office.

Interior of the railway post office.

The special exhibit which I had wanted to see is called "PostSecret: The Power of a Postcard." Begun as a one-time community art project in 2005 by Frank Warren, PostSecret has evolved into a cultural touchstone and spawned an empire which includes numerous books, exhibits and speaking engagements. The project has Washington roots, as it was initiated during a local Artomatic exhibit, and Frank himself lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington.

The website Frank runs is updated weekly with postcards containing secrets -- sent to him from around the country and around the world. Some of the secrets have mature themes, thus I will warn that the following link for the website itself might be NSFW - "not safe for work." Frank updates the website every Sunday morning with new postcards, and with classic (older) secrets. The PostSecret exhibit at the Postal Museum displayed a small selection of the millions of cards received over the last decade. Some are heart-warming, others are heart-breaking, while others are funny or slightly strange. The next three photos are just a small selection.

This exhibit runs through September of this year, but on its own the Postal Museum is well worth a visit if you're in the area and have an hour or two!

Washington Area Christmas Markets

The diversity of ethnics groups and traditions represented in the Washington area is one of the major benefits of living here. Craving Peruvian, Ethiopian, or Korean cuisine for dinner? No problem! Want to be friends with people from diverse backgrounds? No problem!

A Christmas-time tradition for many European groups is the Christmas market. This year was my third time attending the Finnish bazaar, which I described in detail last year. I also swung by the Norwegian bazaar one Saturday; it was smaller than the Finnish one, and photographically not as impressive. The food did smell amazing - I was particularly tempted by the advertised warm rice pudding! 

After many years of hoping to make it to the Christmas market organized by the German School of Washington, this year I was finally able to attend, and I must say it might be my new favorite. Because I speak German and have spent considerable time in Germany, those Christmas customs are near and dear to my heart. 

I arrived at the market at noon, and while bee-lining for the lunch line was able to hear snippets of German Christmas carols sung by the children's choir -- the same songs my German immersion elementary school choir sang years ago. The lunch options were bratwurst or Leberkäse, plus sauerkraut and potato salad. A perfect-looking German roll came with each meal, but you could also purchase a large Bretzel (pretzel) for only $2. My bratwurst, sauerkraut and potato salad came to $10, and my meal was very filling, though next time I would skip the potato salad - it wasn't that exciting.

After lunch I wandered outside, where I was tickled to find a half-dozen traditional market booths -- the type one sees at outdoor European Christmas markets.

The most popular booth was selling glühwein ($3), while others offered crafts, Lebkuchen (gingerbread) or cinnamon nuts. Additional stands outside were selling crepes (also hugely popular), non-alcoholic drinks, and chocolate-covered fruit. The last one was my personal favorite, as one of my recollections from various markets in Germany were the vendors who sold fruit such as strawberries, pineapple or bananas covered in dark or milk chocolate. This stand was a fundraiser for one of the middle school classes, so the confections were not quite that specific, but the kabob stick with fruit pieces drenched in chocolate I chose was absolutely delectable.

Typical middle schoolers, right?

Heading back into the school I swung by the impressive dessert table (which even included a couple of gluten-free options), but I had already used my calorie allotment for mid-day! The school's large multi-purpose room had many tables with various vendors from the Washington area. Additionally, out in the main hallway were two incredibly popular vendors: Binkert's German Meat Products from Baltimore and the Swiss Bakery from Northern Virginia. The sausage scents overpowered the bakery scents, but the variety at both stands was astonishing, and the crowd was snapping up many of the items.

One stand was selling gorgeous wreaths.

Wurst!

Of course, the Latvian congregation's bazaar is an annual tradition, and is always held on the first Sunday in December. My post about last year's can be found here.

I hope you are enjoying plenty of pre-Christmas festivities in your neck of the woods!

Distillery Lane Ciderworks

Some people might be surprised to learn that the Washington area, and northern Virginia in particular, is home to many wineries. While my friend was visiting this fall, I knew that she would love to visit a couple, so I had initially planned that into our schedule. Upon reading an extensive Washington Post article about the many new hard cider breweries that have popped up in the region, a change to our schedule was necessary. 

Our first stop was Distillery Lane Ciderworks in Jefferson, Maryland, not far from the city of Frederick. An apple orchard that grows a plethora of different apple varieties, Distillery Lane offers cider tastings in its cozy tasting room and store, as well as pick-your-own apples and pre-picked apples in season. 

The tasting cost a reasonable $6, and included samples of five hard ciders plus the typical juice cider (amazing!), as well as the adorable souvenir glass. Distillery Lane brews many varieties of hard ciders -- their tasting card lists nineteen in the categories of sparkling, still, oak ages, seasonal, and limited release. What visitors taste depends on which they have on hand. We were offered Jefferson, which is aged in American oak, and Kingston Black, aged in bourbon barrels, as well as the seasonal Summer Buzz and Sweet Autumn, and the limited release Witch's Brew, which includes aronia berries.

After purchasing a bottle to take home, we headed to the barn to buy some pre-picked apples. With fifteen varieties to choose from -- including several we had never heard of -- making a decision was difficult. We were amused by the man working in the barn, who told us that he will eat up to twenty apples in a workday!

Particularly if you were to pick your own apples, Distillery Lane Ciderworks on its own would make for a perfect fall outing. Or you could combine a cider tasting with lunch in nearby Brunswick, a visit to Antietam National Battlefield or Gathland State Park. Yet another option is hiking Sugarloaf Mountain and sampling wines at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. Opportunities for daytrips in this area of Maryland are plentiful!

Coffee & Chocolate

Located in a large and nicely repurposed garage in an alley in the unassuming DC suburb of Hyattsville, Maryland, Vigilante Coffee may look like an unlikely place for an excellent cup of coffee. While I have only been able to visit the cafe twice, I enjoyed both immensely. On my inaugural visit I was struck by the airy space and sun streaming in through the huge garage doors in the front and a skylight in the back. The cappuccino I savored was certainly one of the best I have ever enjoyed, which is understandable given that the coffee is roasted right there in the cafe.

A friend and I returned to Vigilante for a coffee and chocolate tasting that the cafe and its owner Chris Vigilante co-hosted with chocolatier Puja Satiani.

We were treated to three pairings.  Our three coffees were all quite different - the first was a very strong iced coffee, the second was a smooth cup of high end coffee brewed in a siphon or vacuum coffee maker, and the last was one of the cafe's innovative specialties, a Vigilante Julep, which is an iced coffee prepared with mint and basil. The three chocolates, all beautiful small truffle/ganache-type of concoctions, were a 70% dark (my favorite), one made with coconut oil and bits of coconut, and one with a basil ganache. 

It was interesting to learn about both of these local businesses, and to chat with the owners, both of whom were lovely people. While it was an incredibly enjoyable afternoon, an earlier start would have been preferable, as I could not reasonably finish all three coffee drinks between 4-5pm on a Sunday afternoon. Let's just say I was quite wired all evening!

With the arrival of fall, Puja has created and released her seasonal fall collection, which includes Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel Caramels, Pumpkin Spice, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Caramels, and sounds amazing. Her products can be ordered directly from her website, and she offers free shipping to DC, Maryland, and Virginia for orders worth more than $40.

(Source: pujasatiani.com)

If you ever happen to be in Hyattsville during the hours of 7.30am and 4pm, I highly recommend seeking out Vigilante for some outstanding coffee.

Vigilante's offerings available in their Hyattsville cafe.

A Summer's Weekend on the Farm and on the Bay

The promise of beautiful weather on a recent weekend prompted me to take two outings.

First, early on Saturday I headed to Butler's Orchard to pick blackberries. Butler's is one of the closest "pick your own" farms to DC; they start the season with strawberries, but I typically find time to do my own picking later in the summer when blueberries or blackberries have ripened.

It was a spectacular morning to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air, as we have had far too many 90+ degree days, and even when it isn't hot, DC area summers tend towards the humid and sticky. Although I have a tendency to get carried away when picking berries, this time I "only" picked 4,5 lbs of dark juicy blackberries, which I mostly ate on their own, in yogurt or on my cereal, although I did also bake two blackberry & peach cobblers.

While at Butler's, I made a point to stop by the multi-hued flower garden where you can create your own bouquet of summer blossoms.

I also took note of the adorable sign advertising the this weekend's Potato Festival!

The following day seemed perfect to seek out a body of water, thus I decided to make my inaugural visit to the town of Havre de Grace. This town of 13,000 residents is located on the northern tip of the Chesapeake Bay, where the Susquehanna River flows into the Bay. I took an immediate liking to HdG when I entered Concord Point Coffee downtown, saw the cozy interior, and was warmly greeted by the barista. This cafe got another bonus point from me with the tiny cow sculpture next to the creamer and sugar, and the note next to the cow, which indicated that during this particular week the bovine's moniker was "Albert Cowmoo." After enjoying a refreshing iced tea I strolled through town, particularly enjoying some of the restored older buildings, although I neglected to take any photos!

For lunch I chose Tidewater Grille, where a table next to the enormous window overlooking the patio and water was ideal. (I was too hungry and too cautious to wait for a seat outdoors, where the bright sunshine had begun raising the temperature into "hot" territory.) One of the day's specials was salmon stuffed with crab meat - yes, please! The friendly service once again reminded me that I was in a small town.

With renewed energy, I continued my explorations. A quick drive of less than a mile from the restaurant, and I found myself in Havre de Grace's most picturesque spot - Concord Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1827, but has been beautifully restored. There is something so appealing about a bright white lighthouse against the blue sky and water!

At only 36 feet tall, it is a smaller lighthouse than many others - rather adorable, I found! On Saturday and Sunday afternoons between April and October the lighthouse is open to visitors. Due to its size, only four people may climb it at one time. The lighthouse volunteer at the door monitoring visitors, and soon allowed me and a couple of others to make the short climb. As can be expected, the view out from up top was lovely, though it was also almost unbearably hot in the small lantern room, so my stay there was quite short.

That's someone para-sailing on the right!

View from the lighthouse

The keeper's house across the street is also worth a visit, as that too has been restored, and has some informative exhibits about the history of the home and the lighthouse, as well as a small gift shop.

Then it was off to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Promenade, a 1/2-mile long boardwalk with great views of the Susquehanna River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay. Conveniently at the other end I found a casual restaurant, The Promenade Grille, that also serves ice cream at its walk up window -- clearly a scoop of mint-chocolate chip was called for!

Many people were taking advantage of the summer weather -- quite a few individuals had come to the water's edge equipped with lawn chairs and reading materials, and had wisely positioned themselves overlooking the water in the shade of trees in the grassy area adjacent to the Promenade and lighthouse. If I lived nearby, I would certainly do the same on a lazy Sunday afternoon!

Summer Solstice Sunset

We have had more 90+ degree days this year than I care to count. June 21 was yet another one - plus humid and muggy to boot. Still, that morning I met a friend for a stroll in Rock Creek Park. My afternoon was spent taking care of various tasks, but having checked most of them off my "To do" list, and given that it was the longest day of year, I decided to visit one of my favorite spots in the area, Great Falls at the C&O Canal. This small section of the park and canal towpath is typically full of people on Saturdays and Sundays, but by the time I arrived at 8pm, only a few cars remained in the parking lot. 

On my way to the falls overlook, several other visitors and I were surprised to see a beaver appear on the towpath. It seemed a tad confused, probably because it had a small crowd of spectators, but eventually ambled from the river side over to the canal side, and dove into the canal's murky waters. This was my first ever wild beaver sighting, and I must say it's not a particularly attractive animal! I wasn't quick enough to take a good photo, but in this one you can at least see its large tail.

Due to the recent rains we've had, the falls looked great.

A sliver of the moon was also visible.

The sun was very slow to set...

Only after I left the falls overlook did more pink appear in the sky, and on my way back to the parking lot I managed to capture a bit of that.

Pink reflection in the canal.