Updating

Life is what happens while you're making other plans. I can assure my dear readers that I have planned to write a blog post or two since the last one, but somehow that plan has not come to fruition. Due to work, winter, and my commute there isn't even that much to write about, but here are a few updates for you...

Entertaining visitors...A friend from overseas was in DC for a couple of days, so we made sure to enjoy life in the big city -- we ate seafood at Old Ebbitt Grill, we caught the movie "45 Years" at Landmark E Street Theater, and we enjoyed a brunch in Alexandria before she had to fly off again. Another friend from out of town came to stay with me for a few days -- she essentially invited herself for a visit after reading several of my blog posts about museums that she wanted to see. She did a great job of covering a lot of territory. On Friday while I was at work she hit up the Renwick, then the Postal Museum, and after that the National Museum of American History. On Saturday she and I visited the Phillips Collection (inconveniently my camera battery died, but I will write about the museum and its current exhibit another time -- I bought a membership for the year, so plan to return relatively soon) after which we gorged on a three-course bottomless mimosa brunch at Kellari Taverna (courtesy of Groupon). Then she went to do even more museum-exploring while I took care of some other things. On Sunday we did some necessary girlfriend things - a bit of shopping, plus enjoying dinner with great friends..

Working...Yep, not much I can say about that.

Commuting...Metro is terribly infuriating at times. However, I have lots of dedicated reading time!

Enjoying...the fact that the day is slowly becoming longer. Seeing more of the sun is exciting! One gorgeous sunny weekend day a friend and I visited Great Falls Park, which is on the Virginia side of the Potomac (as opposed to the Maryland side about which I write frequently). Instead of entering the area from the NPS site, we hiked there from Riverbend Park. The hike was muddier than expected, but it was very enjoyable to walk right along the river and to once again see the falls from the other side.

The river was very high, and the falls impressive.

Planning...This weekend I will attend the Washington Wizards game -- for the sole purpose of seeing Latvian superstar Kristaps Porzingis play as the Knicks visit DC. A Latvian acquaintance organized a big seating section -- there will be over 100 Latvians and friends-of-Latvians in attendance, all cheering Kristaps on from the nosebleed seats! Next month I will fly to Michigan to visit family, and for the beginning of summer a friend and I just planned an interesting outing to which I am very much looking forward!

Feeling grateful...for the fact that winter was not all that horrible. And - truth be told - once the leaves return, I will miss the unobstructed view of sunsets from my balcony...

Looking Back to 2015, Looking Forward to 2016

2015 will soon be seen only in the rear view mirror, and recalled in memories and via photographs.

Washington Monument at sunset

Highlights from my year include:

- A fantastic long weekend (way back in January!) in Charleston, South Carolina, which you can read about in this post, as well as in this one.
- I love having visitors! In the spring, my blogging (and real-life!) friend Liene and her family were in the Washington area, so we checked out the enormous Udvar-Hazy Center.
- For Easter, family members visited and much fun was had.
- Spring included an amazing several days in New York City, enjoying a variety of culture - such as the State Choir of Latvia and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as exploring Brooklyn in detail.
- Summer's biggest event was Garezers' 50th anniversary, which was so rich and full of experiences, that several posts were necessary to describe it all: intro and art exhibit, an evening movie and nighttime fireworks display, a daylong music festival called Garezers-Palooza (with a second post about that in Latvian), and the closing event, as well as a bit about the church service and market.
- Other summer activities included a wonderful weekend in Boston, visiting Havre de Grace for the first time, checking out the new Japanese Garden at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, and celebrating mom's birthday with an outing to Grand Haven.
- A fall visitor for several days meant that there was more time for adventures: a cider brewery, a visit to Mount Vernon, wine, history and autumnal delights in Winchester, as well as a foliage drive and hike in Shenandoah National Park.
- At the beginning of the year I had made the decision to read more, and to make more arts and culture related outings. I did quite well on this resolutions. According to Goodreads, this year I read 39 books, far surpassing my original goal of 21. Honestly, a few them were barely books - more like essays - but given how little the average American (though I certainly never claimed to be an average American, ha!) reads nowadays, 35 or so is still a sizable number. Only one did I write a review about here, and in another post I mentioned a few others I had read. Among books that I enjoyed this fall were Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic" and Moises Velasquez-Manoff's "An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Undestanding Allergies and Autoimmune Disorders," as well as Iris Carmon's "Notorious RBG: The Life and Time of Ruth Bader Ginsburg."

Washington Monument after sunset.

While there are many more memories I could mention and blog posts I could link to, I will stop now so that I can devote time to writing new posts, and planning for 2016!

May your New Year be full of love, friendship, successes and many adventures!

An Autumn Day in Shendandoah National Park

Located relatively close to metro Washington area, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is a hugely popular destination for hiking and in the fall for leaf-peeping. While my recent visit coincided with unseasonably cold temperatures but did quite not coincide with peak color in some areas of the park, being able to visit on a weekday was a blessing, as October weekends in the park can be incredibly crowded.

After a pit stop in 0-60 Energy Cafe, a car-themed coffee shop in Winchester, we headed to the park.

Shenandoah NP is long and relatively narrow, and the road which runs along the ridge from north to south is called Skyline Drive. The entrance furthest north and thus closest to Washington is in the town of Front Royal, and that is where we entered. Although Skyline Drive has a total of 75 overlooks at which tourists can stop, the first overlooks when entering from the north end are not as impressive because the views include quite a bit of civilization and not that much natural beauty - other than the fact that by standing on a ridge one can see quite far. Therefore, I recommend skipping at least the first several overlooks and concentrating your efforts on exploring the park a little further south.

We did stop at the very first visitors center on Dickey Ridge - after all, it has restrooms! Here you can also speak with a park ranger, learn a bit more about your surroundings, and pick up books and postcards in the small gift shop. On a previous visit to SNP, I had purchased several editions of inexpensive park hike guides, which I have found to be very helpful. One guide features hikes to waterfalls, while another lists short hikes on the Appalachian Trail, yet another has hikes to peaks and vistas. My friend has done many hikes on the Appalachian Trail - mostly in New England - thus I knew that finding a spot on the Trail for our hike was the thing to do.

Making our way down Skyline Drive to our chosen hiking destination, we naturally stopped at several overlooks to take in the sweeping views and fresh (cold!) fall air.

Tunnel through Mary's Rock.

Eventually we reached our destination, the Pinnacles picnic area, and bundled up to head out on the trail.

Follow the white blazes!

The trail here was relatively level and made for a hike that was not too strenuous, although in many areas the trail was covered in small stones and fallen leaves, making it difficult to look around at the woods while also watching where we were putting our feet! The peace in the forest was absolutely wonderful; during our two hours on the trail we met only two other hikers.

Whoops - almost fell right off the trail!

Our time in the park was a bit limited as I needed to be back in Washington for an evening class. The hike was supposed to be two miles long, but we had missed a turn relatively early on, so we ended up walking further - at least 2,5 miles, maybe a bit more.

After our hike, we stopped at one last overlook on Skyline Drive; this area of the park was more colorful.

Enjoying the scenery.

Before leaving lovely Shenandoah we stopped in the Skyland area for a quick lunch (although both restaurants were so busy that we only managed to grab some snacks from the coffee stand). We also had the opportunity to chat with a ranger who was displaying coyote, red fox and gray fox hides. But our time in Virginia was coming to an end, and we headed home.

History & Wine in Winchester, Virginia

Leaving Maryland in the rear view mirror after our visit to Distillery Lane Ciderworks, we headed toward the Shenandoah Valley. We made a quick stop at Winchester Ciderworks, where the tasting cost $5 and took place outside. The ciders were not to my liking, but my friend picked up a can of the Malice cider, which was also purchased by the case by a local who stopped by, so they do have fans.

As we drove toward Winchester's Old Town, we had to stop at the highly visible Virginia Farm Market - for the pumpkin displays alone. However, the market turned out to be a produce and treat paradise. All of their current apples were available for sampling -- the Cameo was among the sweetest I had tasted, while my friend loved the Nittany, and we bought a few of each for future snacking. Less healthy options such as donuts could also be sample and purchased.

After a picnic lunch in the car, we explored part of Winchester's old town, which contains many historic buildings, most of which have been restored and some of which can be found on the pedestrian mall. It being Sunday, not all the stores were open, but I was glad the cozy bookshop, Winchester Book Gallery, was open for business. I could have browsed for a long time and spent a great deal of money as their selection of books, cards, and gifts was well curated.Yet I managed to limit my purchases to a few cards and one children's book, the absolutely lovely new "Thank You & Good Night" by Patrick McConnell. The shop had fantastic decorations.

The loft area was dedicated to children's books, as well as a cozy reading corner. I could easily spend an hour or two here!

The murals in the children's area were just as wonderful as the murals on the first floor.

Many of Winchester's old buildings were constructed of stone and brick, and looked like they will last another two hundred years.

After strolling around town, we were chilled to the bone and chose to examine a winery recommended by a local. What a perfect suggestion that was! Located a bit south of Winchester, in the small town of Stephens City, Valerie Hill Winery & Vineyard is a true destination winery. The tasting rooms are located in a 200-year old home, which provides a comfortable and rather cozy atmosphere. A couple of rooms had tables that seat four, while the area in which we relaxed had a couch and smaller tables for two.

Although the tasting ($8) was tempting, the moment I saw mulled wine ($5 a glass), the deal was sealed. Many northern European families, mine included, serve mulled wine at Christmas, but it's also the perfect drink on a chilly autumn day. Chili and cornbread were also being offered, and a duo was singing and playing guitar on the heated porch. We arrived close to 4:30pm, which is last call on Sundays, but one could tell that most guests had spent their afternoon enjoying the wine and the atmosphere. The woman at the table next to ours had chosen to do her writing and studying at Valerie Hill instead of a cafe or library. In warmer weather the winery also has outdoor seating on a patio and in the backyard.

Our slightly boozy day of exploring had been fun, but it was time to find a hotel in Winchester and rest up in preparation for the next day of adventures.

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!

Visiting George Washington's Home - Mount Vernon

While the city of Washington offers a plethora of opportunities for tourists within its city limits, traveling a short distance outside the city opens up an entirely new realm of opportunities. This fall a dear friend visited; she is someone who has been to Washington many times, but she had never visited Mount Vernon, the estate of America's first President, George Washington. Therefore, on a breezy, chilly, yet sunny autumn day we set out to remedy that.

Located in Alexandria, Virginia, on the Potomac River and easily accessible by car via the George Washington Parkway (easily one of the prettiest urban drives anywhere!), Mount Vernon is open 365 days a year, and with one million guests a year, it is America's most popular historic estate. Although the estate totaled approximately 8,000 acres in Washington's time, it now encompasses 500 acres, with many buildings and gardens to view, meaning that a visitor should plan on at least two or three hours for a good visit. 

After paying our entrance fees ($18 each), we quickly walked through the fancy and relatively new visitors' center, knowing that we would return there at the end of our visit.  We had an hour before our appointed time in the mansion itself, and we used that time to look around the estate.

George Washington became sole owner of this land in 1761, and the mansion was constructed over twenty years, but completed in 1778.

George and Martha had such a pretty little home...

Gorgeous greenhouse & gardens

A few flowers were still blooming.

The sad reality is that the only reason Washington was able to upkeep such a large and successful plantation (in addition to the four other farms he owned in the area!) is that he owned many slaves. Can you imagine being someone else's property, working hard all day long but only receiving small amounts of food to eat, and having to live in tight uncomfortable quarters with many others?

Quarters for female slaves

After seeing the difficult conditions in which both male and female slaves lived, we stopped by to visit Martha Washington herself. The woman who played the role was absolutely phenomenal -- speaking almost non-stop about her and George's life, pausing only to ask whether anyone in the audience had a question. Martha had been married previously and had four children, but her first husband died. Only two of her children lived past the age of four, and thus she and George raised the two children -- Martha ("Patsy") and John -- who survived into young adulthood. John, however, died at age 27, and then the Washingtons took in and raised two of his children. Being a wealthy widow, Martha also brought much wealth into her marriage with George. As is so often the case, this famous, powerful, and wealthy man would most likely not have been as successful without his wife.

There are numerous other buildings one can visit, including the spinning room, the laundry room, and the overseer's quarter. The estate was essentially a self-sufficient small town, as with the many slaves who lived there and the countless visitors who came to spend time at Mount Vernon, much work had to be done to keep everyone fed, clothed, and generally content.

Eventually it was our turn to stand in line in order to tour the mansion itself. Photos are not allowed inside, as apparently all of the artwork in the house is not owned by Mount Vernon. Historical interpreters were present in several areas to explain various facts about the house and the Washingtons' life in it, as well as to answer visitors' questions. First one walks through the formal parlor, then exits the mansion briefly while walking on the portico, which affords sweeping views of the Potomac.

The home has numerous bedrooms, as other than family members, it was customary at that time for others to stop for a visit; there was one year when the estate hosted over 600 visitors! If you would like to learn more and take a virtual tour of the mansion, you can do so on Mount Vernon's website.

Among the rooms one sees is George and Martha's bedroom - including the bed in which President Washington himself died in 1799, at age 67, only a day or so after becoming ill. At Mount Vernon we were told that he died of quinsy, a rare but serious throat infection, however, it seems that this bit of history is still under debate.

The kitchen areas, located not in the house but adjacent to it, were certainly busy places with so many meals to prepare cooking meals to feed all of the estate's inhabitants plus visitors.

Imagine tending a fire during DC's hot summers!

  

After finishing our tour of the home, we continued to wander around the estate, stopping to take a closer look at the river view...

also checking out the stables....

and visiting some livestock...

Last but not least, we paid our respects to our nation's first President and First Lady by visiting George and Martha Washington's tomb, which is also located on the estate.

Mount Vernon offers a fascinating look at our history, and should be high on the list of things to see when visiting Washington!

Space Shuttles, Famous Actresses & Bubble Tea: DC Weekends

Some dear Latvian friends were in the DC area on a recent weekend. While Roberts had "Latvian business" to take care of, Liene invited me to play tour guide to her and their three children. Given that the kids are quite young and the forecast called for rain, I chose the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia as our destination. The Center, opened in 2003, is a part of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, and - in my opinion - is more impressive than the museum on the Mall with which most people are familiar. The Udvar-Hazy Center is an enormous building comprised of two hangars which contain an incredible amount of flight-related artifacts, most notably many airplanes, including a Concorde, and the space shuttle Discovery.

Photo credit: Liene

It so happened that the Saturday on which we visited was Family Day, and a variety of tables throughout the center offered activities and information geared towards young visitors. Our visit lasted longer than I had anticipated because the oldest two children had enough to keep them interested for quite a while. Given the weather and time of year, the Center was full of people, but the size of the building makes it seem less crowded than many of the popular museums on the Mall. That being said, as the afternoon progressed at times it did become more difficult to navigate with a baby stroller and keep an eye on the older two boys, although they behaved very well!

Credit: Liene

Other than its location far from the city and the toll road which leads one there, two other slight drawbacks to the Center are paid parking and the on-site restaurant. As at all Smithsonian museums, entrance to the Center is free of charge, but there is a $15 fee for parking in the large lot adjacent to the museum, which - honestly - does not bother me because few other museums in the world are free, and typically one's car contains more than just one person. The only dining option at the Udvar-Hazy Center is a McDonald's, which - other than being horrible fast food - becomes very crowded on weekends. However, due to its wealth of exhibits, the Udvar-Hazy Center is certainly worth a visit! I do think the visitors enjoyed it, as did I, particularly seeing that this was only my second visit.

Credit: Liene

Because I managed to forget my camera at home, liels paldies to Liene for the photographs!

On another Saturday, after sitting behind a Tibetan monk (in his long saffron robe and interestingly wearing a fluorescent orange knit hat on his head) on the Metro and running into a Latvian friend and his mother in the theater's lobby, I met friends at the National Theatre for a performance of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit." The star, playing the medium and clairvoyant Madame Arcati, was Angela Lansbury. She originally starred in the role on Broadway in 2009, and won a Tony for it. Seeing her perform, one would never guess that Lansbury is 89 years old! The entire cast was wonderful, and the play itself entertaining and amusing. 

(From thenationaldc.org)

Afterwards my friends and I ate dinner and drank tea (bubble tea for me, thanks!) at Teasim, which is a DC institution, with three locations in the city, and one in Alexandria, Virginia. If you are playing tourist in Washington, I highly recommend it: the Penn Quarter restaurant on 8th Street NW is conveniently close to the Mall, while the Lafayette Park locations is practically next to the White House. Not only does the restaurant serve all manners of tea, but it has a full menu and their Salty Oat Cookies are legendary.

 

Life Interfering with Life: Spring Plans

Does it sometimes seem that living life interferes with enjoying life? The daily requirements of work, errands, and chores often overshadow the memorable and truly enjoyable moments, particularly in the long dark winter months. Now that daylight saving time has begun, and the spring thaw has finally arrived in  Washington, I am greatly looking forward to the coming months and various events, trips, and happenings planned for this season of renewal.

Gerbera daisies for sale at market in Brussels

Groningen, the Netherlands

A grand European trip (such as my trip to Latvia and Lithuania in May 2014, or my journey to Belgium and the Netherlands in March 2012) is not something I can afford every year, so this year I am making a concerted effort to attend more cultural events. In addition to the play "The Widow Lincoln", which I saw recently, next week I will see another play - this one with a big name actress. Next month I will travel out of town to attend a concert, and also welcome friends and family visiting DC. May means European Union Open House Day (scheduled for Saturday the 9th), and also the Eurovision Song Contest viewing party, plus hopefully a trip or two.

In the Eurovision Song Contest, Latvia will be represented by a woman with the unlikely name of Aminata Savadogo, whose background is representative of the international and multi-cultural times in which we live: her mother is of Latvian and Russian descent, and her father is from Burkina Faso. In case the video below does not appear on your screen, this is the link.

On a more traditional note, this commercial is currently airing on Latvian television. The three women are from a folk music ensemble called Suitu Sievas, and they are trying to convince - via folk song - the slightly surprised man that he can take care of many tasks online instead of waiting in line at various state agencies.

Hope you have fun plans for the spring!