DC day trips: bold rock cidery

When my mom came to visit me for my 27th birthday she had one main request - find anything to do that wasn't in the city. (Just between you and me, she's a little weird about the city ;) So that was my task. We spent my birthday in Georgetown, but I was at a bit of a loss for what to do the following day. Then it hit me - the Bold Rock Hard Cider Cidery in Rockfish. 

When I lived in Rome, I hated pretty much every version of alcohol I tried. In fact, it was so comical, my roommates would remark about how much of a face I would make. They called it my "wine face" no matter if it was wine, rum, vodka or anything else. 

Upon turning 21, there were approximately three drinks I liked - vodka cranberry, bellinis, and mimosas. I realized I disliked beer in any form, and my one foray into cider in a dark London pub ended in possibly the worst "wine face" of them all. But then my college roommate introduced me to a new kind of cider - the gluten free kind. The ones that taste like apple juice. As far as most drinks go, there is no "acquired taste" to these ciders. 

In Ohio, the most popular kind of cider is Angry Orchard. Here in D.C. it's Bold Rock. I may not be able to openly support the local breweries, I love supporting this local cidery! The main drawback is the fact that it's gorgeous views of the mountains outside of Charlottesville is two and a half hours away from the city. However, it was a perfect day trip for a woman who wanted to stay out of the city. 

Not only are the drinks amazing, but the food is exactly what you'd want when testing the ciders. Light and easy sandwiches with apple aioli sauce and apple slaw. It was heaven. I actually don't have pictures of the sandwiches because we devoured them. 

When you're done with your flight and just want to spend some time walking around the grounds, get a pint and enjoy the gorgeous views of the mountains, or play a game of corn hole. 

It was a fantastic little day trip out of the city and I highly recommend it for anyone who is like me, and prefers the gluten free version of cider! 

*All photos taken by me with my trusty iPhone

annapolis - the brick house edition

Remember my opening love letter to Annapolis? Here we are again, with another attempt to convince you to love it as much as I do. This time, I'm turning to the bricks and houses of the historic district. 

Walking around Annapolis almost feels like walking around a smaller New England version of Charleston. As much as I have loved seeing it in the summer, I can't wait to take a visit this winter and see how gorgeous this city is in the winter. 

Annapolis is chalk full of history that is really interesting when you look into it. Not only does it contain the house of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but it also houses the Naval Academy and St. John's College, which is one of the oldest colleges in America. Not to mention it contains the most brick homes in the whole of the United States. It's pretty easy to forget that you're in the capital of Maryland walking around the town, watching the boats go by. 

If that wasn't enough to convince you, just wait until my next attempt - with the food. Just be prepared to gain the weight from the pictures, it's that good. 

*All photos taken by me with my trusty iPhone

friends weekend in the city

Hi! Are you out there? I guess I haven't been the best at actually staying on top of this space, but it was a long 14 days straight of working. Thankfully, it all ended with a fantastic weekend with two of my best friends. Now, I'm laid up in bed sick today, catching up on television wishing it was still the weekend!

Since we're from Ohio, it was basically mandatory that we don our scarlet and gray and cheer on the Buckeyes this weekend in Maryland. Let me just say, it was a great day to welcome the Terps to the Big Ten. Well, great for us anyway.

The picture that actually made it to the OSU Athletic's official Facebook page

We had great seats to watch Ohio State easily win 52-24 and met some great Buckeye fans in the process. 

Among the highlights of the day those has to be  of our third string quarterback straight up hurdling a Maryland player on a 17 yard run. It happened right in front of us and my only regret is that I don't have the power to rewind real-time and video tape it. It was that awesome. Thankfully though there's Vine and other people who got it on television. Let's just say that Cardale Jones found some flubber for his shoes for this move. 

Maryland was a beautiful campus...and that's about where I'll leave it when speaking about Terp town because my mom always taught me if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it at all. Okay well I will say this - for any Maryland fans that plan on going to Ohio next year for the game, I probably wouldn't shout "special ed" when we do an O-H-I-O chant around the stadium. It's rude, insensitive, and just down right moronic. Just because we beat you doesn't mean you have to devolve to that form of human when we rightfully claim our spot on your stadium. Or then mockingly ask a parking attendant if it's okay to run us over as you leave the parking garage. Let's just say it felt pretty good to beat you after all of that. 

Anyway, after a great win on a beautiful day, we headed off to my favorite town, Annapolis for the night. 

My favorite boutique, Brown Eyed Girl, quoting one of my favorite shows as a teen - One Tree Hill

 I will never, ever, EVER tire of this view

After a quick change in the car (Ohio State beat Navy in the first game of the season) we walked around town and ended up at my favorite tea salon, the Reynolds Tavern - a place I will fully detail soon...ish, and then at Acme Bar - apparently the place a lot of Navy kids hang out at to watch football. I think it perfectly summed us up, a spot of ladylike tea and then beers at a rowdy bar surrounded by TVs with football. 

The downside was about ten minutes after being in the car on the way to Annapolis, my throat started to hurt and I got a raging headache with no medicine to take. Then it just spiraled down into a full blown sinus infection. My body was apparently not on the same page my social life was on. 

Even though I felt terrible Sunday, there was no time to rest! Everyone was leaving that night so we squeezed in some time in the city. 

 Friends who selfie with presidents together, stay friends forever

First we spent some time in my favorite museum, the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum. They have a great new mini series of portraits of famous people during the 60s - if only you could take pictures! I've found my new favorite portrait. It's of Julie Andrews by John Koch and it really is practically perfect in every way. 

 Then we went over to the National Gallery of Art to catch the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in America - the Ginevra de' Benci. I still don't know how I've been there twice and missed this, but that's why you bring an art major with you to museums. You learn all kinds of things! 

With me fading quickly and my throat aching, we made a pit stop to Pitango's gelato shop. Amanda wanted ice cream all weekend, Anne found it on Urban Spoon, and I savored it as all meds failed. It was a great team effort! By the way, the black tea paired with milk and honey gelato is heaven. 

We had time for one last place and headed off to Ford's Theater and the house where Lincoln died, something I haven't done yet and then it was sadly time to drop Anne off at Union Station so she could get back to Philly. 

It was a great weekend full of laughs and great times and I only wish it had been longer and that my other Ohio friends could have made it! Even though we may be in different places now, I know I'll always have amazing friends, whether we be together or apart. 

*All photos taken by me with my trusty iPhone - except the Vine video

A Love Letter To Annapolis

To start this post, I want to note that I've had a love for Annapolis since my freshman year of college. No, I didn't fall in love with a Middie (a US Naval Midshipman for those who don't live here and aren't aware of the term). I didn't even watch the movie, Annapolis (which coincidentally didn't even take place in Annapolis...go figure). I did however walk into my college dorm, bright eyed and eager that Freshman Move-In Day to come face-to-face with James Franco's face staring at me.

Pre-creepy, chatting up an underage girl, James Franco. (James, by the way if you're wondering, I'm 26, so obviously too old for you...but call me anyway).

It turns out our RAs were allowed to pick their own move-in theme, and my RA had chosen "Hollywood Cinema" because every door down the hall was lined with movie posters. I just happened to luck out and get the hot guy movie poster. "Oh look! You got James Franco on your door!" my best friend, Amanda declared that day. 

Before I started writing this I went back through all my photos trying to find a picture of the poster my freshman year. Do you know that in the four years that thing hung in my various dorm rooms, I only have one semi-clear picture of it? Well I do. And as you can see from my Christmas decorating my sophomore year of college, there it is. I still have it, in case you're wondering. The back is covered in duct tape and there are a few rips from where I couldn't pry it off my walls at the end of the year, but it's still in my college box. I felt like it was some sort of good luck symbol when I moved in so good luck or not, it traveled with me from one building to the other. 

Also if you're wondering, yes I probably set clear fire hazards every year at Christmas in my dorms...but c'est la vie. 

Anyway back to the real point of this story: Annapolis. Once I moved here, I quickly set out to see what kind of day trips I could take when I had my off time. I found out after scouring Google Maps that I'm only 50 minutes away from Annapolis. The day I realized this, I hopped in my car and took off - no really I did. We're lucky I was properly dressed. 

Fifty-some minutes later, this was my view...have you gathered yet the gushy-ness that's about to happen? 

Because Annapolis is too amazingly wonderful to see all of it the first, or second, or third time, I'm going to start this love letter part 1 with one of the top attractions - the U.S. Naval Academy.

The famed Bancroft Hall. This is the main dormitory for the students, and, well it's amazing. It's also known to make appearances in the USNA Spirit Spot videos. See here/here/here/and here. They really know how to dance...and rewrite songs. I thought y'all were studying to be lean, mean fighting machines...no I'm just kidding, please don't hurt me. 

Inside the hall is this gorgeous room where there's a replica of the famous "Don't Give Up the Ship" which was the famous dying words of Captain James Lawrence during the War of 1812. They're kind of obsessed with that war around here. 

Just in case you weren't awed enough of the ceiling in the above picture - I'm obsessed with this room.

I love the thought of knocking on these doors when they're closed. Or opening these doors when they're closed...Oh and I sunk your battleship! 

I love the USNA so much I like to bring people to see it when they visit me. 

My mom and I loved being plebes during our visit.

And then my best friend and I had a blast posing with our actual high school Alma Mater. As my favorite football cheer goes "T-E-C-U-M-S-E-H LET'S GO!" USNA, feel free to claim that one if you need it for any reason...it's a real original. 

I think I'll conclude part one's letter to Annapolis by quoting fallen Navy SEAL Shane Patton from the Frogman Ballad, "Anything in life worth doing, is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards." The USNA took that to heart, and it's glorious. 

*all images taken by me with my trusty iPhone