Sam and Kate

Saturday

, 5.21.2011

To celebrate the end of the work week (or world) we left the apartment early to visit a few places, starting with Mt Vernon.  The day was sunny and pleasant and we know the weather here is going to get progressively muggy and hot.  By August we'll be hibernating in our air-conditioned apartment.

The drive there is gorgeous, twisting tree-lined roads and charming red-bricked homes and churches that partially hide behind the greenery.  Mt Vernon itself is beautiful, sitting on higher ground above the surrounding area, the river on one side, their plantation and trees on the other.  The highlight was the woman who played Lucy Washington.  She was a genius.  She said things like, "Well we do enjoy having young people visit here.  Where are you ladies from?" (Georgia) "Wonderful!  The general went down to the Georgia, during one of the most difficult years...."  Or "I had the pleasure of spending many pleasant hours with Dr. Franklin, during a most heavy time.  This was while we stayed at Cambridge."  The woman was an encyclopedia.  Unfortunately, this photo caught her during the middle of a blink:


Also, at Mt Vernon, a full-time for-real Blacksmith.  I can just imagine him at a bar talking to some girl.  She says, "So, what do you do?"  And he responds, "I'm a blacksmith for General Washington."  So sweet.

After that we headed Alexandria and ate country-fried steak and turkey-and-corn chili at a little restaurant called King Street Blues (Check it out here).  It was a crazy place, totally silly southern/Cajun-style decorations.  Apparently they're world famous for their bbq ribs.  We'll have to go back for those.

Then we headed to DC to browse the Smithsonians.
  

Sam with a obelisk growth on his nose:


As luck turned out, today was National Asian Culture Day, so there was a huge street fair going on downtown. Thai-food stands selling chicken on a stick and bubble tea, Middle-eastern food, a belly-dancing show, a Japanese drum production.... it was an amazing amalgamation of colors and smells... the kimchi a prominent nose-stinger.








Picture of the day:


(I have to admit I was a little worried that at 6pm today Sam would disappear during the Rapture and I'd have to reach over, take the wheel, crawl into the driver's seat, and navigate my way out of downtown DC by myself.  I wasn't worried at all that I'd be raptured, obviously.  I do think it'd be nice if all the people that thought the rapture was happening today really did disappear... maybe the world would be a little more tolerant and peace-loving?)