Weekend Recap: The Line is Long & Full of Terrors

Oh wow - how is it already Monday again? I blinked and the weekend was over and done! I did manage to squeeze an adventure into my weekend...but let me not get ahead of myself...

Friday night I had dinner out with the family at Outback - I probably could have just asked for a grilled chicken breast and broccoli to appease my desire to eat something that wasn't garbage for me health-wise - but that gets old. So I got soup and salad...which was fine...whatever...ha-ha. We investigate the Gander Mountain nearby (it's going out of business)...but I only needed a quick spin to know I wasn't very interested, so I proceeded to sit in the car and read.

I spent a large chunk of the rest of Friday night getting ready for the garage sale my family was having on Saturday and I'm pretty sure I sweat more doing that then I do every night on the elliptical. I felt gross and exhausted by the time I showered and got in the bed!

 

Saturday dawned sunny and the weather was absolute perfection - after having coffee, I'd intended to get on the elliptical but with the fluffy cotton ball clouds and a breeze coming off the mountains, I ended up walking the dog for about two miles instead. Nothing like taking in the gorgeous weather! I spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon in and out of the house, dividing my time between soaking up the perfect weather and doing chores around the house.

Earlier in the week my friend Jennie had called and asked about plans on Sunday - I didn't have any to speak of and she suggested checking out a Game of Thrones Pop-Up Bar in DC. I'm always up for an adventure and I love DC, so I said sure. We invited along a friend from my office and on Sunday, we headed for the metro around 11:00.

 

We'd read up on the Pop-Up and the website did mention that from time to time a line would form but we all thought that surely that many people were not coming to a bar on a Sunday afternoon? Well folks - we thought wrong - we thought wrong in a big way! We stepped off the metro and audibly gasped...because the line was already stretched down the street and to the curb.

We ended up waiting almost two and a half hours to get into the bar; I can honestly say this is the first (and likely the only) time I've ever waited to get into a bar! Thankfully the weather was lovely on Sunday - not too hot with a good breeze! We chatted about all things Game of Thrones while waiting and when an ice cream truck pulled up alongside the line, we all got ourselves a treat! I'm realizing now that as a kid raised in rural Mississippi, Sunday was also the first time I've ever purchased anything from an ice cream truck!

Finally...finally, we made our way past the Night's Watch (the bouncers you guys...they had on Night's Watch shirts...) and into the bar...

  

 

The bar was divided into four separate locations from the series: The North, Meereen, the House of Black and White and The Red Keep...each one was unique and different, and of course...crowded! You entered the bar and were immediately in The North; a giant white weirwood tree spread it's limbs, adorned with red leaves, out across the wall and behind the bar. It was pretty spectacular! Along the opposite wall was...well...The Wall, complete with someone's climbing ax left behind. I spotted an open section of the bar and figured if I wanted a drink, I'd better seize the moment...

 

There were several themed drinks and I went with The Lannisters Send Their Regards; garnished with a strawberry that had been artfully "stabbed" with swords! My friends helped themselves to the Milk of the Poppy and The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors; I may be partial, but I think my drink was the best! We tried to take pictures while holding our drinks and not colliding with all the people crammed into "Westeros"...not the easiest feat, but I think I got some good shots!

 

Once you left the North, it was into Meereen...complete with three dragons! One was bursting through the back wall and supposedly breathed fire and smoke from time to time; sadly we didn't witness that while we were there. My friend Jennie claimed there was only one dragon because the other two were painted on the walls and that didn't count...but hey - there were still three! We also noticed masks won by the Sons of the Harpy adorning a wall behind the bar...and around the corner, a sign that some of the freed slaves of Meereen had been making the rounds...

 

Just around the corner...under the Wall, you entered the House of Black and White - home of the Faceless Men of Braavos. While the Hall of Faces was pretty neat to look at, I think this was my least favorite of the "locations" that the bar brought to life. It was the space we spent the least amount of time in...but we did make sure to snap some selfies with all those faces! I mean - if you're in the Hall of Faces, might as well add yours...just not literally!

 

 

The final location represented by the pop-up was The Red Keep - and I'm still trying to decide if I liked this room a little more than the North... I just can't decide! The stone walls were draped with banners from all the houses of Westeros and candlelit wrought iron chandeliers lended a Gothic feel to the room.

 

  

  

This room was easily the most crowded because just off the back of the Red Keep was...of course, the throne room and the Iron Throne! While we had been waiting in line, we were approached by a member of the Night's Watch who told us the wait to sit on the Iron Thrones was about three house! Danielle and I sat on the Iron Throne a few weeks back at the Nationals game and Jennie said there was no way she was waiting that long, so we just admired the Iron Throne from afar!

  

Shortly before we made out exit back into the real world, we snapped a couple pictures with some house banners and even hopped up on the flaying cross to strike a pose. You know - in any other situation, the one place you'd not want to be is a flaying cross...but in this instance, you throw your hands up, smile and snap a photo.

 

We obviously hadn't counted on a line...and so while we'd all had breakfast and our ice cream snack, that was about the extent of food we'd had the entire day! The pop-up didn't have anything to offer besides drinks and so after riding the metro back out to my car, we stopped at Wendy's in Manassas and fell on the food like we'd never eaten before! I am not ever one to hate on Wendy's but it also isn't exactly fine dining, but the chicken nuggets and fries that I got were perhaps some of the tastiest food ever - I guess I was just that hungry!

All in all - the line was crazy long but when it was all said and done, I'm glad we stuck it out. The pop-up will only be open until the end of August and so it really was a once in a lifetime chance to step into Westeros; if only for an afternoon! We had a great time and what's more, we got home with plenty of time to relax before the new episode of Game of Thrones premiered!

A pretty wonderful weekend in my opinion!