Birthday Things

Oh hello - I didn't fall off the face of the Earth or anything - I've just been busy celebrating my birthday and since I was off work for a couple days, I decided to take a couple days away from blogging! I spent a four day weekend exploring all around my "neighborhood" if you will - for my birthday. I snapped pictures all over the place and I decided to consolidate my pictures together to share them with you!

Saturday the family and I drove over to nearby Culpeper - a small town with so much personality and plenty of wonderfully quirky and colorful shops and restaurants! We had lunch at Grill 309 and it was delicious! Excellent food, great service and a perfect location in the Main Street area, adjacent to all the shops. We made our way down Davis Street popping into all the shops - I picked up a bowtie for Watson, plenty of chocolates from The Frenchman's Corner, clothes at a boutique called Green Roost and trinkets at Pepperberries!

We grabbed some drinks at Chick Fil A - this was my first time having Frosted Coffee - and then headed for nearby Sperryville. Sperryville is an especially small town but it has two place I very much enjoy: The Copper Fox and The Copper Fox Distillery! The Copper Fox is a gigantic warehouse filled with antiques and while that's normally not my thing... I love this spot for some reason! After a quick exploration, we popped over to the Copper Fox Distillery and promptly decided to take a seat by the stream, sip some cocktails and watch the world go by - it was wonderful! 

I chose to get a Pirate's Lemonade that was made with the Copper Fox Distillery's bourbon and we all split a package of crackers with cheese. The weather was absolutely stunning and it was absolutely wonderful to sit by the stream, the sound of the water trickling by and feel the breeze in the trees. A stop off at The Melting Pot to pick up some pizzas that were eaten out on the deck as the sun set capped off a pretty fabulous Saturday.

Sunday morning it was off to DC - for the first time since late March when the cherry blossoms bloomed. I've missed going into DC (for baseball especially) in general and so I wanted to just poke around my favorite city a little bit and see some of my favorite highlights! We started with brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill - a DC staple that has been open since 1856 - the little bear on the bar says that very thing: "Bear in Mind this is Old Ebbitt, older than the Civil War..." I had Pumpkin French Toast with a Mimosa and followed it all up with a slice of Peanut Butter Pie - can you say sugar rush?

We wandered around DC just a wee bit - there was a memorial to the 200,000+ plus people who have died from COVID-19 and the city seemed changed; what with the recent almost constant protests, it was interesting to say the least. We made our way over to the US National Arboretum to check out the original Capital Columns - no longer being renovated! The US National Arboretum is one of my favorite spots in DC because you can almost forget that you're n the middle of a big city... and if you're in DC in the Spring, the Azalea Collection is not to be missed.

The next spot on my list was Yards Park - specifically to get ice cream from Ice Cream Jubilee and wander over to Nationals Park even though I couldn't go inside, ha-ha! I got a scoop of Go-Go Vote and a scoop of Maple Rye Pecan and merrily wandered over to enjoy it at a table overlooking the Anacostia River with the bridge and Nationals Park in the distance. We also walked along the river walk to Nationals Park where I essentially hugged the gates and stared into the park at the World Series Champions sign... *sigh* Baseball, I have missed you the most.

The final stop was Roosevelt Island - a spot in DC that not a single member of the family had been to before - so it was new for us all! The memorial to Teddy Roosevelt is lovely, especially because it's secluded in the midst of walking trails and yet again is another spot where the city almost melts away completely. I'm so glad we were able to find parking because it was such a treat to a place that was completely new to me! 

Monday was a very chill day - I slept in and then after coffee I went shopping with my Mom! I grabbed some new clothes from Loft, Old Navy and my own closet, ha-ha! We met my Dad for lunch at Firehouse Subs and afterward I ended up cleaning out my closet... I discovered clothes that I hadn't worn in about 50 pounds or so and ended up removing about 65 pieces from my closet that were much too large! It was definitely a confidence booster! I did 2+ miles around the neighborhood and my Mom made Red Beans and Rice for dinner - at my request!

Tuesday was my actual birthday and after coffee and breakfast, my Mom and I set off for Capon Springs and Farm to visit the Hygeia Spa, soak in the thermal baths and get massages! We discovered this spot is literally only about 30 minutes from our house and almost appears out of nowhere - we were riding down a dirt road through the mountains, rounded a corner and there was an entire resort nestled in the valley! The Hygeia Spa is spectacular - named for the goddess of the prevention of sickness and continuation of good health - and if I could soak in those baths and get a massage every day, I'd probably be in perfect health!

After relaxing in a citrus-scented thermal bath and having a wonderful massage, we made our way back through the changing leaves to the house where we had ice cream cake for lunch and I opened my gifts while my sister watched via face time! I absolutely love an ice cream cake and the unicorn cake for thirty-six was delicious: chocolate cake with Reeses' Peanut Butter Cup ice cream - yes please! We chatted with my sister a bit and then I went downstairs to get ready to go out to dinner at Hunter's Head Tavern - one of my favorite spots in the area!

Hunter's Head Tavern has been in business in one form or the other since late in the 1700's and the food is all farm to table and so very tasty! I had a Melon Spritz and Shepherd's Pie and every bite was divine! It was a wonderful way to cap off my birthday celebrations and the sunset on the way home was pretty spectacular too! I had a second piece of cake once I got home - because it was my birthday, so why not? 

Here's to 36 being the best year yet!