travel

DC Weekend

September 17, 2015 · 4 Comments

While up in PA, we were so lucky that my mom and step-dad offered to watch Sheffy baby for us for a night, so we could have a night away, just me and him.

We left early in the morning, and as soon as we hit DC, we did all the fun touristy stuff, seeing the White House, the Monument, WWII Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

After walking around for about five or six miles, we headed over to the Laughing Man in DC where they were having the Auburn watch party. We got to watch the game with a bunch of Auburn grads in DC!!!

Oh yeah, and eat cheese fries and drink pitchers on pitchers of Sam Adams. PERFECT sports bar. It was dark, loud and full of Auburn fans.

After he game, we Ubered over to PNC Park to watch the Braves vs. Nationals. After the Braves had embarrassed themselves enough, we decided we needed another beverage. I mean, we were childless after all, and were going to be able to sleep through the night (which didn’t happen — once you’re conditioned to wake up at 2am, there’s just no getting around it).

I honestly don’t even remember the name of the bar, but it had a mirror door, and we couldn’t figure out how to get in — so we were pretty glad when someone opened it for us. #oldpeople

It had an old speakeasy feel — I got a Moscow Mule and B got an Old Fashioned.

After our drinks, we decided we were starving, so we found this awesome place called You & Pizza. It’s pretty much like a Subway, except with pizza. You decide what toppings you want on it, they cook it, and off you go. Plus they don’t have Coke or anything like that — they have taps with craft sodas on them. And they were delicious. They definitely need to find a way to bham.

We ate the pizza in bed, and promptly passed out. The next morning, we had brunch at Commissary. It was delicious. They have a brunch for two deal for $55 — that included, two cups of coffee, two entrees, and a pitcher of either mimosas or Bloody Mary’s. We chose the mimosas with two choices of juice — we got the peach and orange, and y’all…. a mimosa with peach juice is amazing!! After brunch, we looked around some more and headed back to our baby!

It was an amazing weekend trip, and I’m so thankful to my mom and Guido for allowing us to be able to go.

Pennsylvania Deliciousness

May 12, 2015 · 5 Comments

The thing I love the most about traveling is the eating. Well, I guess that’s just my most favorite part of anything, but when I travel, I get to try all sorts of new and delicious things.

When we went up to PA for my surprise shower, B and I were STARVING (ok, I don’t know if his hunger warranted all caps, but mine did), so B took to his trusty Yelp! and we found a great place down by the Italian Market in Philly. I had had my heart set on a Philly cheesesteak, but oh well. We ended up at Paesanos, a cute little sandwich place that had orange creamsicle soda. We got a little Italian sandwich, and this thing was delicious and devoured within minutes.

The next day we drove into Intercourse, PA (ha, I don’t know how people say this without giggling) for some shopping and some Pennsylvania Dutch food. We ended up at a place that had a family style dinner — and we were the only family at the table! Hooray! They had some of the best fried chicken I’d ever eaten (In PA, no less!), and the best apple crumble sour cream pie thing that has ever been in my mouth. Sadly, I was really hungry by this point, and I didn’t get any pictures of my amazing food. We were so stuffed by the end of the day, we snacked on crackers and pimiento cheese for dinner.

The next day B was tasked with keeping me out of the house while preparations for the shower were being made. We went into West Reading for some more shopping. They have got the best fudge place, and some cute little shops. I’m guessing B wanted to kill some time, so we went to a cute little brewery called Chatty Monks. They had good ole root beer in a bottle for me, while B tried two of their brews. We also had the BEST jalapeno dip thing ever. West Reading, your food did not disappoint.

And then for good measure, we got cupcakes. Mine had a Thin Mint on top of it. Yeah, it was delicious.

We also ate at an awesome place in ATL the night before we got on a plane, but I’ll save that for another post. I love ATL food so hard.

Have you eaten at any delicious places away from home?

Ohio in Four Pictures

March 24, 2015 · 3 Comments

Let me just go ahead and say that I don’t think Ohio is the state for me.

One of the only things that I can say is that I have crossed that state off my list, and well, I don’t have to go back now.

It started out innocently enough by me actually not freaking out and getting up seventy hours early for this flight. Normally my flying anxiety is off the charts, but I told myself I needed to relax, if for anything for the baby. Shockingly, it worked.

I hop aboard my flight to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Akron, and I’m there. I land around two in the afternoon, rent my car, and drive the hour away to where I was staying. Luckily it was all interstate, and it would have been super hard to get lost. I got to Hampton Inn, headed to the gym, went out to get food and settled in for a night of watching the Lego Movie.

The next 3 days were filled with this:

Yep, I only took pictures of my Starbucks, my Jimmy John’s, an awesome pun made by Hampton Inn (I totally would have high-fived any employee had they been around), and my saving grace on my flight back. Kit Kats all day, errrryday.

The flights back happened to be on the day of that last bad winter system. When the pilot tells you it’s going to be a bad ride, you might as well just brace yourself — and a vodka if you’re not carrying around a child. I started Frozen to try to take my mind off the flight — didn’t work, but I did need to see the end, so I bought the damn movie, and am now obsessed. A little late to the party, but whatever. #iloveolaf.

So that was pretty much my trip — some horrible flights, Jimmy Johns, tea, gym, and a little work thrown in. Oh yeah, and Cracker Barrel solo. I don’t recommend that at all.

Or Ohio.

Birthday – ATL style

January 7, 2015 · 7 Comments

For most of you that have visited a little bit, you know that I grew up in Atlanta. Atlanta is still one of my most favorite cities to visit. I absolutely love it there. So instead of taking our normal birthday trip to Nola (which I’ve pretty much done every year since I’ve known B), we decided to stay a little closer to home and take it a little easier, so we took the 2 and half hour drive over to ATL to spend the weekend there.

One thing that we’d been wanting to do was head to the Georgia Aquarium — we had never been, and decided it was about time to knock that off the list.

Reminder to everyone who goes to an aquarium. Saturdays when kids are still out of school….probably not the best day ever to go. It was really, really crowded and really, really loud. (Better get used to it, right?). Did I mention that there were a lot of people there? Because there was. A LOT of people.

The California sea otters were our favorite — and the belugas. But they also seemed to be everyone else’s favorites, because I couldn’t get close enough to take a really good picture. But below is what I did get to snap a few pics of. I only took a picture of the Falcons dolphin, because I was grateful for them losing to the Panthers, because they gave the Pack a run for their money the last game they played, and well, I didn’t want that happening again.

After the aquarium, I was starving. So we headed to my most favorite lunch spot in Atlanta; The Varsity. I looooove this place. And I don’t care how touristy or greasy people say it is — it reminds me of home, and it tastes awesome. So there. I got two chili slaw dogs, some onion rings and a frosted orange (which is pretty much just a creamsicle drink). And I ate ALL of it.

So after our super healthy lunch, we went over to the Krog Street Market, which was pretty much all food and alcohol. Since we’d just eaten, and since I can’t drink ( I did over to just chill with some water if B wanted a beer), we scooted through this and decided to go ahead and check into the hotel.

The freakin’ Ritz Carlton. Is my B good to me or what?! So we chilled for a little bit, watched some of the game, and then good ole hubs gave me my birthday present.

A pair of diamond studs that I’ve been wanting forever!! He was so sweet to get them for me! These are the first diamond earrings I own — if you know me, that’s a big deal since I don’t normally do jewelry. I mean, the wedding ring comes off the second I get home. But they haven’t come out of my ears since Saturday.

After present time, we decided to go and get an app at the cute little tapas place down the street, Alma Cocina. They had this amazing non-alcoholic blackberry and lavender drink, and we got the salsa and guac sampler. 3 guacs and 3 salsas, and they were delicious!

After the app, we decided we were too full for an actual dinner, so we headed over to the Cabbagetown Village of Atlanta to get some cupcakes. We went to Sweet Cheats, got a couple of cupcakes and headed back to the room. From there, we ate our cupcakes, had some coffee and fell asleep watching King of the Hill. Awesome night, right?!?!

Sorry for the blurry cupcake photo. It was really good though.

So the next morning, we woke up and decided it was time for brunch. B tried to order a Bloody Mary to the room (for him, of course), but Georgia has even more ridiculous laws than Alabama, and they can’t serve before 12:30. Lame.

So we headed to The Flying Biscuit for brunch, because I am obsessed with their grits and their biscuits. I had the Piedmont omelet, and B had the Southern Eggs Benedict. It was so good.

After brunch, we drove around for a bit, and found ourselves back at Sweet Cheats for cupcakes to go.

I know how much work B put into this birthday with it being the last one with just us. I love how he just knows me, and how just cuddling up with coffee and cupcakes watching cartoons is also his idea of a good night.

It was definitely one for the books. And now I’m in my early 30s. Gross.

Kansas – The Conclusion

December 16, 2014 · 2 Comments

Yes, I am aware that this trip occurred over three months ago. So sue me. Sometimes I just lose track of time, and I can get very scatterbrained or super excited about something else, and just throw other things to the back burner .

It’s a quality trait in what they “addictive personalities.”

Quite charming, no?

So to finish out the Kansas trip, we actually got to watch the first Auburn game of the season out there. We got to drink many many drinks, take shots of moonshine, enjoy pre-game mojitos, and drink lots of vodka, because I mean, what’s an Auburn football game without a little to drink, amiright?!

Auburn looked terrible, but they did end up beating Arkansas. Oh, and did I mention that we got to have Joe’s Kansas City BBQ (previously known as Oklahoma Joe’s)? Talk about the best damn BBQ in the world. We got pork and beef and a gillion sauces. There’s only a few things I love more than KC BBQ. Oh yeah, and the guy at the bank asking if my dad and I were Alabama fans. Yes, dude, I’m an Alabama fan in my orange and blue, and so was my dad in his shirt that plainly read Auburn on it. #wareagle

So on Sunday, we had some breakfast (where I proceeded to drink an entire bottle of Barefoot Pink Bubbly all to myself), and then we went off to a vineyard out in the KC boondocks: Riverside.

We actually tried all of their wines, and they weren’t too bad. We even came back with two bottles from the place – both ports, and both delicious.

Dad and B even got bourbon flights! I mean, what else can you ask for at a vineyard?!

I also love taking pictures of my dad when he doesn’t know I’m doing it. And I know he loves it too.

This last picture is of a wine slush. YES! WINE SLUSH. It was soooo good.

We all got a little afternoon tipsy, and then on the way home stopped at a liquor/grocery store in Missouri, where we stocked up on liquor and Sheboygan brats, which are now sadly eaten.

All in all, it was a pretty fun trip, and even reminiscing three months later was fun!