My Friend Monica Came to Visit!

This past week, my good friend Monica came to visit me! It was so good to see her and catch-up on all the news; I missed her a great deal. We had such a blast, and were able to see so many great places in Washington. This first photo is one of my favorites. The Cherry Blossoms were just coming out – and we were in one of the Smithsonian Gardens – next to the Old Castle. It was the start of the day, and we walked the National Mall – checking it all out. We visited the Lincoln, Korean, Vietnam, WWII, and the Washington Memorials just to name a few.

Giant Chocolate Capitol

Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport

GREAT DAY at the Airport!

This weekend Joseph’s cousin Clay came up to visit and check out the area, and one of the places he wanted to see was the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. So, Austin, Clay, Joseph, and myself piled in my car and we drove out to Dulles.

I must say, it was a very interesting museum. It was housed in a HUGE HANGER; I told the guys jokingly that I need one of these to store all my stuff in back in Texas – but seriously, this place was huge.

Inside, there were planes of all kinds, and we saw many different things. I was fascinated with the experimental aircraft from WWII that the Nazis were building. Additionally, there were some historic aircraft on display such as the Enola Gay, the Minnie Mae, and the Little Butch.

It was a great day!!!

The MOST AMAZING HIKE!

Today I was able to experience one of the most INCREDIBLE things yet! A hike along the cliffs of the Potomac on a path called the Billy Goat Trail!

Joseph and I had been talking about going on a hike (if we could find some woods and a good place). We really loved and missed the outdoors of Texas, and how soothing and relaxing it is to be around nature - so we were ready - we just didn’t know where to go.

…and that is when we talked to Rachel…

It happened to be that this weekend my friend Rachel had a friend fly up to visit her, and they also wanted to go on a nice nature hike. She showed us a video that talked about the Billy Goat Trail - and after watching it, we were sold. The four of us were going to go!

We set out after church. The park was just 20 minutes outside of D.C. and it was truly a hike I’m never going to forget.

We hiked along the cliffs of the Potomac. There were some great places to go Bouldering – so we spent a considerable amount of time doing that (I’ll post some photos later).

We also hiked along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal)…my photos didn’t do it justice, so MAKE SURE you check out the “Quick Tour” slideshow at the C&O Canal Website; they also have some great links to maps and trails.



…CHECK out the SLIDESHOW!


…wasn’t that amazing?!?! I totally recommend this place for anyone who loves the outdoors, nature, and some great panoramic views of the Potomac!

It was such a great day, with some great friends. Even the weather was considerably good, slightly cold for me, but not too bad.

Towards the end of our hike we came back to where we started (the trail makes one large loop), and right at the beginning of the trail, there is a side path that takes you to the Great Falls. We took the bridged path to the lookout of the Great Falls and were amazed to see the most spectacular example of a RAGING RIVER.

The Potomac happened to be extra high due to all the rainfall farther up the river – and it showed! Check out the two videos I took below. The crashing of the water was intense, deafening, and was a great reminder of the power of God.

I was definitely at home in the woods, and though I can’t speak for the others, I was truly inspired by the wonderment and wildness of this place. I urge everyone to visit here and experience an excursion you will not soon forget.

LOVED IT! LOVED IT LOVED IT!

Additional photos will be posted soon.

Our Trip to Philadelphia – In Search of the Great Cheese Steak!

Last weekend, my super-amazing roommate, Donnie, organized a trip for eight of us to Philly. It turned out to me one of the most memorable mini-vacations of my life!

It all began...(Stay tuned...more to come tonight!)

Old Ebbits Grill Last Night

Last night was nice - my roommates and I finally were able to eat at Old Ebbitt Grill. It is Washington’s most famous and oldest saloons, and close to the White House.
We were taking our unbelievable and most generous neighbors, affectionately referred to as Uncle Jean and Aunt Sandy, to dinner (more on them later) to show our appreciation for their kindness to us.

The restaurant is a definite must if you are visiting D.C. It is located close to the White House, and is bursting with history. One of the first things I noticed when I walked inside was the antique gas-lit lamps and chandeliers. It was almost as if I were stepping back in time. Additionally, adorning the atmosphere of the main room was the museum-quality collection of decoys – it gave a sense of camaraderie one might experience at a private hunting lodge in the mountains – truly a great sense of home for an outdoorsman like myself.

There were other animal examples throughout the restaurant, and you wouldn’t believe my excitement when I discovered that some (above the old bar) were actually taken by President Teddy Roosevelt himself. President Roosevelt, or as I refer to him, TR ‘The Lion’ is perhaps my most favorite U.S. President because TR did so much for conservation and the outdoors. In fact, TR was a known patron of Old Ebbit and enjoyed dining and entertaining there; I was in stunned amazement to be sitting in the presence of one of my hero’s favorite spots – and its great history therein.

We ate very well to say the least; the service was excellent and the food was fantastic. I totally recommend the crab cakes; fresh and satisfying, with a selection of gourmet sides to compliment.

A good time was had by all! When my Dad comes to visit me up here, I will definitely take him to the Old Ebbit Grill, so we can sit and dine in the presence of great times gone by.

Getting Ready for New York!

This weekend I will be traveling to New York to see a good friend of mine who goes to school at MIT – yeah she is brilliant! We decided New York would be perfect because it is right about halfway between Cambridge, MA and Washington D.C.

Unfortunately, the weather is terrible right now (in D.C.), but I think it might clear up by this evening. I will keep y’all posted!

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In NEW YORK OUR FIRST DAY

Okay...back from New York City - and I must say - It was definitely eye-opening for me! So let me begin… First of all, when I arrived in New York, it was later in the evening, but the bus ride up was great – I took the DC2NY bus…a definite must if you are heading to New York from Washington D.C. They only charge $40 bucks roundtrip, it is a luxury bus (huge captain chairs) you get a complimentary bottle of water, and there is free Wi-Fi. It was totally worth the $40 bucks too - I have my own vehicle up here, but limited parking, traffic, tolls, and wear and tear... no no - DC2NY was well worth it.

After arriving, I walked to The Roosevelt Hotel and checked in. This was a very nice hotel, and because it was centrally located – it wasn’t a bad walk to visit the sites around the city.

The next day, we headed out to visit the Empire State Building – the weather was nice outside, but when we reached the top of the building, the icy wind bit at our faces and hands…it was cold up there. We walked around the observation deck and checked out the great panoramic views of New York City. We could see so so much –

After that, we headed by Rockefeller Center on our way to get some lunch. Rockefeller Center was nice, but I actually wasn’t too impressed – so we moved on. We decided to eat at Tom’s Restaurant – (the Seinfeld restaurant), and caught a cab to 112th street. It was a tight fit because there were so many people inside, but it didn’t take too long to get a seat. The food was fabulous. I had a Lumberjack Breakfast meal, and Rach had the Banana Pancakes…all very tasty!

Next, we took a short walk to the Cathedral of St. John Devine. It reminded me of being back in Köln, and walking through the Kölner Dom. It definitely took your breath away…

We saw that Central Park was close by, so we headed off in that direction. It truly was an amazing park. We took it all in – the sites, sounds, and serenity was such a nice touch to such a huge urban city setting. When we walked through the park, we were able to visit in a quiet comfortable place…it was soothing for me. I thought back to Texas A&M, and the classes I took where we studied Olmsted and his contribution as the Founder of Landscape Architecture.

After the great meal and the nice walk, we were a little tired – so we headed back to The Roosevelt and rested.

That evening, we set out for Times Squares for a little shopping, sightseeing, and eating! We hit up Hard Rock Café, the M&M Store, the Hershy’s Store, and many others – we ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday. It was a great conclusion to a great day.

OUR LAST DAY in NEW YORK

Sunday was our last day…It was sad to say goodbye, but Rachel had to catch her bus that morning, and my bus wasn’t going to leave until 2 p.m. So after we said goodbye, I set out for my last stop on this New York Trip - Ground Zero. When I arrived, the mood in the area was that of sadness…a quiet place…a place of respect…a place of mourning. There were many people there – some were taking photos, some where crying, some said nothing, while others talked amongst themselves. When I looked through the fencing where the Twin Towers stood, all I could see was a huge gaping hole. Fitting perhaps…and reminiscent to the hole of emptiness and loss that so many people share.

It was definitely a sobering place…and a time for reflection.

I headed back to Penn Station where the bus would pick me up, and on the way back home, I prayed and reflected on many things in my life –