My Secret Garden, er, Dog Park

There's a magical place that's only about eight blocks from our house: the Congressional Cemetery. First established in 1807 by private citizens, it now spans 35+ acres, has 14,000 headstones and is the final resting place for 55,000 people. The middle has a quaint, beautiful chapel surrounded by different bushes of flowers. Large trees grace the grounds, some with trunks larger than any I've seen in DC. Oh, and it's also a dog park... which means playful dogs run among the headstones and bring a sense of cheer to the hallowed grounds.

I first visited it about two weeks ago before the heat got oppressive. I went there to clear my head, pray and discover the cemetery I had only passed by while in a car. There were quite a few benches that had called my name last time, but my agenda was one of walking rather than relaxing.

Tonight I returned, this time armed with bug spray and a book. I plopped on a bench that's under one of the largest magnolia trees in the cemetery and read for about an hour with only a few friendly puppies (and their owners) to act as interruptions.

Can you see my reading bench nestled under the tree?

As the evening began to cool (yay!) and the wind picked up a bit, I decided it was time to explore some more. I snapped some pictures with my new camera phone (which apparently doesn't have much better picture quality than my last). Enjoy my new hiding place!

The best last name I came across this evening...

John Smilie (who was also a Congressman from PA)
The most unfortunate name I came across in the cemetery this evening...
Fugitt

The only vice president buried in the cemetery

who was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence!
Elbridge Gerry, VP to James Madison

The headstones of Mary Hall and her sister, who were madams of a house where
"elite citizens" and government officials frequented.
Now the Museum for the American Indian sits where their home used to be.
Some beautiful headstones and sculptures...

A fairy?

Random Summer Memories with the Family

We checked out the new AMC Fork & Screen Theater in Orlando, FL

Universal Studios with Dad and Becky
Butterbeer in Harry Potter land!

Our home away from home... in Orlando Lakes!

We checked out a Winston Salem Dash game, where James is interning over the summer!

Childress Vineyards, Lexington, NC

A Family Affair

Last weekend was filled with some really lasting memories as mom, grandma and Dean came to visit Mal and me in our new home. Though I was booted from my apartment (aka "bomb shelter") all weekend (where the three of them stayed), I was thrilled to give up my space and host them.

On Friday night, we spent the evening hours at the Marine Parade in Barracks Row, which was very entertaining. Mallory and I have wanted to go since we first arrived in DC. The parade is held every Friday night during the summer and visitors can make free reservations see it. The music was beautiful, the history shared was interesting and the silent drill team was mesmerizing. The parade lasted just over an hour, but the time went so quickly. To top it off, the full moon appeared over the field just as the parade was ending and Taps was playing in the air. Perfect.
Our Saturday was filled with very "touristy" activities. We took a DC Ducks tour around the city. It was my fourth tour, but I still learned new trivia about the city. I really enjoy the Duck tours. Each tour is split into two parts, with the first being a ride around the city filled with facts about the history, memorials and Monument. The latter half of the tour is spent on the water, where the street-friendly vehicle glides gently into the Potomac with only the flip of two buttons. One engages the propeller and the other shifts the transmission. The vehicles were created for WW II and built mostly by women. Our guide, Captain Franklin, shared that the battle on the beaches of Normandy wouldn't have been the same without the Ducks. They supplied 80% of the gear to the soldiers during the fight and were a complete shock to our opponents who had never seen such vehicles.

As a bonus while we were on the Potomac, our guide let anyone who wanted to "drive" the Duck have an opportunity to sit in the driver's seat for photo ops! Mal, grandma and I all took advantage of it!
That evening, after returning from our tour and dinner, we rode to Georgetown where we went to the famous eatery, Georgetown Cupcake. I had never been, but had wanted to try it. Well, apparently we weren't the only ones with the idea to hit up GC. It seemed like all the tourists in DC were there. The line snaked down the block and the quoted wait time when we arrived was 45 minutes. People snapped pictures of themselves in line and of the bakery as we waited. Thankfully, the weather was as perfect as the company and the line moved pretty fast. Plus, the staff was very friendly and even served water to their customers who were waiting outside for their treats. The shop is small inside and smells delicious. Cupcakes call from tiers and their colors are bright. I walked in with my selections in mind and it took all my willpower to only get two. There were so many flavors and they all looked delicious!

We bought our cupcakes and took them home where the evening ended with polished-off glasses of milk and engaging conversation. Sunday morning came quickly and we bid ado to our loved ones. Their visit was fun and went by way too quickly.