From Dover to DC and the Stupid Rain

Clockwise:  Cracker Barrel Pancakes // Rural road from Dover to DC // Travel Naps // Margarita Pizza

Our trip to the Washington DC Metro area was a friends and family trip. There were no real plans of what we'd door when we'd do it. Mj decided how many nights we were staying in each place, but other then that our itinerary evolved on it's own day by day.  No extensive internet research required.  We slept in most mornings and did a lot of sitting around on the couch with friends and family.  A total departure from the frenetic exhausting pace of Europe.  And it was nice.  And cheap since we didn't have to pay for hotels.  We spent two nights in Dover with my Mother in law and one night with my Father in law. The last 3 nights we spent with Mj's friend L in Maryland.  The states are so small and close together that half the time I didn't even know what state we were in.  The weather was hit and miss.  Mostly miss. The humidity is ridiculous.  78 degrees there feels a whole lot different then it does in California.

Out to dinner with mom and Mj's nephew

After a very early five hour flight that went way faster then I expected we picked up our rental car in Baltimore and made it to his Mom's house by Wednesday evening.  The 2nd night we were there we went out to dinner at a BBQ joint.      

Spencer's // The Amish Farmer's Market

There isn't much in Dover.  It's really weird how everything you need is there and yet there seems to be not much of anything at all.  Such is small town life.  There are no snazzy restaurants or bars to speak of and not much to look at either.  If I lived there I'd probably quit shopping and there is a very good chance I'd let myself go.  I'd try not to of course but just being in this town you just kind of get this feeling that there is no point.  Unless you want to get all gussied up to go to Boscov's.  The best thing about Dover is contained in one single Amish Farmer's Market that goes by the name of Spencer's.  I have this odd fascination with the Amish since I've been watching Breaking Amish so I got really excited whenever I saw them in their long dark dresses and white bonnets.  And boy can they bake and cook.  I wanted to eat almost everything in there.  It was wall to wall with baked goods, candy, cheese, bread and delicious foods.  Where else can you get Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Crackers?  I ate one and the other one was for Mj but he left it in L's fridge.  Oh well.  It was really good and so was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake and Coffee Cake that Mj bought.  I really wanted the Chocolate and Peanut Butter Popcorn and some cheese but after buying Chocolate Peanut Clusters and Gummy Bears I was already pushing it so I had to let it go.

On Friday and Saturday we visited with Mj's grandmothers.  They live in two different senior living communities in two different states.  Going to an old folks home is good and bad.  It makes me feel very young and spry when I'm surrounded by grey hair and walkers.  But it also makes me feel kind of sad about the prospect of getting old.  It's totally inevitable.  I get that.  But it's gotta be hard to watch yourself and your friends kind of deteriorate before your very eyes and lose their independence. Okay, that took a turn for the depressing.  Moving on.

Mj and his Dad

I got my Cracker Barrel on Saturday morning with Mj and his Dad.  It is always a must do when we go out there because their pancakes are crispy edged perfection and the closest one we have is in Arizona.  Then we hit the road for Maryland.  There are no actual highways between Dover and Maryland so we spent a long time on surface areas before we finally hit the highway.  It's so green and rural.  We spent the next 3 nights there at L's.  His girlfriend Em was in town and they made dinner for us that first night.   

At L's house

In Georgetown in front of the Potomac River

Sunday was the nicest day of the whole trip.  Still humid but sunny and no rain.  The four of us stopped for brunch then went to Georgetown at my suggestion.  Why?  I don't know.  It was something to do, I thought it might be a fun place to see and I heard there was good shopping.  I totally struck out shopping which was actually a good thing.  Most of the shops are super expensive and really; I just don't need anything else.

Botanical Gardens in Washington DC

Capital Building

The actual White House.  Not the US Treasury Building

Monday was the first day of the trip that we had on our own.  It was with a sense of dread that I set out for DC because of the stupid rain. I really couldn't see sitting in the house so even though it was supposed to rain for most of the day we decided to go for it anyways.  At first it was just light scattered showers.  We saw the Capital Building and went inside the Botanical Gardens and Air & Space Museum.  We met one of Mj's friends for lunch and after that is when it really hit.  We decided to skip the Lincoln Monument, head straight for the White House and get going.  There was ponding everywhere.  That's a new word I picked up watching East Coast news station.   It means giant puddles.  I had an umbrella in one had so I asked Mj to help me so I could get the camera out and take a picture.  Turns out that wasn't the White House.  It was the US Treasury Building.  Coulda fooled me.  So we walk some more.  It was raining hard and then it started raining even harder.  We snapped a few rushed pics of the White House and Michelle's famous garden.

Water Logged

We still had a long walk to our car and by and by this time we were soaking wet.   Mj more then me because he didn't even have an umbrella.  Then, I realize I have to go to the bathroom.  Really bad.  The rain coming down isn't helping matters.  Then we realize we have only 13 minutes left on our meter. Then there is a long line at the museum to get in.  So we rush into the next museum.  It was humid and sticky.  I felt gross and itchy from my jeans sticking to my legs.  My hair was a damp frizzy disheveled mess.  Our socks and shoes were soaked. Converse and ittly bitty pink umbrellas aren't exactly made for East Coast rain.  Fun right? Well, somehow it actually was.  As we rushed down the street with my hot dripping wet hands holding his I was okay because we were out there doing it together.  And these are the times you tend to remember most right?  That one time we got caught in the rain and ended up soaking wet while speed walking through the streets of DC.

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram