Okra's tries to pull a fast one

I tend to write about food on here a lot.  I love food.  I love trying new food, visiting hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and stealing bites of food from Josh's plate if what he's eating looks better than what I've ordered.  (Which happens frequently.)  I was overjoyed this weekend to finally find a nearby Cajun restaurant.  In Kansas City, we frequently ate at Jazz.  I've been aching for some good Cajun food and found a restaurant called Okra's Louisiana Bistro in Manassas, VA.  Manassas is located about 20 minutes southwest of us and is where The Battle of Bull Run took place in 1861.  The restaurant is brightly painted outdoors and indoors in traditional New Orleans colors - bright purple, yellow and green.  Our silverware bundles were even wrapped in Mardi Gras beads.  We tried the alligator bites with spicy remoulade sauce for our appetizer and they were delicious.  Josh tried a cup of their traditional gumbo and it too was very yummy.  For our entrees, Josh ordered shrimp jambalaya and I ordered the crawfish etouffee.  The plate that showed up in front of me was not crawfish etouffee.  I know what a crawfish looks, tastes, and smells like.  I have fished for crawfish in Kansas ponds and have eaten crawfish at other Cajun restaurants.  The waiter sat down our plates and quickly walked away.  I poked suspiciously at the food until he returned and then asked, "These are crawfish?"  He chuckled nervously and gave me a sheepish grin and quickly walked away a 2nd time.  I laid one of my "crawfish" next to one of the shrimp on Josh's plate.  Those two little boogers could have been brothers.  Josh said, "Maybe they're just really big crawfish."  But after trying one he agreed...these were shrimp.  Does anyone else at this restaurant fall for this?  Maybe they ran out and were just hoping no one would notice the substitute.  Shame on them.  I would definately eat here again...I just wouldn't order "crawfish."  (Here ends my soapbox rant.)

D.C. is for History Lovers

This weekend was my last "free weekend" for awhile - tomorrow it's back to spending every free minute cramming for one more FINRA license I have to obtain by mid-September.  We trekked into D.C. to the National Mall to check out a number of places that were on our list of must-sees.  Our first stop was the National Archives.  If you've seen the movie National Treasure, staring Nicholas Cage, I'm sure you remember the scene when Riley uses the camera laser to raise the temperature of the display case so that the Declaration of Independence has to be moved to the underground vault so that Benjamin Gates can steal it.  Movies have a way of romanticizing things and then when you get to experience them in real life, you're met with a huge let down.  We waited an hour in line to get in to the exhibit...anticipation mounting...excited to see the most important documents of our Nation's history...pushing and squirming our way through smelly tourists...to get a 3 minute glance at the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Don't get me wrong, it was amazing to see these historic documents, but it was not the glamorous scene depicted in the movie. 

Next, we walked over to the Museum of Natural History.  The main artifact we were on a mission to find was the Hope Diamond.  This breathtaking 45.52 carat diamond supposedly carries a curse. (Click link for a list of those affected by the supposed curse.)  For a limited time, it is on display in a special diamond setting designed by Mr. Harry Winston.  After Mr. Winston purchased the diamond he donated it to the Smithsonian because he believed it would keep him from be afflicted by the curse.

For lunch we walked over to the American Indian Museum.  It was our first time visiting this museum and it was amazing.  The building was constructed so that there are no right angles.  Really, NONE!  Native Americans believe that evil spirits can hide in corners.  The architecture of this building flows beautifully.  A tip from us to you, if you're visiting the National Mall, skip eating at all of the other museum food courts, don't buy an overpriced hotdog or soft pretzel from a food cart vender...walk yourself over to this museum for a one of a kind meal at the Mitsitam Cafe.   

The cafe features different food stations serving food from different Native American regions.  I tried the conch ceviche from the South American section and Josh tried the chipotle chicken flat bread taco from the Central American section.  I hadn't eaten conch since 2009 when we were in the Turks & Caicos Islands.   Mmmm Mmmm have I missed it. 

Across the street from the American Indian Museum is the United States Botanical Gardens.  I'd love to come back here when the weather is nicer.  Amid the hustle and bustle of D.C. the gardens offer a quiet, serene oasis.  When my parents come back to visit, we'll definitely have to take my mom here.  Although her love for photographing foliage could make it hard for us to ever get her out of the gardens. 

Suffering from achy feet and mild heat exhaustion we found our way back to the metro station.  Plans for our next excursion to this area include the International Spy Museum and Ford's Theatre!

Road Tripp'n to Richmond

This past weekend we were in Richmond, VA to see our friends Adam & Stacie.  The drive down to Richmond is one of the most stressful stretches of highway I've ever driven.  Traffic will be flowing smoothly at 80 mph and then all of the sudden come to a screeching halt for no apparent reason.  This slowdown/speed up routine continues the entire way.  But it's totally worth making the nightmarish drive to see our friends.

We ate a delicious lunch at Cafe Ole in the Carytown area of Richmond and then headed over to Belle Isle Park.  Suspended beneath HWY 301, over the James River, is an amazing pedestrian foot bridge that leads to Belle Isle.  In this area the James River is dotted with large boulders and the river is relatively shallow and calm.  Richmonders bring beach towels, coolers and snacks and lounge on the rocks between dips in the river.

Stacie and Adam are very modest celebrities.  If you're a fan of the Rachael Ray Show, you might have seen them on TV in 2008.  Stacie sent in a nomination for a room makeover in their home.  Adam is an extreme fan of the band KISS and she decided that his large collection of KISS memorabilia needed to be tamed and displayed in a more organized way.  http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/kiss-room-makeover/.  The room is absolutely amazing.  Adam loves it, Stacie loves it, everyone's happy.

       Josh in front of the fiery KISS closet.  His face in this photo scares me. 

One of my coworkers had mentioned to me that every time she goes home to Richmond she eats at Comfort.  When I told Adam and Stacie this they both looked at me with glazed over expressions and I thought they were going to start drooling.  Evidently Comfort is THE spot to go to in Richmond for comfort food.  Our meal was absolutely delectable.  I had catfish, fried okra, and mac 'n cheese. While Josh tried the pork tenderloin, cheese grits and pickled beets.  It was one of those meals where everyone sits and eats in silence for brief periods of time because each person is too busy enjoying their meal to participate in conversation.  The restaurant has a beverage on their drink menu called "Virginia Lightening" but we heard that it does not have the signature burn of real Virginia white-lightening.  Yet again, Richmond proves to be a good time and we look forward to many more trips!

Hiking Old Rag Mountain

This weekend I conquered Old Rag Mountain. Old Rag Mountain is in the Shenandoah National Park and is part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range.  Old Rag is one of the most challenging and most frequently hiked mountains in the range. The hike, a circuit loop, from start to finish is nearly 9 miles and reaches a height of 3,291 feet above sea level. The total elevation change from the base to the summit is about 2,200 feet.

One of my co-workers organized this hike in an effort to introduce others to the wonders of the Blue Ridge Mountains (and I think to find others willing to trudge through the wilderness).

The hike is comprised of trails blazed through forest and rock formations and concludes with a 1.2 mile rock scramble to the summit.  I can only describe the “rock scramble” as crawling, pulling, and overcoming large boulders and impossibly tight passes between slabs of granite. I’m glad that other hikers were too busy trying to figure out how to navigate the trail to notice my (surely) awkward contorting, flexing and bending to get through some of the obstacles.

Typical trail heading up to the summit

Part of the Rock Scramble (the blue paint indicates you’re on the "right" trail)

These 'stairs' were cut out of lava rock which had flowed up between 

two slabs of granite during the formation of the range

Nearing the summit – almost there…

 The summit is almost within reach…

The views from the top were spectacular! We ate lunch at the top and enjoyed a 360-degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Blue Ridge Mountains got their name from the ‘blue’ haze above the range

Proof I made it the top!

After our lunch on the summit, we headed down Old Rag. The trail down the mountain was certainly less exciting and much easier (gravity is an ally in this direction). We finished the hike in 5 hours and packed up to head back to the city. I’m glad I took the opportunity to try something new. I’m already looking forward to the next hike.

Petite Sweets

My latest obsession is Silva's Patisserie - a darling sweets shop in Vienna, VA.  Silva opened the patisserie with her son Harry in 2008.  Harry was a former pastry chef for the Kennedy Arts Center in D.C.  Their shop features European-style miniature desserts, as well as wedding cakes and middle eastern specialty foods.  When I googled "patisserie" I found that it is defined as, "a type of French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets. In both countries it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed maître pâtissier (master pastry chef)."  The first time Josh and I walked into the store we stood in front of the display case drooling over which perfectly crafted sweets to choose.  This is what we left with.

Not included in this photo is one very scrumptious chocolate chip cookie and a free baguette.  From left to right - creme brulee, strawberry bavarian cream puff, key lime pie, lemon pie, a rum ball and red velvet cake.  Tiny bites of heaven.

Girls Weekend

While Josh was in Japan, my Grandma and Aunt Jill journeyed out to visit me.  They decided to be adventurous and take the Amtrak train from Newton, KS to Chicago to Washington D.C.  Their total time on the train was around 28 hours!  I drove in to pick them up from Union Station and they got to experience D.C. traffic...and my "dukes of hazard driving skills."  The next morning we took the metro back to the National Mall area and went on a tour of the Engraving and Printing Museum.  During the tour you get to see the different stages of production used to create our currency. 

1 million dollars in $10 dollar notes

After our tour we walked over to the National Museum of American History.  I think our favorite exhibit was one that featured the first ladies and their inaugural ballgowns.  

One of the more bizarre items we saw was a display case containing hair samples from the first fourteen presidents.  The plaque reads, "Today the idea of collecting hair may seem morbid, or at least bizarre.  But in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was an acceptable way to mourn and to remember.  This display came to the Smithsonian from the U.S. Patent Office in 1883.  It contains hair from Presidents Washington to Pierce.  It was assembled to honor the presidents and to keep them visible for future generations."  

The most moving display was a burned and twisted steel column assembled from the 17th floor or the World Trade Center.  The Smithsonian Museums are a perfect hiding spot on these extremely hot days!  Later that afternoon we also toured Arlington National Cemetery and watched the changing of the guards.

On Saturday we drove to Occoquan, VA, a charming town with several blocks of boutiques and restaurants to explore.  We stopped for lunch at Madigan's Waterfront...and ate crab cake sandwiches, of course.  That evening we went on a twilight trolley tour of D.C.  Our evening tour almost didn't happen after the original company I booked our tour with called to cancel our reservation.  I enjoyed having a fun girls weekend with Grandma and Jill while Josh was out of town.  I'm not sure if either of them would travel Amtrak again or not.  They talked about how hard it was to sleep on the train at night, but they did enjoy some of the interesting characters sitting around them on the trip.

Freedom

...from spending every evening, weekend and spare hour studying for one big 'ol nasty test.  I am free.  And I PASSED!  Yours truly is now FINRA Series 7 licensed.  My freedom will most likely be short lived however.  I still have to knockout the Series 66 before the end of the year.  I'm going to savor this sweet, joyous freedom while I have it.  While I've mostly been a hermit the last two months, we have had a few fun outings.  I will do my best to catch up on blog posts in the next few days.  Stay tuned!