That's how far it is
between Washington DC and Wellington NZ.
For the last eight
years, Washington DC and Northern Virginia have been home to both of us. Hard
to believe we've been here that long. Its a pretty unique place. We've seen two
presidential elections (and are escaping just in time for the third), experienced
the earthquake that cracked the Washington Monument, dug out from snowpocalypse
and snowmageddon, experienced the government shut down, and struggled
through the Metro shutdowns.
But we've also been
honored to make an incredible group of friends who have helped us explore so
many wonderful nooks and crannies of the Mid-Atlantic. While we're incredibly
excited to set off on our new adventure, it is certainly bittersweet.
Here are a few of our
favorite DC area things:
Virginia Wine Tours
While VA wine is far
from a fine French, Californian or New Zealand wine, it is certainly drinkable
and more importantly, some of the wineries in Northern VA can almost make you
feel like you are in Provence, Sonoma or Marlborough. Some of our favorites
are:
- Zephaniah Farm Vineyards - with tasting
rooms in an 18th century farm house, you can relax in what feels like your
grandma's library and learn about the history of the land and the family
that still farms it.
- Stone Tower Winery - just a little
further along the same country road as Zephaniah is Stone Tower. This
place reminded me very much of Russian River Valley in Sonoma - more
modern than Zephaniah but equally gorgeous.
- Barrel Oak Winery - this place is dog
and kid friendly and with open fire pits and picnic tables and the view of
Shenandoah in the distance, its a great way to spend a summer afternoon.
Old Town Alexandria
Less touristy than its
neighbor Georgetown across the river, Old Town has the same lovely charm,
uneven streets, gas lamped houses and almost the same outrageous property
prices. You can take the water taxi from the Old Town harbor over to Georgetown
or up to the National Harbor for a very reasonable price and at the Torpedo
Factory you can wander through artists studios and chat to the artists in
residence.
Assateague and
Chincoteague
One of my favorite
stories growing up was Misty of Chincoteague. Being able to do a day trip out
to some of the most stunningly wild beaches and see the wild ponies that still
roam around Assateague Island - at least until Pony
Penning Day - is definitely one of my highlights. Its not a short drive, but
you can stop off at Vanderwende Farm Creamery along the way for
the best ice cream around.
Great Falls
We never visited Great Falls from
the VA side because the times we tried it the lines were outrageous. Instead
you can follow MacArthur Blvd until it ends in Great Falls park and take the
board walk out to see truly insane people kayak down the falls. If you feel
ambitious, its only a 15 mile bike ride or so from down town DC following the
C&O canal and the Potomac the whole way.
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon was
George Washington's estate on the banks of the Potomac. There is a great museum
and you can do a tour of the house (which is surprisingly small). There are
some wonderful gardens and people dressed up in colonial outfits. Down the road
from the house is the Mount Vernon gin mill, which is also worth a visit.
/
The National Zoo
The National Zoo in DC
is part of the Smithsonian collection of museums and properties which means its
free. Because its the National Zoo it also has some awesome animals including
Giant Pandas and my personal favorite, Red Pandas - who are also little escape artists. There are also some wonderful big
cats and occasionally they get lucky when one of the local whit tailed deer
take an ill advised detour through the Cheetah enclosure...
Awesome Restaurants
There are a lot of good
restaurants in DC, and these may not be the best of the best, but they are ones
that we like because of the food, ambiance, service or just happy memories!
Shenandoah National Park
This is about two hours
west of DC and has dozens of amazing hikes, One of our favorites is Mary's Rock
which is a pretty straightforward climb up to a rocky outcrop with almost 360
degree views of the area. Visiting in the fall is definitely worth a visit, but
bear in mind the leaves turn a week or two earlier than they do in DC due to
the altitude.
Local Parks
There are so many
wonderful local parks in DC/NoVA - here are just a few of our favorites:
- Fort Hunt
- Fort Washington
- Piscataway Park
- Lake Accotink
- Meridian Hill Park
- Rock Creek Park
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