Homecoming

Today at the Navy Yard there was a little homecoming celebration for sailors that recently returned from Iraq. Everyone on base was invited to attend; it was neat to be a part of it and show our appreciation. The sailors ceremoniously disembarked from USS Barry and paraded down the Riverwalk while everyone cheered along the way.

Howdy sailors!
P.S.You can see the new baseball stadium under construction in the distance. It's a beauty!

The procession begins.

I know these aren't the best pictures, but it was hard to get a good shot, even though I was standing on a bench.

My coworker joked that she was going to make a sign that said "welcome home, baby daddy." She cracks me up.

Shenandoah in Summer

I love going to Shenandoah National Park; it's a nice retreat from the city. Sunday I drove out there with Lacey, her roommate Lindsay, and their friend Jen. I go out there every fall to see the foliage (to see last fall's excursion, click here), but I'd never been in the summer. Everything was so lush and green! But there were also a million bugs and no one brought bug spray. (Apparently my Girl Scout days didn't teach me anything.) We went further south than usual to Big Meadows, which is right about in the middle of the park. We hiked a trail called the Rose River loop, about a 4-mile circuit that had a lot of ups and downs. And boy am I sore!

We stopped at an overlook before starting out. This is before we were all sweaty and tired.

A popular spot for photo ops.
A hazy day in the valley.

Pretty!
Starting out on the trail. So green!

The trail went alongside a creek for most of the way.

There were lots of little waterfalls and stuff.

This is probably my favorite picture.

This was towards the end of the day, when we were all sweaty and exhausted.

Landmarks

Here are some photos I took while walking to my friend Heather's house the other day. She lives about two blocks from the Capitol.

Library of Congress (Jefferson Building)

Supreme Court

4th of July

I love the 4th of July. Not only does it commemorate our nation's independence, but it's a celebration of summer and all things American. I felt like I was a teenager again, like I was enjoying a summer day free from school. Let me tell you how I spent my day and you'll see what I mean: I slept in (of course), then my roommate and I went to the IHOP for breakfast. I was in desperate need of some French toast and hash browns. I then got back home just in time to watch The Price is Right. I love Bob Barker. Then I turned on the Nationals game while I baked a cake in the kitchen. Later in the afternoon I went over to Lacey's house for a good old-fashioned BBQ (or cookout, as they call them here).

Hangin' out in Lacey's kitchen.

Nothing beats a charcoal grill.

None of us really had any experience grilling, so Lacey stepped up.

And she threw as much on there as she could.

Look at the delicious cake I made!

After dinner, we walked over to the Capitol to watch the fireworks.

Waiting for the action to start...

Is there a better place to celebrate the 4th of July?

It was so nice having a day off in the middle of the week. I think we should get Wednesday off every week.

Since we're talking about all things American, I might as well throw this picture in:

The following day we went to see the Nationals vs. the Cubs. We got to see Soriano again! (That's him with the super tight pants.)

Pittsburgh in style

Usually "Pittsburgh" and "style" aren't used in the same sentence, but we were definitely living large. Laurel and I drove up to Pittsburgh this weekend to watch our Nationals take on the Pirates at PNC Park. Yes, we're stalking our team on the road now. Luckily Pittsburgh is fairly inexpensive (especially compared to DC), so we were able to stay at the super fancy Omni William Penn hotel. Built in 1916, the hotel is an excellent example of Gilded Age architecture and style.Our room had lots of nice amenities...even a plasma tv!

We walked around the city a bit right after we arrived. It's actually a pretty compact city - at least the downtown area is. It has some really interesting architecture. This gothic skyscraper is my favorite.

And then as we walked closer to the building, we realized it was a whole complex of similar buildings.

I'm always fascinated by the juxtaposition of old buildings and new buildings.

We then discovered that Pittsburgh has a public arts project similar to what DC did with the Party Animals and Pandamania. Theirs is called Dinomite Days!This next one I saw at the Heinz History Center. It's supposed to be General Washington.

Another cool building
An oasis in the city.

We then walked over to the North Side, which is where PNC Park is located. We had to cross Roberto Clemente Bridge, which is closed to traffic on game nights.

We met up with Laurel's coworker for dinner (he's from Pittsburgh), and his brother-in-law joined us later. We went on to a bar for pre-game drinks, and while we were there we saw a football player who apparently is very famous. The guys were shocked that we didn't know who it was. Whatever, I don't know the first thing about football. I just know Tom Brady cause he's hot.

So because of the connections that Laurel's coworker has, we had club seats for the game. For free.

Cushy seats? Check. Cupholders? Check.

And we had access to a private club. It was sweet.

We had a great view of the city.

And we had a good view of our boys warming up.

The Pirates' mascot kept mocking Ryan Church. But I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

This is a terrible picture, but they had a pierogi race. It was hilarious. (P.S. I was determined to eat some pierogies while in Pittsburgh, but I couldn't find a place that served them! At least I know where to get them in DC.)

Laurel and I got some dirty looks for cheering for the Nats.

The buildings looked so pretty as the sun was setting.

There was a large fireworks show after the game. It was quite impressive.

Pittsburgh had another public arts project called Festival of Lights (no, it had nothing to do with Hannukah). Several buildings downtown were lit up with artistic displays.

Our hotel had an amazing light display - it looked like stained glass.

The next day we walked around the Strip District (no, not that kind of Strip District). It's kind of like Eastern Market, but bigger. There are lots of vendors and ethnic markets and fresh produce.

That sign on the right that says "pierogies" is a little deceiving. I was all excited about getting pierogies for lunch, but I found out that the place doesn't serve them ready-to-eat. Boo!

I walked around the Heinz History Center while Laurel had lunch with relatives, and then we drove back to DC. We were only in Pittsburgh for 24 hours, but I had a great time.