Rehoboth Beach

This past weekend I traveled to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for a church retreat. Normally one doesn't think of going to the beach in October (at least not out here), but it was actually quite pleasant. The beach wasn't very crowded and we enjoyed nice fall-like weather. Besides, I'm not much of a sunbather or swimmer anyway, so it probably worked out better this way.

Growing up in California, my family and I visited the beach often and I have fond memories of those visits. I'd only been to the beach twice before on the east coast. Both beaches were pretty trashy (think "Jersey Shore"), it was crowded and hot, and I didn't enjoy myself very much. However, the trip to Rehoboth Beach was so relaxing and refreshing. I had forgotten how peaceful it was to just sit and watch the waves crash with hardly anyone around. It reminded me of how big God is and how small we are.

And now the requisite photos...

Wine and polo

Here in the Washington region, we'd had a solid week of nonstop rain. Not just a little drizzle, but a constant torrential downpour. I'd never seen anything like it (thanks, Tropical Storm Lee). So on Friday afternoon when it finally started to clear up and the sun poked through the clouds, everyone in my office ran to the windows in amazement as if they had never seen the sun before (myself included).

The reason I mention all this is because I had tickets to The Wine Festival at The Plains on Saturday, and I was worried that it would be a wash out. But the weather turned out to be just gorgeous. I didn't even mind that the ground was muddy! My roommate and I drove out to Fauquier County, Virginia, which is known as wine country and horse country. Not only was it a wine festival, but there was also a polo match! The annual Commonwealth Cup was being played, which pitted the US against England.

In the spirit of such an event, I did my best to channel Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

I even bought a fascinator, a style of headware that has been popularized by the Duchess. It's a little hard to see in the picture, as it kind of blends in with my hair. It's got brown and blue feathers and a few rhinestones.

The polo match was supposed to be played on the beautiful green polo field, but it got rather water logged from all the rain. So they had to move the match to the dirt arena.

I'd never seen polo before and didn't know anything about it. I've always loved horses though (my parents were generous enough to let me take riding lessons when I was a horse-crazed preteen), so I was excited to watch a polo match up close. The game was thrilling and fast-paced. I was amazed at how well-trained the horses were.

The announcer was an entertaining Brit who kept telling jokes and asking for whiskey (I think eventually someone brought him one). He explained the game as it went on, which was really helpful. Each time period is called a chukker, and at the end of each period he would yell "chukker!" It was quite fun.

I also didn't know that polo was a coed sport. It makes sense, I guess, since horse racing and show jumping are coed. There's a polo school out here, which I would totally try if it weren't so far from DC. And if my old riding boots still fit...

In the end, the US scored the winning point in the final 30 seconds of the game! USA! USA!

And I got some nice wine to take home with me. Always a plus. :)

The Return of Strasburg

I finally got a chance to see Stephen Strasburg pitch last Tuesday during his first start in the majors after Tommy John surgery. (I had tickets to see him pitch last season, but he was scratched right before the start of the game.) This time around, we'd had so much rain that it was unclear whether the game would be played. Luckily for us, the game went on despite the weather. But it appeared to keep a lot of people away.

I actually would've gotten tickets to the game whether Strasburg was pitching or not, because the Nats were playing my "hometown" team: the Dodgers! I never pass up a chance to see them.

Strasburg pitched a great 5 innings, but unfortunately the Nats bullpen imploded (luckily for the Dodgers).

Welcome back, Strassy! Let's hope this is the beginning of the Nats' upward climb.

Roosevelt Island

Yesterday I crossed another DC destination off my list: Theodore Roosevelt Island, a small wooded island in the Potomac River. I walked the aptly named Swamp Trail, although halfway through I was regretting it. It was just way too hot and humid to be tramping through a swamp.

The island is accessible by footbridge from the George Washington Parkway, just across the river from Georgetown.

Here's an interesting fact about the island: it was used as a Freedman's Village for former slaves after the Civil War. 

A nice view of the Key Bridge and the spires of Georgetown University.

The TR Memorial is in the middle of a clearing in the woods; an appropriate spot for our nature-loving president.

I'm not quite sure why his arm is positioned that way.

The swamp. No gators here, but lots of bugs!

I hardly saw anyone while on the trail. It was kind of eerie.

Every once in a while, the silence would be broken by the roaring sound of jets landing at nearby Reagan Airport.

And the sight of high-rises in Rosslyn were a reminder that I was still in the city.

And finally, some nice nature shots...

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend!

At the Renwick

I'm just doing all sorts of new things lately! Today I visited the Renwick Gallery, which is another Washington landmark that I've never been to. (I left work early to go to the eye doctor, and the Renwick is literally a block away from my doctor's office. Since I took the afternoon off, I couldn't not go to the Renwick as well.) The gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian's American Art Museum and it focuses on 19th and 20th century art.

It's a lovely building. Apparently it was in danger of being torn down in the 1960s and Jackie Kennedy saved it. I'm sure the fact that it's across the street from the White House had something to do with it.

It's rather small as far as art museums go. There are only a handful of exhibit galleries. The Grand Salon is the largest and most famous room in the museum.

The staircase is also quite lovely. Even the handrails are covered in velvet.

I kind of like this picture. It's like the security guards were posing for me.

And finally, I was really struck by this piece, which is made entirely of glass. It's kind of haunting.

After leaving the Renwick, I popped over to Schakolad Chocolate Factory. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday afternoon!

Dumbarton Oaks

This past weekend I visited Dumbarton Oaks, a historic home in Georgetown with 16 acres of sprawling gardens. It's one of those off-the-beaten-path sites that often gets overlooked by tourists and locals alike. (Case in point: I've been living here for nearly 9 years and I just got around to seeing it!)

Part of the house has been converted into a museum featuring Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts. (Unfortunately the "domestic" side of the house is closed to visitors most of the time.) These are the only interior photos that came out ok:

This is the Music Room. All the furniture and decorations are from the Rennaissance period.

Walking in the gardens was lovely. It's a good thing we had a map - otherwise we might've gotten lost!

The Rose Garden

The Fountain Terrace

The Cutting Garden, where they cut fresh flowers for the house.

The Ellipse, with its oddly whimsical sculpted branches.

And finally, the Pebble Garden. This mosaic is made up of thousands of colored pebbles. The stalk of wheat reflects the family motto, which is Latin for "you reap what you sow."