Monticello

Happy sunny day!

Waterfalling

Douthat State Park

Faithful Cabin #9

View From Big Schloss Ridge

Off-Roading in VA

Surprise! Warm weather! Emmeli and I took advantage of our few days of break to go on a roadtrip through VA for a long weekend! We packed up her jeep and headed off toward Douthat State Park. Along the way there, we stopped and did a short hike in Wolf Gap, called Big Schloss. We hiked up a little more than a mile and then followed ridge through the middle of this valley near the West VA border to a rock outcropping way up in the middle of nowhere. It was a spectacular day: sunny, warm and full of views. At the park, we rented a cabin. Not knowing what to expect from lovely Cabin #9, we were in for a grand surprise. It had a full bathroom, a bedroom, a living/dining room with fireplace, and a full kitchen! It even had a porch with rocking chairs, a picnic table and a grill!

We spent our nights by the fire, reading and watching movies, but during the day we went on trips nearby. It was partly rainy and foggy while we were there, but it meant that visiting the Falling Springs Waterfall was quite a sight due to the rain. The roads nearby were also full of 90 degree crazy switchbacks, which were even more interesting in the fog!

On our way back to D.C. we stopped in Monticello on another gorgeous day. We went on the building tour and walked around the grounds, before making our way to Charlottesville for lunch downtown on an outdoor restaurant patio. Emmeli has relatives there so we spent the night with her aunt, uncle and three little cousins. It's been awhile since I spent an evening at a playground, but it sure was fun! The next morning we went with them all on a short hike up nearby Humpback Rocks Trail. It took us to a really neat viewpoint, but unlike the previous couple of days, it was cold and windy. At the base of the trail was a replica period farmstead that we took time to walk through too. Eventually though, it was time to make that last trek back into D.C.

New Year's In Philly!

I was lucky to be able to break up my drive back to DC with a stop in Philly at Maria's for NYE 2007. It wasn't anything extravagent or super busy, but our night over at Anuj's apartment was one to remember. We cooked steak and mashed potatoes and various other deliciousness. We enjoyed some fine wines. We watched funny TV and saw the ball drop. We played games and caught up on everyone's semester (or fall!). I even got to see my old housemate, who drove over from Princeton! The next day we have delicious diner breakfast, before most people took off for other activities. I stuck around for a bit with Maria. Funny how some friends are just easy and comfortable no matter how far apart you are or how often you get to catch up :)