Last Weekend In DC

We leave this coming Saturday for Vietnam, so last weekend was our last chance to squeeze in some fun before we take off. Of course we had to do a little packing, so Nikki and I spent the better part of Saturday at our storage facility organizing things that are coming with us (scuba and camp gear, swimsuits, various musical instruments and a ton of shoes) and things that are staying (sweaters, snowboards, Hina's chariot, etc.). Aside from our checked bags, we are allowed to take 450 lbs of air freight and send 7000 lbs via slow boat. I think we're way under that limit, but who really knows what those numbers mean?

After doing as much organizing as possible, we jumped in the car and headed an hour west to go to a restaurant called the Inn and Little Washington. This was by far the fanciest (and most expensive) meal that I have ever participated in, but Nikki and I both thought it was worth it. The service was excellent and the meal felt like a performance. Of course, the food was absolutely delicious with some highlights including: one of the best ceviche dishes we've ever had, "tuna pretending to be fillet mignon," artichoke pasta, and fois gras done two ways.  There were fun little extras too like an interesting amuse bouche before the meal, a watermelon bubble tea in between courses, and a box of treats to take with us. We were also treated to a tour of the kitchen which was remarkably spotless. Very cool! Next week we are eating at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, so we'll be able to compare all these ridiculously fancy meals before heading to the land of cheap food in southeast asia.

We finished our 3 hr meal late (11:30 or so) and had an hour drive to the hotel where we would be meeting the hot air balloon company. Of course, I had neglected to pay attention to little details like how much gas was in the tank, so had to take a detour and get some fuel (we barely made it over the Blue Ridge Mountains and coasted down the other side in neutral all the way to Luray).

We were up at 5:30 the next day for our balloon ride. Wow. One of the coolest things I have ever experienced!! It's an amazing feeling to silently float above houses and treetops, waving to people below. We got lucky and had warm weather and lots of sunshine. We just set up and landed in random fields and we were both impressed with how good the guys were that ran to operation - Richy (from KY) and Duane (from AL). We continued our spectacular Sunday with brunch, a stop of the outlets in Leesburg (Nikki was excited!), and a visit to Sunset Hills winery - we're getting into the Cab Francs and Viogniers that Virginia apparently does well. We enjoyed some "winearitas" along with brie/honey and some Amish cheddar on the back porch while listening to a great old guitarist rock out to a variety of classics.

It was a great way to say goodbye to DC - good food, wine, and a balloon ride in the country. This week we are wrapping everything up and preparing to leave Saturday. It's busy, but we are feeling like things are sort of under control....