Monday, July 31, 2017

Guide to Alexandria, VA

July 31, 2017 0 Comments
ALEXANDRIA, VA
Founded 1749
Alexandria was one of the cutest towns I have ever been in. I wish that I got to stay there for more than a few hours, but even in that short amount of time, I fell in love with everything about the town from the history to the cobblestone streets to the shopping to the food. This travel guide is going to be a lot shorter than my Georgetown one, and is maybe more of a review than a guide. Either way, it will have some good information for any tourist like me.
This little guide is going to be set up differently than my Georgetown one because I am just going to tell you what my day in Alexandria consisted of. 
I arrived to Alexandria by Metro from DC. At the King Street Station, I hopped on a little trolley that took me straight into old town Alexandria. It dropped me off at the waterfront (pictured above). My sister and I strolled around a bit and immediately found the cutest store I have EVER been in.
It's called The Lucky Knot and it sold all of my favorite Southern Prep brands like Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines. It also introduced me to a bunch of similar brands that, being from California, I had never heard of before! I spent over an hour in that little store looking through dresses and jewelry. I left with an adorable pair of earrings that I am currently wearing as I write this post.
After some shopping, my sister and I walked around on some of the side streets which had such old, gorgeous houses on them.
Also, who can resist an actual cobblestone street? I saw some of those in Georgetown, but the ones in Alexandria felt even older and more historic. The houses were all brick with old lanterns hanging on them. I kind of wish that cars weren't allowed on the streets because they just look so out of place, but I guess the modern world has to catch up with us somewhere. My sister and I also stopped at Carlyle House. We were too late to get a real tour of it, so sadly I don't really know the history of the building or what it was used for, but it was very pretty from the outside and the gardens were beautiful.
photocreds
There are tours from 10:00am to 4:00pm and I would strongly recommend doing that. I wish I could have. To complete our little tour of the town, my sister and I had dinner at Gadsby's Tavern. George Washington ate here very often before his presidency, and the restaurant still serves traditional meals from the colonial times.
They seated us at George Washington's personal table (according to this historian that was taking pictures of it before we sat down). Inside it was candlelit, and the sun was still out, so it wasn't too dark. We ordered peanut soup to start us off.
It was a very interesting taste... like a mix of peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, and some other random tastes that I couldn't name. I thought it was pretty good, but my sister didn't like it as much. It was SO filling though, so I would not recommend getting it as an appetizer like we did. For our entrees, I ordered a lamb chop and my sister got some sort of steak if I remember correctly.
There was so much food, but it was all delicious! While we were eating, we found out that the reason that there were so many people in town that day (it was packed!) was because it was Alexandria's birthday! Every year, Alexandria holds off on 4th of July fireworks, and then has a big celebration on July 8th for the anniversary of the founding of the town. This was a wonderful surprise, and so my sister and I decided to wait at the waterfront until 9:00 for the firework show.
It was held on the dock, and there was a pretty big crowd. Getting out of the town proved to be a challenge and Uber was very expensive because so many people were using it at once. But even though the crowd was a pain, the fireworks were so worth it and served as a special end to a fantastic day.
I'm not sure what hotels or lodging are in old town Alexandria, but I would totally recommend staying there for a few nights. It is such an amazing town, and even though I only got to go for a few hours, I miss it like crazy!
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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

A Guide to Georgetown, D.C.

July 19, 2017 2 Comments

GEORGETOWN, D.C.
Founded in 1751
View from the Georgetown Waterfront
I recently got back from a two week long trip to Washington, D.C. I went there for an entrepreneurship camp at Georgetown University and then a political conference with the Young America's Foundation. I spent the majority of my trip in Georgetown. Being from California, I have never been to a place quite like it. With a few cobblestone streets (those still exist?) and tons of historical brick buildings, walking through the town was like a dream. All I needed was a coach with a horse and maybe a long, poofy dress and I would have been in the colonial times. It was amazing to see some of the side streets even more than the main ones like M street and Wisconsin because the emptier ones have been left alone a bit more. Anyway, if you are visiting the D.C. area, Georgetown is a must not only for shopping and dining, but just to walk around. I'll break down my stay into a few categories for you.

Lodging
Adorable brick houses on a side street
Though I'm sure there are a couple of upscale hotels in Georgetown, the real way to get a feel of the area is to rent one of the brick houses for a few nights. I was lucky enough to have a friend from home living with her family in Georgetown for a month, so I stayed with her for four nights. Their house was close to the corner of N street and Wisconsin Ave. which made it right in the middle of everything. My friend and I could walk anywhere in no time. I'm sure renting a house like this is pretty pricey, but check out airbnb to see if it's something you can afford. If you need to stay in Washington, it's really easy to bob on over to Georgetown.

Transportation
Capital Bikeshare photocreds
In Georgetown specifically, it's probably easiest to walk everywhere. I would not advise renting a car during your vacation because there is so much traffic. To get to Washington, D.C., I would either Uber (which will cost anywhere between $8 and $15), take the metro from Foggy Bottom which is a little less than a mile from the heart of Georgetown, or if it was nice outside, I would rent a Capital Bikeshare bike for $2 for 30 minutes, and I would take the beautiful bike path along the Potomac River that pops you out close to the Lincoln Memorial. Once you get into Washington, there are bike stations everywhere where you can turn in your bike. Then once you're finished sight seeing or whatever took you to Washington, you can find another station and rent a new bike for $2 to take to Georgetown. Riding bikes was my favorite mode of transportation because it's cheap, pretty, and only takes about 15 minutes if you take the bike path from Georgetown's waterfront to the Lincoln Memorial. Taking an Uber can take longer depending on traffic, and it's way more expensive. The metro is definitely cheap, but it is a pretty long walk from M Street to Foggy Bottom, the nearest station to Georgetown.

Dining
French toast at Boulangerie Christophe
A little crepe store on M Street
Got my Laduree macaron <3
Milkshakes and burgers at The Tombs 
Salted Caramel Georgetown Cupcakes were to die for
The food in Georgetown is AMAZING. I ate my way through that town like nobody's business and I probably gained a few pounds, but it was worth it. Okay so I'm going to break my favorite places up by brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert. 
For brunch, my favorite places were Boulangerie Christophe on Wisconsin Ave. It was a French bakery with a restaurant upstairs and served such a good brunch. Also, there is a place in an alley off M Street called Kafe Leopold. They also had a delicious brunch menu. Both of these restaurants had beautiful desserts, too. 
For lunch, the European style market Dean and Deluca had a great deli where I got plenty of club sandwiches during my stay. Also, if you're looking for something way more affordable, try Falafel Inc. It's $4 for a delicious Falafel wrap. If you don't know what falafel is, ask the guy at the counter because he is the nicest guy ever. I think he might've been the owner...? Not really sure, but everyone in there is so friendly. Also, Martin's Tavern is a great place for lunch. It has a fun vibe to it and isn't very fancy like a lot of places can be. I never tried dinner at Martin's, but I'm sure it would also be great. Another place for lunch or dinner is the Tombs. Right next to Georgetown University, the Tombs is a really cool college hang out where you can get great shakes and burgers. The waiters are really nice and friendly there. 
For dinner, I usually ate at some of the places I listed for lunch, or I went to Washington to eat at other restaurants. In Washington, I went to places like the Hamilton, the Dubliner, and a Texas barbecue place where I ate enough food to feed an elephant.
Lastly, dessert. I had so many fun desserts while staying in Georgetown from cupcakes to tarts to crepes. Georgetown Cupcake is famously known, and though the line takes forever, it is worth a try. Plus, if you look on their website, every day they have a "cupcake of the day" which is free! Not a lot of tourists know about this, but it's definitely something to look for. Another cupcake place is called Baked and Wired. A lot of people claim that this bakery is superior to Georgetown Cupcakes, but I think that they're equally good. I got a strawberry cupcake at Baked and Wired and it was delicious. For ice cream, you could always head over to Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Dazs on M street, but the best ice cream in town has to be Thomas Sweet on Wisconsin Ave. I got a hot fudge brownie sundae there and it was so good! The line there can be pretty long, too, but they're open late into the night for those late night sugar cravings. My friend and I found a little crepe place on M street, and I don't remember what it was called, but they were so friendly, and the crepes were sooo good. I got a nutella and strawberry crepe with strawberry ice cream and whipped cream on top. It was like a full meal. The other desserts I had while staying in Georgetown were just little tarts and things from French bakeries like Boulangerie Christophe.
The food is pretty pricey in Georgetown, so if you're staying there for an extended amount of time, I would go to Safeway on Wisconsin and get some groceries to make a few of your own meals!

Shopping!
Lilly Pulitzer (obviously!)
The upstairs at Kate Spade
Vineyard Vines: A must when you're on the East Coast
Where do I even begin? The shopping in Georgetown is fantastic. All of my favorite stores that I don't see very often in California (Vineyard Vines, Lilly Pulitzer, etc) were all there. Also, since I was there around the 4th of July, everyone was having a sale! I didn't end up buying much (because I spent so much money on food oops), but I spent a lot of time looking around at J Crew, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and more. Most of the shops are on M street, and the ones that aren't on M are on Wisconsin. You can walk everywhere. They have a lot of preppy stores but they also throw in places like Free People so there's a pretty good mix. I planned on buying some Lilly Pulitzer things, but then I remembered that their annual sale is coming up soon so I decided to wait.

Other Things To Do
Georgetown University
Historic Houses
Gardens <3
You don't have to spend a ton of money to have a good time in Georgetown. Sure the shopping and dining are amazing, but just to walk around and see the buildings is fun! I stayed in the dorms at Georgetown University for a week for a summer camp, and if you are visiting the area, take a tour of campus! It's beautiful and has some cool places to take pictures (the steps from the Exorcist, anyone?). There are also some really historic buildings randomly scattered throughout the town. Take some time to look those up online and go see them! The waterfront is also a nice place to walk especially at sunset. Georgetown is a beautiful town, and I really recommend going there even if it's just for a day while you stay in D.C.
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March's Book (Little Women) Review

July 19, 2017 0 Comments

Oh my goodness you guys, I am so, SO sorry that I didn't complete this book review back at the end of March! Well, Little Women was a fantastic book! It took me a little while to finish reading because of school, but I would say I finished it around mid April. I don't know about all of you, but I personally love books set in the 1800s. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, and so I am always looking for similar books. Little Women takes place in Northern America during the Civil War (at the beginning of the novel), but the war doesn't totally affect the story other than the fact that the girls' father is off fighting. The story revolves around four young girls living with their mother and follows their lives as they grow up, fall in love, start families, and just experience life. It was nicely written and didn't get boring at all. I can't decide whether I should write any spoilers because I have one complaint that I am still frustrated about, but I would give away the whole thing if I said it.... I don't think I'm going to, but if you think you have the same complaint comment below. I'll give you a hint: it has to do with Jo and her choices once she is grown up (actually just one choice that COMPLETELY threw me off). Anyway, if you've read Little Women and need to vent about this choice, I am here for you because I read the book like 3 months ago and I still am not over it. Other than this disappointing choice of Jo's (the second oldest sister), the book was a lovely read! 10 out of 10, I completely recommend.
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