My Memorial Day Weekend

Most years I travel for Memorial Day weekend, either visiting friends or seeing my parents when they lived closer, but this year I stayed in the DC area for the holiday. I actually also had Friday off from work, so I had a FOUR day weekend! Here's what I got up to:

Friday

Image found here

A friend and I took a nature walk in Mason Neck State Park, which isn't too far from where he lives in Alexandria. It's nice that you don't have to pay to visit (some parks do have a fee, like at Burke Lake Park), and since we went on Friday morning, we were the only ones there. It was lovely walking through the trees, and we saw so much wildlife! My friend almost stepped on a garter snake, and we saw a beaver swimming in the water; we also saw a bald eagle while we were driving. Wildlife sightings always amaze me: if we had been a minute earlier or later, we never would have seen them! 

Image found here

The walk didn't take very long (especially when you're an avid hiker like I am), so we decided to head to Occoquan for lunch. We walked around the historic town, which is very cute, with lots of shops, restaurants, and colorful Victorian-style buildings. We got sandwiches at the Ballywhack Shack (so good!) and had a picnic by the river. And even though it's a small town, there must be at least four or five ice cream places to choose from for dessert. We ended up picking Anderson's Country Store because they had the best price, the place smelled delicious (they were smoking pork), and they had a cute backyard area to sit and relax. Highly recommend!

That night my boyfriend hosted a BBQ and invited some of his friends and neighbors over. Having a BBQ over Memorial Day weekend is such an American tradition, so we loved providing so much food (and piña coladas!) to our guests. We had chicken, ribs, and hamburgers on the grill, and we had so many sides: chips and guac, potato chips, coleslaw, corn salad and quinoa salad (both leftover from a work event!), and more. And one of the neighbors, who is a close friend, has a daughter who works at Bakeshop in Falls Church, so she brought over cupcakes. Yummy!

Saturday

Image found here

After my morning Orange Theory class, I went down to Alexandria for a yoga class at Radiance Yoga. A colleague of mine goes there, and they have a two-week unlimited special for new people. I had taken one class the weekend before, so this was my second time at the studio. The space is beautiful with lots of natural light, and since I don't do yoga regularly like I did pre-pandemic, I enjoyed the extra stretching.

Image found here

To continue my day of activity, after having a quick snack my boyfriend and I visited Lake Accotink at colleague's suggestion. It was a very sunny day, and most of this walk is shaded, so that was perfect. The loop around the lake is more than three miles (maybe even closer to five?), so we walked for a long time. You can't see the lake during most of the walk, since you're in the woods, but you do see streams; at one point you have to walk through a neighborhood to continue on the nature path, which was a little strange. We liked being outside, and we would definitely go ahead, next time going around the lake in the opposite direction!

Image found here

After such an active day, we should have taken it easy for the rest of the night. But nope! We headed downtown to go to a rehearsal of the National Memorial Day Concert. My friend is married to the tuba player of the NSO, so he has played this holiday concert for many years. So we joined her for a picnic as we watched the show. The rehearsals on both Friday and Saturday are open to the public, but less crowded than the real concert on Sunday, so it was nice that it wasn't crowded at all. BUT for safety reasons, a lot of the walkways are blocked off, and since we got off at the wrong metro stop, we ended up walking for FORTY minutes before eventually getting to the western lawn of the Capitol (it felt like the Kentucky Derby all over again!). We found my friend and practically collapsed on her picnic blanket. But once we were finally sitting down, it was good to catch up with her and have some snacks. The concert itself was of course somber, since the event is about the memory of Americans soldiers lost in the many wars of our country's history. The performance was a mix of songs (I liked seeing Phillip Phillips and Jo Dee Messina best) and speeches, the latter featuring family members of those who lost their lives or were POWs. I definitely got teary-eyed a few times listening to their very personal stories of grief. This concert is held every year (and similar concerts are organized for the 4th of July and Labor Day as well), and yet this was the first time I ever even heard of it, let alone watched it. It's such a DC thing to do, and I'm glad I got to experience it and take that moment to remember our lost veterans.

You can watch a full video of the concert here:

Sunday

After my boyfriend and I worked out, I visited my grandmother for a little while just to check up on her. My poppop was in the Navy, so it felt appropriate to visit her over the holiday weekend (he passed two years ago). She and I walked (strolled is more like it) around the courtyard of her senior living center, and it was nice to talk with her and spend time together. After I returned to my boyfriend's house, he and I had breakfast before he scooted off to go motorcycle riding. 

Image found here

While he was riding, I went back to Bethesda and took a walk with a sorority sister along the Capital Crescent Trail. It's so convenient to have this lovely path right from the heart of downtown Bethesda. My friend and I had the chance to catch up, since I hadn't seen her in about a month, and she told me all about her mom visiting over Mother's Day weekend and her trip to Clearwater for a bachelorette party. We walked for over an hour, so just another day of nature walking for me!

Image found here

That night my boyfriend and I went to the Wharf to buy Billy Idol tickets at the Anthem's box office (wanted to avoid those online fees!). Since we were already down there, we had drinks at Cantina Bambina and Tiki TNT. From afar we saw a pop-up for Whistle Pig bourbon, but by the time we walked over there it had already closed. Darn it! 

Monday

Image found here

A friend and his girlfriend were visiting the area for the holiday weekend, so we met up for some more Radiance yoga before picking up breakfast from South Block (I got their points since they don't have the app. Woot!) and eating our acai bowls on the Old Town Alexandria waterfront.

Screen shot from Google Maps

Before the rain set in, my boyfriend and I took his dog on a long walk along the trail leading to Howard E. Harman Stream Valley Park. We have passed this entrance several times (just past Penzey's Spices on Broad Street in Falls Church), but I have never walked the path. It takes you into a neighborhood, so you can either turn around or just return higher up on Broad Street and make your way back. Not really a destination for a walk, but if you are already in the area, it is a nice way to get outside.

Image found here

We braved the rain that night to meet up with another couple for dinner at Millie's in Spring Valley. Even though this restaurant is right up the road from American University (where I worked for almost four years), I had only ever been to Millie's once before. I think they were understaffed, and because everyone was inside instead of outside because of the weather, the staff seemed overwhelmed. Also, it seems like the vents in the ceiling leak (especially when it's raining), so make sure to sit away from the windows in case you go on a stormy day! The food and drinks are good, but it's a little expensive for what it is. Our bill was nearly $200 just for four of us to go out to dinner! And it's not even a fancy place! Maybe that's why I only visited once before...

SUCH a packed weekend, despite not traveling for the holiday!