A Few Big Events in April and May

Aside from our trip to Delaware, we had a couple other noteworthy events.

First, Grandpa King came to visit with his girlfriend, Kathy, at the end of April.  We all had a good time touring DC and eating delicious foods.  Alison enjoyed hanging out with Grandpa, Kathy, and Uncle Justin for that stretch of five days.

Grandpa & Alison - Old Town Alexandria Waterfront

Nathan finished painting and adding a closet in the new baby's room, so we moved the crib and got Alison to use her new "Big Girl Bed".  She was not very happy about being forced out of her crib.

Big Girl Bed

On the 19th, Alison and I went strawberry-picking at Shlagel Farms.  Last year, she ate strawberries constantly (both ripe and white ones - it didn't matter) and the outing ended in this strawberry coma:

2012 Strawberry Coma

This year, Alison was an excellent strawberry-picking machine!  She knew exactly which ones to grab and only ate a few....until the ride home where she mostly finished her small batch of about 20 that she had picked.  We also got to feed the chickens, play on the playground and dig in the sand before it started to downpour on us.  Alison asked if we could go strawberry-picking again the next day.

Great Harvest

Chicken Attack!

Three Hour Radius

There are close to 5 million things to do within a three-hour radius of DC.  In the past month, we've started to explore a few of the gems outside of DC.

Manassas

Manassas National Battlefield Park is the site of two civil war battles, most notably the first battle of the entire war.  It is located just 25 miles from DC, which is truly interesting when you think about how close that really was to our nation's capital.  It's neat to learn about the battles via a short walk down to a stone house that stood long before the war arrived at its doorstep and via a driving tour with stops at important battle points.  It's hard to imagine troops moving through this hilly, forested area without cell phones to communicate with commanders.  At one point the troops only realized that fighting was about to begin when they noticed the sun glistening off the bayonets of an approaching mass of enemy soldiers coming up a hill very close to where they stood.

 3-12-11 - Stone House @ Manassas

I would recommend a visit and while you're there, stop for breakfast at Yorkshire Restaurant in the town of Manassas. Yuuuummy!

Chimborazo Hospital

In Richmond, they've preserved the largest confederate general hospital from the civil war: Chimborazo.  It's interesting to learn about the fact that women, slave and free blacks, all worked together with men to save lives.  There's a museum and movie in the Visitor Center, but the best part about this site is the park.  It's on a hill overlooking parts of Richmond.  Great place to bring your lunch and enjoy the view!

3-26-11 - Chimborazo Visitor Center

Maggie L. Walker (Richmond)

Maggie L. Walker was one of the earliest and most successful black, female entrepreneurs in our nation.  She built a local banking empire, taking its parent organization from an impoverished community with $400 in debt to a thriving one worth over $400,000.  Her house is preserved with 95% of the furnishings she owned still intact.  The staff at this site are amazing and will take you on an excellent tour of the house and a museum in her honor.

3-26-11 - Maggie L Walker's House

Fort Ward

Of course, we've been exploring close to home as well.  My favorite place to stroll with Allie in Alexandria is Fort Ward, which used to be one of the Forts protecting DC during the civil war era.  They still have part of the earthen fort set-up as it once was and a museum that you can walk through for free.  The best part is the walking path around the park and the fact that they have an amphitheater for concerts in the summer.

3-18-11 - Fort Ward Gate