Blog — "travel"
DC Cherry Blossoms and the MLK Memorial
Heidi Shenk "outdoors" "travel" "Washington DC"
On Saturday we decided to brave the crowds and take in the beautiful cherry blossoms that were blooming along Tidal Basin in DC. We had not been down that way for the blooms in a couple of years, and since the weekend had brought with it such beautiful weather, it seemed like a fun enough way to spend a leisurely afternoon.
The blooms were beautiful as they are each year, and walking amongst these old trees makes you feel as though you're in a winter wonderland of petals instead of snow. It's hard not to sigh a few times here and there as you take in the beauty.
At the end of our walk around Tidal Basin we paused for a bit to take in the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial. We had not had a chance to visit the relatively new memorial since it was installed.
While reading some of his most famous quotes, that had been engraved on the memorial, I thought of how powerful his words are still today. So many of the quotes deal with us understanding each other and placing the importance of all of humanity above anything else. And here we were, amongst the beautiful cherry blossoms with thousands of others from all over the world, and at that moment none of the strife, or conflict, or inequality that exists in the world mattered. We were all there together just to take in beauty-- and there was nothing complicated about that.
The blooms were beautiful as they are each year, and walking amongst these old trees makes you feel as though you're in a winter wonderland of petals instead of snow. It's hard not to sigh a few times here and there as you take in the beauty.
At the end of our walk around Tidal Basin we paused for a bit to take in the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial. We had not had a chance to visit the relatively new memorial since it was installed.
While reading some of his most famous quotes, that had been engraved on the memorial, I thought of how powerful his words are still today. So many of the quotes deal with us understanding each other and placing the importance of all of humanity above anything else. And here we were, amongst the beautiful cherry blossoms with thousands of others from all over the world, and at that moment none of the strife, or conflict, or inequality that exists in the world mattered. We were all there together just to take in beauty-- and there was nothing complicated about that.
Richmond Weekend Wrap-Up
We spent this past weekend in Richmond, Virginia as I was participating in the Richmond Craft Mafia's Spring Bada-Bing. You may remember from back in December, that we were in Richmond for a day for their Handmade Holiday. We had previously never been to Richmond before our one day in and out in December, so this time we decided to stay for an overnight and do a little exploring on Sunday before...
Richmond Weekend Wrap-Up
Heidi Shenk "business" "travel"
We spent this past weekend in Richmond, Virginia as I was participating in the Richmond Craft Mafia's Spring Bada-Bing. You may remember from back in December, that we were in Richmond for a day for their Handmade Holiday. We had previously never been to Richmond before our one day in and out in December, so this time we decided to stay for an overnight and do a little exploring on Sunday before heading back to Baltimore.
The show itself on Saturday was held at the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, which meant that we were able to enjoy the fabulous smells and tastes of their craft brews. My booth was set up directly next to one of the many large fermenters. Oak barrels line the walls, and two bars were open for customers and vendors alike to enjoy in a few libations. The show went exceedingly well (I feel a lot of love from Richmond in the last several months!) and the general atmosphere was something that left me feeling incredibly happy to be doing what I do.
I was also able to briefly meet Karl of Blackbird Tees. He and his girlfriend Jody create the best screen printed tees and and other such textiles. I have to admit, I truly look up to them in terms of the way they carry their handmade business as a lifestyle, so it was awesome to finally meet! Not to mention, I was able to snag one of their Share the Road tees for Andrew, the semi-avid cyclist, who may now have about one of their shirts in one form or another for every day of the week.
After a successful day at Hardywood, we stopped at Legend Brewing to enjoy a pint and some outdoor time in the beautiful weather. We noticed in December that Legend has a fabulous patio that overlooks the river and the city, and so we decided to test it out this time around. After a quick pint, we headed downtown to the Capital Ale House for dinner and more brews. The food was delicious and the selection of local beer on tap was the highlight for us. The weekend was definitely a good one for us craft beer lovers!
We stayed overnight at an apartment we had found through AirBnB, and then spent a lazy Sunday morning at Lamplighter, an amazing coffeehouse nearby. If you ever find yourself in Richmond, do yourself a favor and get your morning coffee and breakfast there. You won't regret it!
After fueling up on coffee and food, we spent some time exploring the Historic Fan District, which is filled with beautiful homes and architecture. Lastly, we spent the early afternoon meandering through Carytown, popping into a few boutiques and browsing through records at a local record store before heading back up 95 to Baltimore.
This weekend was incredibly exhausting, but it a good way. And now that Wednesday has arrived, I'm finally feeling reenergized and ready for another adventure.
Did you do anything fun this past weekend? Do you have any adventures planned for the near future?
The show itself on Saturday was held at the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, which meant that we were able to enjoy the fabulous smells and tastes of their craft brews. My booth was set up directly next to one of the many large fermenters. Oak barrels line the walls, and two bars were open for customers and vendors alike to enjoy in a few libations. The show went exceedingly well (I feel a lot of love from Richmond in the last several months!) and the general atmosphere was something that left me feeling incredibly happy to be doing what I do.
I was also able to briefly meet Karl of Blackbird Tees. He and his girlfriend Jody create the best screen printed tees and and other such textiles. I have to admit, I truly look up to them in terms of the way they carry their handmade business as a lifestyle, so it was awesome to finally meet! Not to mention, I was able to snag one of their Share the Road tees for Andrew, the semi-avid cyclist, who may now have about one of their shirts in one form or another for every day of the week.
After a successful day at Hardywood, we stopped at Legend Brewing to enjoy a pint and some outdoor time in the beautiful weather. We noticed in December that Legend has a fabulous patio that overlooks the river and the city, and so we decided to test it out this time around. After a quick pint, we headed downtown to the Capital Ale House for dinner and more brews. The food was delicious and the selection of local beer on tap was the highlight for us. The weekend was definitely a good one for us craft beer lovers!
We stayed overnight at an apartment we had found through AirBnB, and then spent a lazy Sunday morning at Lamplighter, an amazing coffeehouse nearby. If you ever find yourself in Richmond, do yourself a favor and get your morning coffee and breakfast there. You won't regret it!
After fueling up on coffee and food, we spent some time exploring the Historic Fan District, which is filled with beautiful homes and architecture. Lastly, we spent the early afternoon meandering through Carytown, popping into a few boutiques and browsing through records at a local record store before heading back up 95 to Baltimore.
This weekend was incredibly exhausting, but it a good way. And now that Wednesday has arrived, I'm finally feeling reenergized and ready for another adventure.
Did you do anything fun this past weekend? Do you have any adventures planned for the near future?
Cockatoo Island
Heidi Shenk "Australia" "travel"
When I last wrote about our trip to Australia, I left off with some beautiful photos from Bondi. The following day, we spent some time strolling throughout Sydney. We took the metro into the city and went exploring. In the afternoon, we decided to take a ferry out to Cockatoo Island. Cockatoo Island is located in Sydney Harbor and has a history as both a convict prison as well as being an old shipyard in which they drafted plans and built ships. The entire island's history was incredibly interesting to learn about and the remnants of the buildings left for some pretty fantastic photo opportunities.
After our day at Cockatoo Island, we headed back to Sydney for some record store shopping so that I could snag a few records that I can't get in the US. We took the metro back to our apartment, took a nap (we were ridiculously tired and the jet lag was catching up big time!), and then got ready for dinner. We headed to Manly, again by ferry, where we had a delicious meal and beer, of course, at a local microbrewery called 4 Pines. The next morning we would leave to fly into a totally different part of the country for a new adventure.
After our day at Cockatoo Island, we headed back to Sydney for some record store shopping so that I could snag a few records that I can't get in the US. We took the metro back to our apartment, took a nap (we were ridiculously tired and the jet lag was catching up big time!), and then got ready for dinner. We headed to Manly, again by ferry, where we had a delicious meal and beer, of course, at a local microbrewery called 4 Pines. The next morning we would leave to fly into a totally different part of the country for a new adventure.
Bondi
Heidi Shenk "Australia" "travel"
It's taken me quite a while to get through all of our photos from Australia. Setting aside time just to sort through them all is hard to do, and then once I have the time, choosing the ones that I like the most becomes quite the chore! On our first full day in Sydney, we took a ferry to Watson's Bay for some lunch and then took the bus to Bondi. (You know you want to click that link. I was only singing this song in my head the whole way there...)
Bondi is home to one of the most popular city beaches and was a place I often went to just to relax and chill out. When we arrived, it was cloudy, which made me a bit sad. However, as we stayed for a little while, the sun came out and the weather warmed and we were able to enjoy a beer while watching all of the surfers take on the waves.
Our first full day in Sydney was busy as we took in the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Sydney Opera House before heading to Bondi, but we knew we were short on time for our entire trip. There was no better way to get over our jetlag than to just jump right in with all of the adventures.
Up next, I'll share some photos from our second day before we headed out to the red center.
Bondi is home to one of the most popular city beaches and was a place I often went to just to relax and chill out. When we arrived, it was cloudy, which made me a bit sad. However, as we stayed for a little while, the sun came out and the weather warmed and we were able to enjoy a beer while watching all of the surfers take on the waves.
Our first full day in Sydney was busy as we took in the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Sydney Opera House before heading to Bondi, but we knew we were short on time for our entire trip. There was no better way to get over our jetlag than to just jump right in with all of the adventures.
Up next, I'll share some photos from our second day before we headed out to the red center.