Captains Quarters in Santee and Sam Sneads’ Oak Grill & Tavern in Savannah

Whenever we drive to Florida we have a certain routine. It depends upon the time of the year. When it stays lighter later in the day we usually go as far as Dorian or Brunswick Georgia. But if it’s winter and the sun sets at four or five, we always stop in Savannah. The main reason is because we absolutely love Sam Snead’s Oak Bar and Grill and don’t like driving at night. It doesn’t matter when we go - the place is always busy. So this month we did just that and the parking lot was even busier than busy - probably more from Christmas parties than travelers. The restaurant is located on the airport exit. The French onion soup is fantastic - we always get that along with a burger and some sort of blackened fish. On the return trip we also have a favorite called Captains Quarters in Santee, South Carolina. We made reservations a couple of hours ahead of the time once we knew we would be reaching that location for dinner. Captains has the best steak and seafood. We rarely eat steak anymore - which may be why it tastes so good! This place is also always packed - with people standing in line waiting to get in. Of course, being a Friday night didn’t help. We decided to stay in Santee for the night, which made the next day drive a bit longer than usual. We both agree it is worth the visit at both places and now has become Florida trip tradition. 

Union Station Breakfast Spots

When it is really hot outside, we take our morning walk in the air conditioned Union Station. Once in awhile we will also head there in sub zero and high wind scenarios. Luckily that doesn't happen that often. While we are there we sometimes stop for breakfast. Then we don't have to think about cooking or preparing something when we get home. There are a lot of options in Union Station. But we generally prefer sitting somewhere to grab and go. Over the past year we have tried Johnny Rockets and Thunder Grill. We stopped at Au Bon Pain and picked up pastry. In the last two weeks we tried Le Pain Quotidien and Einstein Bagels. We have also been to Shake Shack for hamburgers and a few other spots when we have ventured over for the rare dinner. I can't say any of these places are anything special. But most people are there for something quick while on the way to somewhere. The most fun is the people watching. When you go there as often as we do you begin to see familiar faces. You could say it's a nice diversion - in more ways than one. 

Raco de la Vila Restaurant in Barcelona

We usually have dinner at 6 PM. But people in Europe tend to eat a lot later - more like 8-8:30 or later. Last evening we met up with the son and girlfriend of our English friends, who happen to live in Barcelona, where we are visiting for a couple of days. Our French friends are also in town, so we are a party of eight! The best way to get to where we were going was to take the metro, and thank goodness other people like to take the lead on getting us from one place to another. So we made our way to Raco de la Vila and filled ourselves up with tapas and dinner. We decided on paella after gorging on bread, artichokes, mushrooms, salad, onions, and an assortment of other things. It was relatively busy for a Sunday evening. Before we left on this trip we watched a show about the city and its' food and the first thing we saw was a pig leg (I think) in the entryway which is sliced very thin. The tiles on the walls and decor were interesting and the company was even more so. We could hardly waddle out of the place after ice cream and coffee and after dinner drinks. No wonder I can't sleep at night since we came here - I have such horrible palpitations and can only guess it is from all this food and drink. We will be leaving shortly for another one of these adventures. Every time I think I will behave and eat less it never happens. I am hoping for a decent nights sleep but am afraid it won't happen until we get back home. Until then I will try to enjoy the ride, in spite of the after affects. 

L'Enfant Plaza on a Saturday Afternoon

Last week we took a ride around the new L'Enfant Plaza. But we couldn't see much from the car as most of the extensive renovation occurred underground. The last time we were anywhere around here was over ten years ago when we stayed at the hotel to celebrate a birthday. The shopping and eating area was dark, but very crowded. We used the metro to get here from the airport. So we took a walk last evening from our house to this destination first passing by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department of Energy. We even stopped at the CVS to buy band aids for an unexpected toe malfunction. Along the way I dropped my water bottle from the carrier without knowing it, and bought another one from a street vendor for $3.00. There were a lot of tourists scurrying around by the Federal Plaza Metro going to and from the Mall that is only a block away. When we reached the Smithsonian Castle, we turned toward the Plaza and reached the glass enclosure that is the above ground entrance. There was a huge staircase descending to the floor below. Everything looked relatively new since it just opened on June 1. But it was completely deserted except for a couple of food vendors that were open. We passed by a closed Hallmark Shop and a Post Office, and didn't take the hallways that lead to the hotel and the metro. We did however, find restrooms that could come in handy when walking the mall with out of town guests. They say the place is very busy during the week from nine to five, but that's hard to believe when you see it looking like this. We thought about maybe grabbing a bite to eat, but it was too early and we preferred to have our own home made pizza when we got home. Everything looked so stark with Federal Building cement buildings all along the route and simply not very architecturally appealing. I suppose someone likes this style? Not sure we'll be coming back any time soon - at least not on the weekend. 

The New L'Enfant Plaza

Driving up independence Avenue we arrived at the L'Enfant Plaza turn off right across from the Smithsonian Castle. I just read somewhere that the area was revitalized and newly reopened, creating a brighter and more interesting place below ground - and perhaps above? Our last encounter with the area was over ten years ago when we stayed at the hotel to celebrate my sister's fiftieth birthday. It was in February, snowing, and the city was empty when we walked from there to the Hart Building to get our pre-ordered White House tickets. Being from Wisconsin it didn't seem like such a big deal, but since we moved here, apparently it is! I just remember the place as being dark and dingy, but very busy underground when we entered to and exited from the metro. Since we only drove around the plaza on this go round, there wasn't much to see. I guess we will need to return on foot and check it out more. One of the best reasons to learn about it is to see if there are available public restrooms. If you are ever on the Mall in the morning with out of town guests or otherwise, and the museums have not yet opened, these are the important things to know! 

Yards Park Construction

A lot has changed since we moved to Capitol Hill eight years ago. The area south of the freeway doesn't look anything like it did. The Department of Transportation was the only occupied building in a sea of old warehouses along the waterfront. The baseball stadium was under construction. Now the area has Canal Park ice skating, green space, several high rise apartments and a huge area of residential townhouses. But the cranes are still up everywhere. A Harris Teeter is near completion, more apartments and restaurants are being built in every direction, and the place is highly trafficked with every Nationals game. It's a nice thing to be a part of an up and coming community - if you like that sort of thing. I much prefer the more suburban feel of our very old 1890's tiny condo tucked in at the end of a traditional block of authentic town homes. But I like having the opportunity to live just steps away from all this activity on the south side, and also have the option to head north towards the Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. The vibe is very different on either side, so our mood dictates the direction we head when we walk out the door.