4 out the door

Assateague Island

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:18:00 +0000

The 4 were out the door again last weekend ... although we were 5 and we ventured about 2 hours away. My sister took the day off of work to go with us to Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland. The day started out rainy and we debated going, but there wasn't another day for us to go together, so we headed out. My sister had gotten the kids a book about the island, so they had a heads up about what it was going to be like. The big draw to the island is that there are wild horses that roam about. Sure enough, as we drove onto the island there were two horses off on the side of the road, munching away on some grass. They're not phased in the least by cars and people. They just go about their business. Check out this beautiful lady ...

We spent some time driving around deer and egrets. We walked around on the beach for a while and then stopped for a picnic lunch.

By then it was time for the kids to take a nap. What better place to take a nap than on the beach!

The Boy laid down for all of 60 seconds. The Girl did a little better with about 10 minutes. Then Dad got up and chased them around while my sister and I got in our nap. Literally ... chasing ...

By this time the sun was shining, the world was beautiful and it was probably the best nap of my life!

When we got up we played on the beach a while longer. The kids were excited to get in the water despite it being windy and the water being beyond cold. Of course, the Girl had to take one step too far and ended up wet from head to toe. Once that drama was over, we went on two walks ... the forest walk and the marsh walk. They're 1/2 mile walks with lots of informational plaques and such along the way. The boy took all of this very seriously, as is his nature ...

On the marsh walk we got to see a blue crab in action. He had himself hooked onto a piling, upside down and was waiting for something to swim past. Very cool.

The forest walk was more about plants. The kids were a little overly impressed by the mushrooms. It was a good opportunity to talk about asking the parents before eating something!

The Island had originally been the start of a resort type community. It was destroyed by a hurricane in the 50's and was eventually taken over partly by the National Park Service and partly by the the states of Maryland and Virginia. We walked out on what was originally intended to be the marina. We saw these two beauties. They were amazing!

At the end of the day we headed into Ocean Shores to Crab Alley. Guess what we got!!

I love vegetables, legumes and the rest, but I'm definitely a carnivore! After a long day exploring a national park, there's nothing better than all you can eat blue crabs!!

Total: My sister had a park pass, which we used. Otherwise it would have been $15 for our vehicle to get in.
Verdict: Fabulous! We'll be back for camping.
Location: Maryland's shore. Directions
Metro: Nope. You'll have to drive to this one.

Nathan Lee

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:09:00 +0000

André and I have taken the kids to some interesting things over the years. They've been to various plays, dinners and concerts that most people think are a little advanced for kids. They figure that the kids would run around and scream their heads off. The kids certainly are not perfect, but they have yet to embarass us enough to leave them home! Maybe it's because we've carted them everywhere for their entire lives (literally ... The Boy was taken to Blue Man Group in utero), but they seem to put up with it .. and even enjoy it!

The 4 of us headed out for a home concert last night! A new friend of ours knows a musician named Nathan Lee and he performed in her home. Nathan is from Nashville and is doing 40 concerts in 40 days in 40 cities! His tour and new cd are both called "Risk Everything". It really is risky. He's got 40 cities to go to, but doesn't have venues yet in many of these cities. I think he's going to find it worth the risk though!

First, the idea of having a concert in your home is fabulous! How personal! You get to know the artist and what's behind the songs. I feel like you get so much more out of a song when you know the story behind it and what went into it.

Second, Nathan is just a super nice, genuine guy. He chatted with us and with our kids. He often plays in bars, so I can only imagine that he doesn't play the 3-5 year old scene too often! He was sweet with the kids and they SAT and LISTENED to him play. The Boy even recalled the name of a song that was played at the beginning and declared it his favorite!

Third, and most importantly, this guy is amazing. He's got a great raspy voice, meaningful lyrics and can he ever play the piano!

One of the goals of this blog is to let other families in the area know what there is to do around DC. The opportunity to see Nathan Lee in a friend's home probably won't come around again, (although we can always hope!), but I just want to encourage you to get out there, meet people, take your kids and HAVE FUN!

Open City

noreply@blogger.com (ak) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:18:00 +0000

After the Eric Carle exhibit it was time for dinner!

I found Open City through a quick Google map search. It seemed to have some pretty positive reviews, so I thought we'd give it a try.

We walked in, and after waiting just a few seconds, were greeted by a smiling hostess. I asked for a table on the outside patio area, as it seemed a little noisy inside, and the weather outside was just about as perfect as one could ask for the last night of August in the city.

The menu at Open City features salads and sandwiches as well as some fuller entrees. They also serve breakfast all day, although we stuck with more traditional (well...sorta) dinner offerings.

The Boy was once again pleased with the set of four crayons provided to him and happily worked on his color by number place mat. As he colored, we browsed the menu and made our selections.

To start out we enjoyed the hummus plate, which in addition to hummus and pita bread featured grape tomatoes, cucumber slices and pitted olives. I thought the extra veggies were a nice touch and provided a fresh crispiness to the whole appetizer. The hummus was very good, but the pita bread, although drizzled with olive oil and topped with some sort of herbs was dry and a bit tough to chew through.

For the kids we ordered a grilled PB&J sandwich to split, which featured sliced bananas! (hence the departure from "traditional" offerings) Both kids enjoyed the sandwich, although The Boy wasn't too keen on the idea of his mother making these at home for him some day. The (what looked to be freshly fried) potato chips were also well received. One thing we really appreciate was that our server split the sandwich onto two plates as we requested, provided plenty of chips on each plate, and didn't charge us any silly "extra plate" fee for splitting the dish. While this particular sandwich was on the regular menu, they did have a kids menu with dishes ranging from $3 to $7.

Jessica enjoyed her Rueben sandwich, which not only tasted good, but was "pretty." I must admit, as one who likes nothing about Rueben sandwiches, the swirled bread, tender meat and crisp sauerkraut almost looked good enough for even me to eat!

I ordered the cheeseburger and had my pick of cheeses, settling on a slice of provolone. I always like to have my burgers well done, which sometimes means they are a bit on the dry side. I'm happy to report that not only was my burger perfectly cooked as ordered, it was juicy too! Everything about this burger, from the bun to the pickles hit the spot.

This was a nice place to be outside and grab a bite to eat after a day at work. The service was friendly and quick, but we never felt rushed. Our appetizer came out a few minutes after we ordered, and just after we were done, our meal arrived.

Total (including tax and tip): $37.
Verdict: Good place for a nice sandwich!
Location: 2331 Calvert St. NW

Metro Station: Woodley Park

Come out of the Metro station, veer right and follow the sidewalk down to the corner, where you'll find City Cafe on your left.

Note from Jessica: As we were leaving we saw some other diners getting the cappuccinos they had ordered. They looked wonderful ... foam art and all. We'll be back!

Eric Carle!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:56:00 +0000

From Bugs to Beasts: Storytelling through collage by Eric Carle was at The Stanford in Washington Art Gallery. It closes 9/1, so hurry over if you want to see it! The kids and I met André at the Woodley Park Metro Station after he was done with work.

It's a sweet little gallery and it was full of Eric Carle works ... both original collages, lithographs and sculptures. There were also concept drawings of some of his books.

I don't know if I can put into words, how amazing these works are. They're really stunning. There was a little movie of Eric Carle reading some of his books and talking about what goes into making them. It was facinating, both to us and to The Boy and The Girl ... as you an see!

The Girl was so excited. "LOOK IT'S THE CATERPILLAR, IT'S THE CATERPILLAR!"

There was a little area set up to read Eric Carle books. I thought that was a nice touch.

The show so inspired The Boy. He was ready to break out the tissue paper and paints when we got home. Unfortunately, his mean parents made him go to bed since it was late! ;)

The only not so great part about it was a family with two small children who came in when we were watching the movie. They were so loud that no one could hear the movie and it was difficult to enjoy the art. By "they" I don't mean the kids ... I mean the parents. Just a friendly reminder of gallery etiquette!

If you can't make it to the show, check out Eric Carle's blog or, if you're in Massachusetts sometime, his museum.

Total: $0

Location: 2655 Connecticut Ave NW

Verdict: We'll be back. This looks like a great little gallery to watch.

Metro Station: Woodley Park

From Bugs To Beasts

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:59:00 +0000

The Stanford at the Washington Art Gallery has an exhibit of art by Eric Carle. It closes September 1. We're headed out the door Monday! If you can't check out this exhibit, at least visit his blog or, if you're in Massachusetts, you can visit his museum.

Total: $0
Location: 2655 Connecticut Ave NW
Metro Stop: Woodley Park

Rita's - Ice, Custard, Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Before we even started looking at houses here, my sister did us a favor and introduced us to Rita's.

The closest one to us is in College Park. MD. After looking at airplanes in 90 something degree heat and who knows how much humidity, with the heat and sun reflecting off of the tarmac, we needed a cool treat.

Rita's did the job for us! Their flavors vary daily, so you never know quite what you'll get. We have yet to be disappointed though. We got the kids a wild black cherry ice, vanilla custard Misto shake. Rita's takes your choice of ice and frozen custard and blends it. A regular size is even a little big for the kids to split.

Smiles and an almost empty cup are telling!

I got a Gelati, which is the ice and custard as well, but layered in a cup. I chose vanilla ice and coffee custard. André also got a Gilati, but with twist custard and passion fruit ice. A regular is more than enough for me. André got the regular, but he and his sweet tooth will be getting the large next time.

When we got home I looked on the Rita's website. They have a birthday club that I signed up for. I got a buy one get one free coupon for doing so and I'll get a "special birthday treat" on my birthday.

Some Rita's locations are open year round and some are seasonal. They have locations all up and down the east coast ... and Ohio and Texas ... but all of that info is on their website.

Total: $10.87 (1 regular Misto and 2 regular Gilati)
Location: 8900 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD 20740
Verdict: We'll be back ... with our coupon!
Metro Station: The College Park/U of M station is the closest to this location, but it's 2 miles away. I would imagine that there are other locations closer to Metro stops.

College Park Aviation Museum and Air Fair 100

noreply@blogger.com (ak) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:58:00 +0000

After serving as a public affairs officer in the Air Force for almost 10 years, I've worked on my fair share of Air Show committees, so when I read about the Air Fair 100 happening this weekend at College Park Airport, I jumped at the chance to enjoy an air show without having to put in any work towards planning it! Going to the air show was also a convenient excuse to check out the College Park Aviation Museum, which I had read about at some point when we first moved here to the DC area.

The Airport has a history steeped in aviation pioneers and milestones. The Wright brothers conducted a bulk of their first training flights for their Military Flyer, which the Army contracted them to produce. The field is one of the first to be used as an airmail delivery station, and is still an active airfield, hosting a number of general aviation aircraft as well as a pair of Prince George's County police helicopters.

But, enough of all that, let's talk about the air show!

While we could have taken the metro to the airport, it would have taken about 35 minutes (including taking the bus from our house to the local metro stop), so we decided to drive instead (15 minutes). Parking was plentiful although a bit spread out. I think the threat of rain kept the turnout down a little lower than organizers may have liked. We parked at a pool/ice rink across the street and had a short 5-10 minute walk to the gate.

Once through the admission gate we were free to roam wherever we wanted. Our first stop was a nice display of model/radio controlled airplanes.

The Boy impressively identified a WWII era bomber as being the same kind that he had a small metal die cast version of at home. At the far north end of the field we examined a number of helicopters, and even had a chance to climb around inside a few. After seeing her brother relaxing in the back of the Anne Arundel County Police helicopter, The Girl had to get in on the action as well. I really appreciated how friendly and talkative most of the helicopter crews were, kudos especially to Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties.

The entire air field was lined with various small aircraft, and as we walked from one end to the other we were able to enjoy both the airplanes on the ground and the various acts flying over the field. The hands down favorite for the kids was the joint act between Otto the helicopter and Dan Buchanan's hang glider.

Audio from both the hang glider and helicopter was broadcast over loudspeakers on the ground as a faux misunderstanding between the two acts played out, culminating in a police chase down the runway. Jessica and I found the Otto act to get a little bit long and drawn out, but it was definitely a highlight for the kids, who just couldn't say enough about it.

One of the planes parked on the ramp was a Zenith 650, which happens to be the type of airplane I would like to own myself someday. I've had my private pilots license for almost 12 years, but haven't flown as pilot in command for about 10 years. Someday I'll get back in the cockpit again!

By this point, thanks to the black tarmac and pretty much relentless sun, we were all sweating like pigs. The cool air conditioned comfort of the Museum at the other end of the airfield was a welcome change.

Walking into the Museum the first thing that struck me was the airy, open feeling of the place. One entire side of the museum is a large glass wall, overlooking the runway. There are 10 or so aircraft on display, each with informative posters describing the history behind the aircraft and its importance in aviation history.

There were a number of interactive, children's museum type of exhibits. Both the kids enjoyed "flying" their colorful kite-like nylon aircraft around a busy traffic pattern, and spinning the large wooden prop on display. I liked the small wind tunnel that had an aircraft with working ailerons and rudder which you could control with a joystick on the display. It was a great way to see how an airplane maneuvers through the sky.

Another highlight was a real airplane that the kids could climb into. Some of the wing fabric had been removed and replaced with Plexiglas, allowing you to see how the cables ran through the wings and out to the ailerons. This was one of the displays that made me wonder where some of the parents were. Some kids climbed into the cockpit and yanked the steering wheel back and forth as hard as they could, making as much noise as possible. In fact, when The Boy climbed in and asked me about some of the dials and knobs instead of just mindlessly yanking on the controls, I heard some of the kids complaining that he "wasn't making it move enough."

The museum utilizes volunteers to run the place, and volunteers were out in full force during our visit. We were impressed by the patience and kindness these volunteers had, especially considering the previously-mentioned rowdiness exhibited by some of the young patrons.

All in all it was a fun outing. We definitely want to come back and enjoy the museum when it's not quite as busy. I'm sure a homeschool science field trip or two will be in the works with all of the great interactive exhibits they have. As for the air show, we'll probably go again in a few years, but it's not at the top of our list for an immediate repeat visit. One thing to be aware of if you go, they only take cash for admission, and according to folks I asked, the nearest ATM is a mile from the airport.

Total: $12 ($4 per adult, $2 for kids - admission to the museum was included in air show admittance. This is also the regular entrance fee for the museum.

Verdict: We'll be back (to the museum at least)

Location: 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park, MD 20740

Metro Station: College Park

Come out of the Metro station on the east side of the tracks. Cross Paint Branch Parkway and walk 200 yards towards the airfield and museum

AirFair100

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:11:00 +0000

This Saturday (August 29) we will be heading out the door to the College Park Airport for AirFair100. They are the world's oldest continuously operating airport and are celebrating 100 years of aviation on Saturday.

Cost: $4 for adults, $2 for children 2-17
Metro Station: College Park/University of Maryland

La Tasca

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Kok) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:42:00 +0000

What could be better than enjoying some Chinese food after looking at Chinese art? We walked from the Sakler Gallery to Chinatown, intending to enjoy a meal at a Chinese restaurant. Well, La Tasca (a Spanish tapas restaurant) enticed us with their Saturday special ... a free kid's meal with purchase of an adult meal.

La Tasca has a nice rustic feel about it, lots of dark wood with bright walls and pillows.

The kids were actually into their crayons. Restaurant crayons don't usually hold their attention, so that was a nice change!

The fish sticks that the kids ordered were not your typical out of the freezer variety! These were actual pieces of fish, battered in what looked to be some kind of saffron batter. They were by far the best fish sticks I've ever sampled.

The kid's meals also came with a drink (they both got pineapple juice) and ice cream. The Boy got strawberry and The Girl got chocolate. Kid's meals are typically $5.95. I guess this is a pretty average price now, but it always aggravates me to pay this much when I don't know if it will actually get eaten. The kids can be so hit and miss when it comes to how much they eat!

The rest of the food was amazing. Descriptions are straight from the menu ...

Ensalada Mixta con Atun - Grilled tuna salad with mixed greens and a piquillo and olive dressing

André isn't exactly known for his sophisticated pallet ... not that I am! Some call him a picky eater. The fact that he ordered AND liked this ... well, I'm speechless! It was delicious although if you don't like a heavy dressing, it might not be for you.

Croquetas de Pollo - A classic Spanish dish of pureed chicken and potatoes, lightly battered and then deep fried

Delicious and super creamy. It came with a mayonnaise sauce for dipping. I didn't think the sauce added much. The croquetas were delicious on their own.

Vieiras al Cava - Grilled scallops sautéed in a creamy sparkling wine sauce

Outstanding. The scallops were perfectly cooked. We've been watching Hell's Kitchen lately and have seen Chief Ramsey declare scallops "raw" or "like hockey pucks" on more than one occasion. Lucky for us, these scallops were perfectly inbetween!

Espinacas Salteadas - Freshly sautéed spinach with garlic, pine nuts and raisins

This was my favorite dish. The spinach was just barely wilted and it was full of garlicky sweetness.

Pan a la Catalna - The house ciabatta bread is grilled and then topped with grated vine-ripened tomatoes and chopped fresh garlic

I didn't manage to get a picture of this dish. Honestly, when it came, it didn't look like much. I guess grating tomatoes doesn't do much for presentation. The taste redeemed the dish though!

Total (including tax and tip): $38

Verdict: We'll be back

Location: 722 7th Street NW, Washington DC 2000

Metro Station: Chinatown, exit at 7th St NW and H St NW

Make a u-turn after coming up the escalator. Cross 7th and turn left. La Tasca is a few restaurants down.

Sackler Gallery - Smithsonian

noreply@blogger.com (ak) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:20:00 +0000

I work near the Sackler Gallery, and had been through it quickly on a lunch break stroll a few weeks ago. I remember thinking at the time that it was something the kids might like to see. Turns out I was right.

We arrived around 10:30 on Saturday morning, and we practically had the place to ourselves.

As you enter the gallery, after the cursory back pack inspection, the first (and only) thing you'll see is something that looks a bit like the mirror in the funny house. "Perspectives" by Anish Kapoor, is two pieces of polished steel shaped in an S-curve. At the information desk, we picked up a kids guide for the exhibit, which had some interesting info on Kapoor and some suggestions on how to look at the piece. One of those suggestions was to not only look at the reflective surface up close, but to take a step back and see how the reflection twisted and turned the farther back you stood. The Boy was intrigued by this and had fun finding the point where things went from right side up, to up side down. The Girl enjoyed running circles around the entire thing. Unfortunately, the "no pictures" symbol was prominently displayed, so we weren't able to capture this in pixels.

Down the stairs on the first level you'll find a number of exhibits.

The Tale of Shuten Doji is a display that features long scrolls and large 8 foot tall panels that make up an ancient, huge, Japanese comic book. My favorites were the panels, which told the story in a counter clockwise order. Basically a maiden is stolen by the bad guy, the emporer sends a warrior out to rescue the girl, he travels far across the wilderness to find the girl, finds a monster, cuts his head off and proceeds back home with the maiden and the head of the monster, arriving to cheers from the locals. One neat thing about the panels is that the hero (Shunten Doji) is always wearing the same orange robe, so it's easy to spot him in each scene around the panels. The Boy really enjoyed finding the orange robe in each scene (like a giant Where's Waldo book) and piecing together the story. If you want to see it, make plans to go soon. The exhibit closes September 20!

Tsars and the East is an impressive display of gifts given by diplomats visiting Tsars in the Kremlin. There are 60 items on display, and for many of them, it is their first trip outside the Kremlin since then 16th and 17th centuries when they were originally given to Russian officials. The Boy especially liked the fine selection of sabres, daggers and armor. The Girl enjoyed looking at the ornate canteen that looked like a teapot, and the helmet with a face mask. I thought the descriptions given for some of the items could have been a little bit more informative, but most had enough information to provide some thoughtful insight into what the object was, where it came from and its importance, etc. This exhibit will be gone soon as well. It closes September 13.

In a small exhibition of Sculpture of South and Southeast Asia everyone enjoyed counting the multiple arms on bronze statues of Shiva and marveling at the round belly of the little Buddha.

Our final stop of the morning was the Arts of China Exhibition. I was struck by how old some of the items on display were. A small metal sculpture of a horse was dated between 200 BC and 300 AD, and several jade carvings were even older than that. One of our favorites was the set of ceramic Tomb Guardians. The Girl was eager to point out that each one featured the same colors of green, orange and white! Maybe I'm just not into furniture, but one room of the exhibit, featuring a huge, old, wooden Chinese wardrobe was a bit on the boring side, but other items throughout the exhibit made up for it.

All in all, we spent maybe 2 hours walking through the exhibits on the first subteranean level of the Sackler Gallery. We also visited the gift shop, which was nice, but I didn't see anything that really jumped out at me as a bargain. We enjoyed the Shuten Doji exhibit so much, I asked if they had a book that told the story and pictures from the scrolls, which, unfortunately, they did not.

Total: $0

Location: 1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC.

Verdict: Great little museum to check out.

Metro Station: Smithsonian, Independence Ave exit

At the top of the escalator, turn 180 degrees and walk one block down Independence. Cross the street and walk through the large black gate on Independence that leads into the gardens at the "red castle" Smithsonian, take an immediate left, and you'll see the gallery entrance.