March Travels: Virginia, DC & NYC
After being absent for a month, I am back with a big old March wrap-up post! Unfortunately I’ve been off the blog for awhile due to Spring break and other trips...but that has allowed me to gather a bunch of pictures and now I’m back and ready to share the experience with everyone. Instead of doing this paragraph style, I’ll go day by day and basically share my itinerary.
Spring Break - March 5-8
Over Spring break I visited Virginia and the DC area with one of my best friends and had a really great time. It made me realize that I definitely see myself living and working in DC in the future because it has the perfect balance between city and suburb that I seek. Also, being close to the ocean is important to me (even if it doesn’t directly border the coast) because I love seafood and having access to fresh seafood that is caught daily is a wonderful convenience.
Day One:
On Saturday morning we left State College around 7 am so we could get to Leesburg, VA by the time the outlets opened. Yes, that’s a pretty early time to be up and functioning but it’s all worth it because shopping...duh! At the outlets my big purchase was a Kate Spade bag at the Kate Spade Outlet, pictured below. My advice to anyone who wants an expensive bag from Kate Spade is to go to the outlets because while you will find older styles, they are timeless and at a fraction of the price of a bag from the regular Kate Spade store. I got my bag for around $150 and I believe the original price was almost $400, so you could say I got a (very) good deal.
After leaving the outlets, we headed to Middleburg, VA and stayed with my friend’s relatives at their home. I’d never been to Virginia before then so being able to see the rural, historical land was really nice. There were a couple horses that live at my friend’s Uncle’s house and you can see me with them below. I’ve never been a huge horse fan because they’re scarily giant and can crush your foot if they step on it but these horses were really friendly and sweet. We ended that day walking around downtown Middleburg and doing a little more shopping.
Day Two:
We got up nice and early in Middleburg and set out for Alexandria, VA, which is a suburb of DC. Before going to Alexandria we spent some time at Eastern Market which is in Capitol Hill and also went down to the National Mall and checked out a couple museums. For lunch we ate at Cava Grill, which I had been anticipating for a very long time, and it lived up to my expectations. I got their “Greens and Grains” bowl, which is pictured below.
Once we finished up at lunch, we headed to Alexandria. Our hotel was right on the main street of Old Town Alexandria which was very convenient, as it’s in the middle of everything. I bought the top pictured below at Anthropologie and a Lilly Pulitzer skirt (not pictured) that was $30, marked down from $80.
For dinner we went to a Mexican restaurant called Austin Grill, which has 100 different types of tequila, but that doesn’t matter to me because I’m not 21 and won’t be for awhile :). We spent the night in Alexandria at Hotel Monaco, which I would absolutely suggest because the interior is gorgeous and it is in a prime location. Old Town borders the Potomac and we walked down there in the morning on Monday to take a couple pictures, which are featured below.
Day Three:
After grabbing breakfast at a small cafe on Monday morning, we took an Uber to Georgetown, DC. Georgetown is pretty famous for its selective university but also famous for being the home of the Georgetown Cupcake shop. I’m not a huge cupcake or cake fan, I prefer pastries and gelato/ice cream, but the cupcakes I got for myself were pretty good! We shopped a little in Georgetown, where I bought a pair of Sam Edelman sandals. For lunch we ate an Italian place and then headed to Arlington, VA, where my friend’s Aunt lives, to stay the night. For dinner we went to a place called Pecking Gourmet Inn, which is famous for it’s duck. I had never tried duck before that night but I am very open to trying new foods and I’m glad I did because it was extremely good. I’ll put an unedited picture below which may or may not look good to everyone, but trust me, it was so flavorful. A chef prepared the duck in front of you and it was served all wrapped up inside of a tortilla-like bread with a savory sauce and a bunch of toppings like green chilis and sliced cucumber.
Day Four:
On Tuesday morning we got breakfast in Downtown Alexandria and did a little window shopping before heading home. It was nearly 70 degrees so I broke out one of my favorite Vineyard Vines dresses from last summer and it was fantastic to experience warm weather once again.
Overall, Spring break was successful and it was nice to have a little break from State College and experience the DC pace of life.
Weekend in Alexandria - March 12-13
I went to school on Thursday and Friday after spring break and then Friday afternoon I headed back to Alexandria, but this time with my family for my sister’s Cheer Competition. I’m not that into sitting around inside a warm building all day with thousands of made-up girls in sparkly crop tops so I took the time in Alexandria as an opportunity to explore what I hadn’t explored the last time I was there. I’ll do this weekend timeline style as well :).
Friday:
We arrived in Alexandria around 8 and drove down by the water to have dinner at a place called Union Street Public House. I got oysters which were reaaally good and I will feature those below. That’s pretty much all we did that night since it was 10:30 by the time we finished eating.
Saturday:
My dad and I went to Old Town during the day and walked through the Torpedo Factory Art Center which is a three story building that holds a collection of artists showcasing and selling their paintings, photos and other items. After that we walked around a little and I bought my sister a KJP bracelet at The Lucky Knot since she wasn’t going to have the opportunity to walk around since she was competing both days. I bought myself a(nother) classic blue and white striped boatneck top from Banana Republic that has ¾ length sleeves and will be perfect for spring and cool summer days.
Sunday:
This day was spent mostly walking around the National Harbor and Oxon Hill. Unfortunately it was raining so we tried to stay inside for the most part.
We headed home Sunday night and I went to school for three days before heading out of town again. The time I spent in the DC area the past couple of weeks really impacted me and made me realize that there is definitely a place for me in that city in the future.
NYC Columbia Journalism Conference - March 16-18
Each year my school Journalism class takes a trip to NYC for a conference at Columbia University. I went last year and had a great time and I’m glad I went again this year because it is a great opportunity to bond with the people in the class, learn a lot and get inspired for the next year of Journ.
Wednesday:
We left State College at 4:30 am in order to get to the conference on time. We stay in the Marrakech on Broadway, which is a Moroccan-style hotel about fifteen blocks from Columbia University. Traditionally on the first day, we attend sessions and head out to Times Square at night for dinner. After we eat we have the opportunity to walk around and shop in the stores around Times Square.
Thursday:
Thursday morning I ate breakfast at Nussbaum & Wu which is a small cafe across the street from the Lerner building at Columbia. We attended sessions during the day and had lunch at Dig Inn, a farm-to-table that we discovered last year. The food there is really good and it’s a Journ favorite now and will definitely be a lunch tradition in the years to come (although next year will be my last year attending the conference with my high school). After the day’s sessions were over, we went to SOHO for a little shopping. I bought a red and cream striped peplum top and a black woven cardigan (50% off!) at Madewell. I don’t usually get the 20% off student discount because it is traditionally only for college students but the nice woman who checked me out gave it to me anyway :). So I ended up getting a shirt and a cardigan for a lot less money than I could’ve spent, which is always a good thing. I also bought an almost mustard-y green colored top at H&M, which is sort of visible in the picture below, where I am also wearing the cardy from Madewell.
Friday:
On Friday morning myself and a couple others got up realllllly early so we could go see the Today Show! It was pretty cold outside but it was very interesting to see how things are run behind the scenes of a live television production. Although I don’t really see a future for myself in Broadcast, I’m more of a Blogging/Print Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism type of person, I am very much aware of how hard it can be to make sure a show airs on time and with all the props and people in the right places. Below are a few pictures that highlight the experience.
Friday night we left NYC and drove back home to State College. I’m here for awhile now but thankfully this weekend is Easter Break so I won’t have to jump right back into a full week of school. After that, the next time I’ll be leaving town is for a trip to Providence, RI with my friend Ben in the beginning of April. Hopefully my next post won’t be nearly as long as this one and I thank you for taking the time to read it (if anyone even gets this far)! As usual, don’t forget to subscribe to my site, follow me on my personal Instagram and blogging Instagram, on Twitter and on Pinterest.
Until next time,
Abby