As I ventured into our nation’s capital, art, cuisine, and brews beyond my wildest dreams awaited me.
Day 22 – July 31
Leaving New York City is always difficult for me. I adore the city and want to spend weeks at a time there, but alas, the road is unforgiving and I had a schedule to keep. I departed from New Jersey before 7 a.m., as I had a 10 a.m. brunch reservation to get to in Baltimore, Maryland; a quaint distance of 196 miles and four states away. So, off I went.
There’s not much to talk about when it comes to the New Jersey Turnpike, so I won’t. I do, however, have a quick summary of driving through Delaware:
Welcome to Delaware. That will be $4.
Drive for 30 minutes.
Quote Wayne’s World (“Look, we’re in Delaware”).
Thanks for visiting Delaware. That will be $4.
Whoo! What a whirlwind adventure Delaware turned out to be. In actuality, I had planned on visiting the Dogfish Head brewery, one of my microbrewery meccas, but apparently Sundays are a nightmare, especially if you want to take a tour. Another time, beer magicians.
I could not really be upset anyway since my old Program Director from SCAD Radio, Caryn, and her husband, Mike, were more than happy to plan a brunch for us all to catch up.
Arriving in Hampden, an up-and-coming neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, I was instantly charmed by the bright colors, range of local restaurants and shops, and wonderful architecture.
Caryn, Mike, and I haven’t seen each other in almost eight years, but, like many of my friends, the wonder of social media has kept us abreast of what’s basically going on in our lives. That being said, nothing beats sitting down to a great meal and catching up. Not to detract from the wonderful time I had with my friends, I cannot stress how great the meal was. The Food Market is something of a staple around those parts and I understand why. I ordered a simple “Army Breakfast,” which consisted of two eggs, grits, bacon, wild boar sausage, breakfast potatoes, and wheat toast. It was simply heavenly; everything was just right.
I cannot stress how much I love brunch. Yeah, it feels like something for spoiled, entitled people (maybe it is), but I look forward to eating a lake breakfast on Sundays with friends, if possible. It’s a great way to reflect on the week and a weak excuse to drink at 11 a.m. I adore breakfast cocktails just as much as the food. How can you breakfast-ize liquor and mixers to make them morning friendly? By being creative, of course.
I was enjoying my cup of coffee, but I noticed that the menu featured two breakfast shots: the pancake shot and the french toast shot. Before I was able to muse over it for too long, Mike ordered us a round of pancake shots. So freaking tasty. Halfway through the meal we had to try the french toast variety. Man oh man. What goes into these concoctions? Let’s pull back the curtain:
Pancake Shot
-Buffalo Trace whiskey
-Buttershots
-Orange Juice
French Toast Shot
-Bailey’s
-Buttershots
-Cinnamon simple syrup
I recommend trying them at home. It may take some testing in terms of measurements of each ingredients, but, hey, that’s part of the fun.
Post-brunch, we walked around “The Avenue” (West 36th Street), picking up coffee, stopping into some shops, and perusing The Wine Source for local brews. At Caryn and Mike’s recommendation, I picked up some Charm City Meadworks elderberry mead, which turned out to be a fantastic choice. Our time was short and I was expected in Burtonsville. Many thanks to Caryn and Mike for being some of the coolest folks in the land.
On my way to Burtonsville, I thought about the history between myself and my next hosts. I met Jeff and Kari on a trip with Andrew (see the NYC posts) to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Andrew and I had driven to Atlanta from San Antonio for a party and then to lead a caravan of cars to Myrtle Beach for a convention put on by the forums we were members of called (and I could not make this up if I tried) Otaku Booty. Andrew had been to previous Bootycons (yup) before and got to know Jeff and Kari beforehand. We were roommates with them for the duration of the con and I couldn’t have been happier. They were kind, loving, and Jeff’s obsession with David Bowie rivals my own.
Jeff and I had nearly crossed paths several times since then, but we kept up playing Xbox Live together and on social media. When I last found myself in DC a few years back, I got to see he and his wife, Kari. I could not wait to see them again, especially with them expecting their first child this winter.
I arrived in Burtonsville early in the afternoon to be greeted by Jeff and his childhood friend, Ben, and an immediate mission: we were heading to a beer farm. My friends know how to make a Sunday spectacular, y’all.
We arrived at Manor Hill Brewing, a new beer farm operation where most of the ingredients for the microbrews are grown on-site. Specializing in barrel aged brews, Manor Hill is less than five years old but they’re already producing top-tier beers. This place cannot be missed if you’re in the area. The owners are kind and know their stuff. The staff are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The beer is delightful. The scenery is serene and beautiful. I don’t know what else to tell you to get you out there.
All great beer farm visits come to an end, though. Once back at Jeff’s place, we treated ourselves to some pints of ice cream we snagged on the way there (Yuengling makes ice cream, y’all) and watched the DC animated take on the classic and brutal Batman comic, The Killing Joke. It was okay at best, but my complaints are those echoed by many reviewers out there.
Jeff’s wife, Kari, and her parents arrived later in the afternoon. Ben headed on his way and the rest of us headed out to DuClaw Brewing Co. You know it’s going to be a good time when “CRAB STUFFED OLD BAY SAUSAGE SANDWICH” screams at you from the menu. Nothing more Maryland has ever been stuffed into my maw. Gracious, it was amazing. Additionally, the beer was phenomenal, to boot.
Day 21 Stats:
Miles traveled: — 226 miles
Miles traveled so far: 4,352
States visited:
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
Day 23 – August 1
Jeff and Kari had to go to work early in the morning, meaning that I should be a good guest and leave at the same time. Jeff graciously offered to give me a lift to the nearest train station and get me on my way.
I adore DC’s Metrorail. It’s far from perfect, but some of that architecture is unforgettable. It helps that everything was running on-time. A pair of headphones never hurts. Then again, the morning crew weren’t loud that day.
In case I haven’t stated it a thousand times, I advise student media organizations. There’s no way that I would be able to visit DC and not visit Newseum. Apart from having a pun for a title, the building stands as testament to the practice of American First Amendment rights, journalism, and American history through those lenses.
Regardless of where you stand on the media (right wing, left wing, and everything in-between), this museum cannot be missed. It’s extremely well designed, thoroughly enjoyable, and the second-most heartbreaking museum I’ve been to. I’ll let the images in the slideshow speak for themselves. I’m so thankful I went.
Before I headed out earlier that morning, Jeff wouldn’t stop talking up Daikaya Ramen. “You gotta go there before it fills up for the lunch rush,” he cautioned me. Well, seeing that the hip little joint was a mere half mile from Newseum and I wrapped up just before 11 am, I had to go. I arrived just in time, snagging a place at the bar before the restaurant had filled up. I’m pleased that I got to watch the team function like clockwork and churn out ramen at a quick rate. Efficiency and kindness are fantastic, but how does the ramen stack up?
It’s the best ramen I’ve ever had, y’all. Not that I’m an expert, but I’m pleased that I went. The pork was perfect, the toppings were great, and the broth was hearty and incredibly well seasoned. To top an already amazing meal, they offered in-house made soft served topped with a mixture of in-season berries and sesame seeds. It was perfection, especially for DC in August.
If you’ve ever been in a swamp in the summertime, then congratulations, you’ve basically had the pleasure of visiting our nation’s capital in the middle of summer. DC was built on a swamp and the humidity is upsetting to say the least.
How had I never been to the National Portrait Gallery? I went to art school. I love portraiture. It’s a neat place. Shame on me. Check out the slideshow below to see some (well, many) of my favorites from the massive collection. It’s impressive, to say the least.
After spending several hours exploring the Portrait Collection, on a whim I headed to the nearby National Building Museum. I was pleasantly surprised to find a construction of icebergs set up in a play-style area for youth and their families. This turned the gorgeous interior into Greco-Roman inspiration filled with giant icebergs much akin to the art style of Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. It was bliss. The air conditioning was welcome, too.
I thought I was in for a very youth, summer camp style museum, but was pleasantly surprised to find many informative exhibitions covering everything from types of construction materials to home and urban planning models to retro building toys. As a LEGO and architecture nerd, I was incredibly pleased by what I had stumbled upon.
With the end of the workday coming soon (and my feet causing me an understandable measure of discomfort), I made plans to meet up with my great friend, former SCAD classmate/troublemaker, and inspiring artist, Ned. Their office was not far from the NBM, so we met at their office and took an Uber to her charming abode.
We keep up online, but nothing beats hanging out with good friends in person. Ned has always been a kind soul and simply a wonderful person to spend time with. Between reminiscing and talking about art projects and relationships on the amazing enclosed patio, we had some amazing local pizza delivered (the name of the shop sadly escapes me) and grabbed some beer from a bodega around the corner. It was an evening well spent. Max, Ned’s cat, was an incredibly charming addition to the proceedings.
Sadly, our time came to an end and I needed to get back to Jeff & Kari’s to prep for the next day’s travels. I hailed an Uber using their app and was told to wait outside for a black sedan. A somewhat suspicious beige sedan arrived near Ned’s place. Cautiously, I approached the passenger-side window and asked the driver to roll down the window. In this modern age, we don’t shrug at this sort of action so much any more, but it’s still weird to think about.
It turns out that this was indeed my driver. Oh good, someone’s lying about their car? Against better wisdom about getting into strangers’ cars from my youth (especially when it’s not the Uber-verified vehicle I was promised), I got in and had enough terrible thoughts to fill a month’s worth of nightmares. I made it back safely and caught an interesting sunset on the way back.
The rest of the night was uneventful. Jeff and I shared a beer. He, Kari, and I discussed work, long term goals, and their future child who was due by the end of the year. Good friends make this trip, nay life, worthwhile. I couldn’t ask for better ones. I’m proud of them. Excited for them. So happy to know them all. The capital gets you thinking of not just the nation’s history, but your own. With those thoughts swirling about my head and my feet throbbing from the day’s memorable walks and tours, I quickly fell asleep.
Day 23 Stats:
Miles traveled: — 0 miles in my car
Miles traveled so far: 4,352
States visited:
- Maryland
- DC (no, it’s not a state, but there you have it)
Two Month Weekend 