4th of July

The morning of the 4th we slept in, checked out of the hotel and explored Front Royal for a while before heading back home. 
I love the small, historical feel of the town,...very relaxing. Down Main St. they had American flags set up every few feet and the town was decorated for the 4th.
For breakfast we went to a little coffee shop that was built in what I assume is an old Mill or barn. Was very unique and quaint. It was called Happy Creek Coffee & Tea. 
They have fresh brewed coffee and for breakfast, a steel cut oatmeal and Greek yogurt bar. Had fresh oatmeal and all kinds of toppings to go on it. Was delicious!
They have some unique coffee selections. I tried something new and got cold brewed coffee with real butter and coconut oil. Was creamy but very different...something you have to develop a taste for maybe? Wasn't sure if I liked it or not. Joe got an orange mocha that was pretty good, also different.
The seating was cool, looked handmade from fresh cut wood. The barn was slightly unfinished and had a rustic feel with a modern twist. Eclectic was the best word I could come up with to describe it. It was an experience. 
After that we walked down Main Street and looked at the little shops and took in the town. 
We walked past the county court house. It was nice. Decorated for the 4th. 
We came across a small farmers market and a couple interesting little unique town touches. 
After that we had a couple hours worth of driving so we headed back home. We had planned to have dinner with some friends (the Dahlquists) and watch fireworks later that night. So I came home and fixed some food to bring. Fresh fruit salad! Star shaped watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries! 
After eating and fellowshipping we headed to Bro Dahlquist's work to watch the DC fireworks from the air conditioned office building lol. When you have 4 little ones, it's helpful, plus no fighting the crowds.:) 
And then later some sparkler fun lol...
It was a good day. Relaxing and spending time together and with friends, there is nothing better! :) 

Ten & Two (Part 2)

Three Day Trip (07/02/15 - 07/04/15)
To celebrate our anniversary, we went on a little get away for a few days. Joe had a long weekend off of work because of the 4th of July, starting Thursday, so we took the weekend to go out of town, get out of the city and just relax a bit and spend time together.
(07/02/15) First off, we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and at this point I just gave up on the whole eating better thing and decided it's my vacation, and I'm ganna eat what I want lol. Felt crappy by the end of it all but I enjoyed it in the moment! Lol
Ohh the good food....we felt so stuffed afterwards but man was it good....love this place. For an appetizer we got the southwest eggrolls with avocado cream suace...simply amazing...mmm....
I had spicy chicken tortillas, with corn cakes and black beans....again, delicious...
Joe had Chicken Madeira. It is chicken in a yummy mushroom sauce with cheese and asparagus and came with mashed potatoes. Again, lots of leftovers haha. 
And then....of course....cheesecake!!! The best part! I got Adams Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake....sound rich? Well it was! Delicious but oh my, very rich. It is Cheesecake Swirled with Caramel, Peanut Butter, Butterfingers and Reese's. I could literally only take one bite, especially after eating all the good food. It was saved for a later treat. 
To offset all the sweetness and richnes of mine, Joseph went with simple and sweet. He likes more traditional cheesecake. His was their original cheesecake with fresh strawberries. Light and yummy. Very good. :) 
The restaurant was in Fair Oaks Mall in VA, so after we ate, we walked around the mall for a couple hours to walk off all the good food and do a little shopping. And Starbucks! 
 We then drove the rest of the way to our destination. We went to Front Royal, VA, a little town about 2 hours away. It Is a small, historical town in the country, with little traffic and just my type of place! Loved it! We stayed at the Quality Inn Hotel and got a room with a nice sized jacuzzi. Very relaxing.
That evening we had dinner at a little local burger place called Spelunkers. 
They basically make everything fresh...burgers, fries and frozen custard. It tasted like it too. Was very good. I just got their single burger and battered onion  rings. Joe got a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and fries.  
They had very nice landscaping out front with a little stream, walking "bridge" and fountain. I didn't get very good pictures but it was nice. 
And we had to try the custard....all I can say is...sweet. We couldn't finish the small haha but we'd had a lot of rich food that day so...
(06/03/15) The next day we had breakfast at a little donut shop called naughty girs donuts. Lol....despite the name, it wasn't all that risqué or Inappropriate, but they sure did have some of the best donuts I've ever had! Big, soft and fluffy...mmm...
Lots of fresh and interesting choices.
I got the Wakin Bacon Donut, a plain donut with a maple glaze, chocolate drizzle and candied bacon pieces. Oh my word....soooo good. 
Joe got the orange glazed donut, with  coconut and chocolate chips. Very light and different, but good. 
We then headed to Shanandoa National Park and drove through part of the Skyline Drive. The whole drive is about 100 miles long but we only drove about 30 miles of it. It's a drive through the mountains with many stops at overlooks to see the valleys and hills. Absolutely beautiful. It was a cloudy, misty day but it was still very pretty. I took a butt load of pictures but here are just a few....
Joe wanted to get artistic...
These views were just breathtaking and the air so fresh and cool...
About half way thru we stopped at a rest stop for a bathroom break and a snack. 
We had a nice lady offer to take a couple pictures for us, she did a good job.
At one of the stops we found a small trail we decided to walk just to get a break from driving, stretch the legs. 
After our drive through the park, we stopped off in Lavern, VA to see the Lavern Caverns.
A beautiful place but man was it packed with people. After we got our tickets,we literally stood in line for almost an hour and a half to get in. A little ridiculous, plus it rained off and on, but it was a test in patience for us both and at least we got to spend the time together. However, if you ever go, either go early when it first opens or right before closing....not in the middle of the afternoon. I do have to be thankful for the rain because it kept the day cool and we didn't have to stand in the heat and humidity, so that was a blessing. :) and we had an umbrella, praise the Lord...
The line extended all the way back behind the shrubs...
But we finally made it to the entrance!!!
Descending...
Pictures simply can't do it justice but I tried to catch some of the magnificence of what God has allowed to form...simply amazing and humbling...
This was prolly the coolest part of the whole tour. It was a pool of water, quite extensive actually, though probably pretty shallow; however, the water is so still that with the lights it reflects the ceiling of the cavern perfectly, making it look much deeper and bigger than it actually is...again, pictures just couldn't capture it adequately...
Enjoyed walking it with my love...nice and cool...
The ice cream cone formation!!!
The "wishing well" of the cavern. They gather the money once a year and donate it to charity. They said its a 6ft pool and about 4ft worth of coins are removed every year....crazy...And why anyone would throw a dollar bill into the water is simply beyond me....SMH
And the last few before exiting....
Right before we exited they had a memorial set up for veterans from Pace County who gave their lives in the different wars (WWI, WWII, Korean War, ect....).
After the caverns we grabbed some Chinese food and went back to our room to relax and rejuvenate after a long day. The next day was July 4th, we spent the final morning in town and then headed home. This post is already lengthy so I'll finish it up in a separate post. Til then....