America!!!!

Cleaned apartment? Check.
Baked cookies? Check.
Watched at least 5 episodes of "Parenthood"? Check.
Worked out? Check.

Yes, folks, that's my version of "Hurrication" and I couldn't be any happier. As of right now, Monday at 10:30 PM, I still have power and internet. Yay! I've just been hunkered down in my little studio apartment, waiting it out. It is VERY windy, and I feel lucky. The internet tells me trees are down all over my neighborhood, cars are smashed, Connecticut Ave is flooded, and lots of people are without power. I'm crossing fingers that I stay connected to the world and that all of my friends and family stay safe!

Being trapped inside is kind of a blessing in disguise. I'm using this unexpected break and imposed solitude to catch up on all the things that have been lingering on the back burner. (My ironing pile, for example.) On that list of "to-dos" is this sad little blog. I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but knew this entry was dependent on photos. And editing and uploading photos takes time. But, thanks to a day off, and a gloriously lucky power grid, I am finally ready to write! Now to the real story...

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As many of you know, I do a lot of traveling for my job. My trips are busy, but my hours are odd. I might meet someone for lunch one day, and then dinner. But what to do with that pesky 3pm-6pm time frame when I don't have a meeting? What about a day where I'm attending an event late at night, but the day is free? Well, as thrilling as hanging out in a Holiday Inn Express can be, I've decided to try and sight-see, no matter where I go, or how "boring" it is. I have been so surprised at all the hidden treasures I have found!

I started this process in the NYC suburbs of Connecticut. I was too far from NYC to play in the city, and had time to kill between a morning coffee meeting and an afternoon tea. So, after lunch, I pulled out my GPS and had it search for nearby attractions. It found something called the "Eli Whitney Museum." Somewhere in the back of my brain, covered in cobwebs, I remembered learning about this guy in AP US History. With nothing to lose, I hit "go," and found my way to a beautiful park tucked into the middle of nowhere in CT! There was a tiny educational museum, and better yet, this historical covered bridge. There were trout swimming below, and the sun and smell of the woods was wonderful. Such a lovely detour!

More recently, I had a trip to Cincinnati and Cleveland. When I told people about this trip, it was pretty uniformly met with sympathetic groans. "So boring, Cincinnati, ugh" people said. But this time, I decided to do a little research ahead of time. Unfortunately, a lot of museums are closed on Mondays, when I had a window of free time. One museum that WAS open, however, was the childhood home of President William Howard Taft. I decided to geek out and give it a shot. And lucky me! Since there were no other dorks trying to see a presidential childhood home at 3pm on a Monday, I got a private tour-- for free!! It was wonderful, and so fascinating, especially during election season. I can't speak highly enough of the hospitality and knowledge of the park ranger who gave me my tour.

You can't go traveling to a different city without learning what you MUST eat when you are in town. Friends told me about some freakish chili in the Cinci area that I had to try. To my surprise, this chili isn't to be found at one famous restaurant. It's actually available in a series of chains that battle it out for prominence in the region. The most famous is called "Skyline" chili, and it's more of a meat sauce than a chili in my book. Made with Greek flavors of cinnamon and chocolate, it's unlike any chili you've probably tried. Oh, and they serve it on spaghetti!

Now that I've got a little taste of all that is out there, hiding in the not-quite-off-the-grid nooks and crannies in America, I am obsessed. There are so many wonderful tour guides and joyful volunteers that want to share their time with you. There are so many beautiful gems to be discovered. It's made me wonder why, for example, I've never visited the Crane Paper museum in Dalton. Or why I pass by the countless historical road signs I see around DC. I'm making an effort to change that and learn about the amazing history (and hokey tourist traps) all around me. For example, I found this pumpkin cannon about 45 minutes outside of DC last weekend. I fired it for $3. It was worth every penny!

What is hiding in your neck of the woods? This weekend... go find out!