A day in Virginia

I was visiting Dave in the D.C. area last weekend, and we got up to some awesome things.

The first day of my visit we visited the Pope-Leighey House, a quaint little usonian-style home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

I loved the untreated Cyprus wood on the exterior of the home, as well as all of the oddly carved windows. They said it was evocative of Native American designs, but I kind of thought that one of the designs looked like a dinosaur.

The usonian homes - short for United States of North America - are always more livable than their more spectacular bungalow counterparts. The kitchens feel real, the dining and living areas are meant to be used, and it doesn't require a lot of heat and cooling. This particular home also had flooring that was dyed Cherokee red concrete. Typical!

Anyway, it was a neat little jaunt, and then we drove about 45 minutes west to try Paradise Springs Winery, a cute little spot where you can try flights of wine and enjoy a glass on a picnic table.

Here are our tasting notes:

• 2012 Chardonnay: lots of tropical fruit, my favorite white
• 2012 Viognier: effervescent
• 2012 Petit Manseng: oily, sweet, sort of rotten (but not in a bad way?)
• 2013 Sommet Blanc: too sweet
• 2013 Nana's Rosé: rotten leaves, dry
• 2012 Mélange: fruity but not too tannic, nicely oaked
• 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon: spicy, clove, red fruit, my favorite red
• 2012 Port Chambrusse: cherry, tasty, not too much burn

We ended up buying a bottle of the "Mélange" and the port. Both were very nice!

As if we needed more drinking, then we drove back to Alexandria for dinner and hit Port City Brewing. (Hey, we were early for dinner, what are you gonna do!)

Here are our tasting notes from Port City:

• Optimal Wit: one of my favorite wit biers of all time, very citrusy and smooth
• Northwest APA: piney
• Downright Pilsner: smooth, malty, sort of corn flakey
• Derecho Common: lightly sweet, floral
• Porter: coffee, smooth, delicious (my favorite of the day)
• Colossal One: chocolate, smooth, thick (OK, maybe this was my favorite)
• Essential APA: not that hoppy
• Monumental IPA: slow-growing hops
• Colossal Two: smoky, but not outrageously so
• Revival oyster stout: chocolate, smooth, not too much oyster / salt flavor

It was an awesome brewery and I was very pleased with splitting a flight. I should also note that I actually wrote "smooth" next to virtually every beer. They are really easy drinkers!

We had dinner at Vermilion, which reminded me of Vie Restaurant in Western Springs, where Dave and I shared an anniversary dinner some years ago.

Sunday and Monday I have no pictures, but we got to hang out with some of Dave's college friends on Sunday. On Monday, we went to Moorenko's ice cream and then I finally got to visit the Yarn Spot, a little yarnery in the Silver Spring area. I got some beautiful yarn for a fall cowl. Not that I need another, but it was truly beautiful yarn!

Another visit down, one less visit until he comes home.