This is Compton.
Okay, so not exactly ghetto! This is the Compton room of the Foster Harris House Bed and Breakfast in Washington, VA where Justin and I spent a weekend just the two of us. We left Friday a little before noon and arrived at our first destination an hour and a half later. We did a wine tasting at the Galdino Cellars followed by a picnic lunch that I had packed. We walked the grounds and then made our way to The Little Washington Winery where we did another wine tasting and took in the gorgeous scenery. 
We then checked into our B&B and took a stroll along Main Street stopping in a few antique shops, galleries, a chocolate shop (where we each got a single decadent truffle), and walked the perimeter of the grounds of the Inn at Little Washington B&B. Yes, that is a llama.
We did some more exploring of a neighboring town Sperryville in the evening and ended up eating at The Thorton River Grille, an excellent find. While the menu looked mouthwatering, we both settled on the cheeseburger for $12 knowing that food was a big ticket item in terms of quantity and price the remainder of the weekend. The burger did not disappoint.
Saturday morning we woke up to rain and a temperate in the high forties, as the forecast predicted. We ate a delicious four course breakfast at the B&B, the main reason I booked the place. It was excellent and ended with a chocolate soufflé….my first ever!
Despite the rain, we stuck to our original plan and went to Skyline Drive for a hike. We hiked Mary’s Rock and despite not making it to the top, we still managed to have an enjoyable two hour hike in the rain and cold. It was quite the hike…my fitbit registered 129 flights of stairs! It was quite foggy and visibility poor so the views were not as breathtaking as I am imagine they normally are, but again I truly came for the workout and not the views so mission accomplished.
Justin and I left feeling good AND wet. Copper Distillery was on the route home so we decided we would make a quick stop there. Before we found it, we found Pen Druid Brewing company so we stopped in for a beer (Mercury) where we also pulled out Trivial Pursuit to see how smart we were…were not…no surprise there! 
A huge antique shop was between the brewery and the distillery so we stopped there to shop. Yes, we were still in our hiking clothes. And yes, this is my man.
Sorry ladies, but he is taken!!!! (hahahaha)
Saturday evening we dined at The Inn at Little Washington. 
While I got reservations there about a month ago, the decision to actually eat there or not (we were still within the cancellation window) weighed heavily on me. I certainly wanted to eat at a world renowned restaurant but the associated price tag was tough to swallow. I’m glad we seized the opportunity and went for it. I had read a lot of reviews on TripAdvisor so I utilized some of those tips including asking to be reseated when we were sat in the café section and not the main dining room, to which they happily obliged. We opted for a reasonably priced bottle of wine instead of the wine pairing, which “saved” us about $200. The service was excellent and not at all stuffy. I debated my first course between the duck liver or the asparagus. I decided to go for the duck liver with the waiter’s recommendation. I’m glad I ordered it but I couldn’t get past the consistency. The waiter happily brought me the asparagus instead, which was excellent and I appreciated the service.
There was a ton of wait staff who were on top of everything! The amuse bouches were excellent as were all the entrees. 
And the dessert was truly sinful.
I’m definitely glad we went and while it was a once in a lifetime experience, I actually hope that it isn’t. I’m not looking to go back anytime soon….but one day. We left feeling full but certainly not disgusting as evidenced by my attempt to take some Inn at Little Washington bathroom selfies. 
The worst part about the evening was that I was literally up from the time we went to bed (about 10:30) until almost 2:00 a.m. I was miserable and upset and on the verge of tears. Honestly, I don’t know what it was. Either the coffee I had with dessert was laced with something, I got too much sleep the night before, it was mental, none of the above, or a combination of the above. Anyway, besides my restless sleep Saturday night, our weekend in Compton was amazing!
And they are off! (And yes, Emerson purposely wore here bunny pajamas :))
Oh how I love the excitement and pure joy!
We spent a leisurely morning at the breakfast table, followed by church, lunch, and a few obligatory pictures prior to the Easter Egg Hunt.
And then it was time for the Easter egg Hunt! Again, they were off!
We had three very happy girls today who were full of personality and sugar….lots and lots of sugar!
Here the girls are at the World War II Memorial.
We headed towards the Tidal Basin where we walked until we were fairly close to the Jefferson Memorial (a strategic decision so to be sure that was the next stop) and then we stopped for a picnic lunch that we had brought from home. 
The Cherry Blossoms bloomed early this year and were long gone as were the crowds of people. The girls were having fun with the camera.
Up next was The Jefferson Memorial. It has been YEARS since I had been there. I walked up the stairs with Avery and Emerson while Justin took the long ramp for strollers with Harper. Avery was wearing her sunglasses and I think the darkness coupled with the white flooring, threw her depth perception off to the point she was crying and shaking and wanted to leave. We hung out for a few but were pretty quick to leave – making sure they knew some basic facts about Thomas Jefferson.
Poor Emerson…her allergies, especially her eyes, had been driving her crazy. The pollen was horrible and her eyes were so itchy:(
We relaxed for a few minutes at the MLK memorial. Where’s Waldo? 
Then we walked along the Reflection Pool and made our way to the vicinity of the Washington Monument where we took an ice cream sandwich break.
Justin wanted to head back home but the girls (and me) wanted to continue as they wanted to go on the carousel. It took some nudging and promising from the girls that they wouldn’t complain (they didn’t) and we walked for about another 20 minutes to the carousel. I was afraid to let Harper go on by herself so I bought a ticket and went on the ride. As soon as it started, she didn’t want me holding on to her so I decided I too would jump on a horse. I haven’t actually had my own seat at a carousel since I was a kid….I was grinning ear to ear and Harper and Avery thought it was hilarious. Emerson was in front of us so I think she knew I was on the horse, but couldn’t really watch without turning around….which I wouldn’t let her do! 
A much needed potty break was necessary after the carousel so we headed across Constitution Avenue and made our way to the Museum of Natural History where we briefly explored the marine mammal and mammal exhibits.
Observing Harper’s ballet class during observation week. She is so cute to watch, but she easily gets distracted and forgets to do the steps at times. She also doesn’t like when another student gets too close and invades her personal space!
Watching Emerson perform her kindergarten school play “Over In the Jungle”, which by far exceeded any and every expectation I had. The students, costumes, set, music….was ALL AMAZING! Seriously, I was beyond impressed. And once again, I had to hold back from tearing up.
Observing Avery and Emerson’s ballet and tap class during observation week.
Celebrating Papa’s 67th birthday Italian style!
Celebrating meeting baby Elinor, Becca’s 4 month old daughter!
(Four kids looks good on us, doesn’t it) 🙂
Celebrating Harrison’s 2nd Birthday!
Celebrating a beautiful afternoon at Quattro Gumba Brewery with the Russos!
Celebrating the first night of Passover at my parents!
And all this before we even make a dent into the second week of April!