Saturday we decided to turn Vienna into our own little NY. We had a few places we wanted to visit in the heart of Vienna and a few errands we needed to run in Vienna as well. Justin had also wanted to go on a family hike in the near future. After breakfast, we decided to forgo the gym. We packed a backpack (thanks Justin for carrying it for 6 hours straight) and set out to Vienna through our backyard and the path that Justin had cleared in our backyard leading to it. The girls each took a plastic bag and collected leaves along the way there. The three-mile walk to Vienna took us one hour and 15 minutes. We caught the tail end of the Vienna Halloween Character event grabbing a small free cotton candy for the girls along the way. They wanted to go in the moon bounce but it was closing up as we got there. Meanwhile Justin and I were scoping out the historic Vienna area as a possible location for our family pictures next weekend. We then headed to Potomac River Running so I could get some insoles (per the orthopedist’s recommendation) for my running shoes. I even had a $25 coupon that I was able to use, which was awesome since I had forgotten about it until we were steps away from the store that. Next, we made our way to Cuppetts where Avery tried on new tap shoes. They were out of the size she needed so we put our order in; on the bright side we didn’t have to carry them with us through town the rest of the day. Next stop was Walgreens, where Justin got his flu shot. Justin had taken the girls the day prior for theirs and it was not a pretty sight. Emerson tried to hide behind the chairs in the doctor’s office and all three girls screamed. Justin told them to be brave; he told them he would show them how it was done when he got his. After Walgreens, we headed back to Church Street Pizza for lunch. We ordered a bunch of slices and when we were done headed over to Glyndon Park. Justin and I wanted to scope it out as another alternative for family pictures. The girls meanwhile had fun playing on the swings, monkey bars, and slide. Last stop before heading home was Ritas where the girls indulged in some frozen ice and Mommy and Daddy shared a kid size soft serve ice cream. It was also a form of bribery not to whine on the long walk home. The walk home we spent counting and doing math problems for the first half making the walk go by quickly. We were home by 4:45…just in time for Daddy to spend another hour mowing the grass. The girls played on the swing set for a little before showering and putting on their pajamas and staying indoors the rest of the evening. The girls and I walked nine miles that day…Justin probably an additional three with the lawn mowing!
Sunday afternoon we had planned on going to a farm with a pumpkin patch, apple orchard, and petting zoo. When the weather was raining in the morning, we almost scratched that idea and went to the local Reston Farmer’s Market. Miraculously, the sun came out and the forecast said it was going to get up to 80 degrees so we decided to stick with our original plan and go to Homestead Farms in Maryland. It was a huge place with a large orchard, a petting zoo (including goats who walked above ground), a lake, a pumpkin patch, a tractor for hayrides, a general store, and a market. It really was a great place. Our experience wasn’t as carefree and appreciated as much as it should have or could have been. Emerson wasn’t impressed from the moment we got out of the car despite the fact that she could barely see the farms offerings from that vantage point and distance. We had to backtrack after being in the farm all the way out to the last row of the parking lot to get a wheelbarrow for our apples and pumpkins. It became hot…very HOT as in 90 degree hot very quickly and that isn’t something that was anticipated in mid-October! Then when we got deep into the orchard, Avery had to go to the bathroom and claimed she couldn’t hold it. Apple picking was over for Avery and me. Meanwhile on the way back to the porter potty (yes, I went in one a total of four times while we were there), the shoes I was wearing gave me the WORST blisters. I could barely walk. Finally, when Justin got back the girls picked out some pumpkins but I truly don’t think any of us were into it. While Justin was waiting in line to pay, I shopped in the market and got all my fresh vegetables for the week (kale, green peppers, poblano peppers, cherry tomatoes, orange tomatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans…oh yeah, and some snacks for the girls). Homestead Farms had the potential to be great, but unfortunately our attitudes took the amazing experience factor down slightly.
Despite that, I still wanted to stop at the winery that we had seen on the way in that was a mile down the road. It was called Rocklands Farm. We only stayed for a short time, but enough time to do a wine tasting, buy two bottles of wine, a strip steak for Monday night’s dinner, use the rest rooms, and take in the scenery. I absolutely LOVED the feel of this winery. It was rustic with an amazing barn. I didn’t tell Justin this, but if we were to have our wedding again….I think this is the type of venue I would have it at. Deep down, it spoke to me. We were also there at 4:45 so the sun was creating great light….just gorgeous. It was only after we got home that night that I decided to read the reviews on trip advisor. While rated pretty highly overall, there were a few reviews that rated the winery poorly due to the $12 wine tasting and the below average volume wine tasting pour. I definitely noticed both but I didn’t vocalize nor did it consume my thoughts after the initial second I thought it until I read the review. It was that moment in time that I realized that I finally wasn’t trying to see the flowers…I was seeing the flowers:)