The weather was overcast and warmer on Sunday in Washington D.C. for our last day of the trip. We met up with friends and had a lovely outside brunch before attending a fall festival in our friends neighborhood, Takoma Park.
When you are in Washington D.C. you are never quite certain if you are actually in Washington D.C. or Maryland, or Virginia. Takoma is in DC while Takoma Park is in Maryland. Wherever we were, it was quaint and fun. The streets were blocked off for miles and food, craft and plant vendors were out in force selling and visiting.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scout troops were also actively participating with lots of kids activities. Several venues were showcasing local musicians. This is a young neighborhood, with as many children and dogs as adults on hand. We meandered through the stalls, buying a few things, and then ended at their local farmers market which happens every Sunday.
There was a great mix of fresh produce,
fresh flowers, plus several booths selling grains and locally processed flour,
rice, meats, dairy stalls with local milk and cheeses, eggs, and some interesting items--fresh sugar cane
and a local persimmon farm selling fresh persimmons.
They were giving free samples to encourage people to try the oriental persimmons. Very interesting.
Walking to the festival we got to look at a wide variety of garden styles as well as homes. I thought this was an interesting sign to display.
By mid-afternoon we made it back to the house to finalize packing and headed to the airport. When we arrived and checked in, everything was on-time, but that did change. We were first bumped back an hour, then a bit more. Mechanical delays in Nashville were the cause of the delays. AA brought out a kiosk with sandwiches, chips, drinks and more for all of us to have for free because of the delay--very nice. We finally departed at 7:45 with an expected arrival in LR at 9:05 (hour time change). Storms hit towards the end of our flight, which delayed our landing a bit more, and made it memorable. I have had turbulence many times in my travels, but nothing even close to this. I was not sure we were going to make it, it was that bad. Thank goodness for great pilots who got us through. When we finally touched down at 9:19 there was a chorus of cheers and a lot of giddy travelers grateful to be on land.
Washington D.C. is a great place for a long weekend. We picked great weather and we didn't have to deal with crowds. Traffic was busy at times, but not unbearable, and we drove some, ubered some and walked some. Now I am home for a bit, which will be nice.