Biltmore is nothing when compared to good friends.

Got some awesome news about a friend's new job this week, and it jogged my memory that I hadn't written about hanging out with her (her hubby, and another delightful friend) in February. #BadFriendAndTraveler

My friends, Angela and Ashley, have been in my life since 2005 and 2002 (not 2022 as I originally typed. Derp.) respectively. We all worked for the same unit here at the university, and even though since 2007, we've all been long-distance friends, we still talk, visit when possible, etc. They are both just delightfully beautiful women, inside and out, and I just adore the stuffin' out of them both. Angela is a double joy, because with her, is her amazing hubby, M. 

When Ashley moved to DC (where she still lives), Angela & I were still in the same city, so she & I flew out for a girls' weekend there, and had a really fun time. Both enjoy traveling a lot, and are fun partners-in-crime. We visited the all of the memorials, including the WWII, which I had not yet seen. We went to Mount Vernon, which was really lovely. We went to the Native American Museum on the Mall. In short, we did that city up. 

My favorite photo from our girls' trip to DC. 

Adventure: A (Quick) Trip to North Carolina

This past weekend was our oldest nephew's First Communion. While Spouse and I aren't on the Catholic wagon anymore, we recognize and appreciate that his brother and his wife are raising the three monkeys with some sort of catechism. Plus we hadn't seen them since the holidays! Way too long. 

My in-laws with nephew, O.
Youngest nephew, A, is the blond back of head in bottom left corner.

The trip down was just groovy, and we even managed to find the only brew pub in Charleston, WV, which we highly recommend to anyone. The former Charleston Brewing Company, now the Black Sheep Burrito and Brews, is in downtown Charleston, and just a mile or so off of I-77 - so easy to get to and back on the road + has parking on the street at a meter, or there is a parking garage attached. 

They had 9 beers on tap - only serve Charleston Brewing Co brews - and since we were driving, decided to do two flights and our swell bartender threw in the 9th beer free. My favorite was the Citra Ob-Session, a delicious American Pale Ale with citrus. Nicely balanced, with a clean finish - it would be an awesome middle of summer, hotter than blazes, way to chill out.