Wayfering 023: April Road Trip Days 9 - 10

Practically at the crack of dawn, I bid farewell to DC and headed to Manhattan to meet my aunts. I was a little bummed to miss the Cherry Blossom Parade, but knowing traffic in New York, I thought better to miss an event I can revisit, and not sit in traffic through lower Manhattan after a 4 hour drive.

My aunts took the good old Lucky Star Bus to Chinatown and I picked them up to head to the new Chinatown in Flushing. Got ripped off at the parking garage, but it's not surprising considering that the parking in Manhattan is far and few between without paying a decent price. Parking attendants will flat out lie to you about the rates - lesson learned for next time.

 Though with less variety than Manhattan Chinatown, the one in Flushing, being newer, is much more spacious and cleaner. Plus, they had newer stores like Nature's Republic and Tony Moly. I might have gone a little crazy for the Korean skin care lol

 The day after, we spent the day at the Woodbury Outlets and went a little bananas with the sales. Though NY has a higher sales tax than MA, they do have a lot of the stores unavailable at the MA outlets, so I do recommend it for a day trip of shopping.

I was with my family so I didn't take as many pictures. It's been a while since I've spent time with my family traveling and it was some nice bonding. There's nothing like the irreplaceable combination of wanting to kill them, but loving them at the same time haha As I get older I realize how much harder it is for family travel get togethers. I'll take advantage of the time while I have it.

And with this little post ends my road trip adventure. Thanks for tuning in and I'm always open to travel suggestions! ;)

o-o-o-o-o-o

Have an amazing day!

-Chelle

Wayfering 022: April Road Trip Days 7 - 8

After Virginia Beach, I headed to the DMV. My Airbnb was in Arlington, VA and enjoyed the weather, happy hour, and a couple sites for the American Pride in me.

Marine Corps Memorial

Arlington Cemetary

The World War II Memorial is probably my favorite.

Of course there's the Lincoln Memorial


And the Reflecting Pool - I can't get over how pretty this view is from the Lincoln Memorial

I'll admit I didn't get very far because I was so tired from all the driving. The exhaustion finally caught up with me. On the bright side it was a very relaxing day out in D.C. and I soaked in the weather. I stopped by a row of food trucks and ate lunch on the grass - a luxury I haven't been able to do in a while - and enjoyed every minute of it. Later on, I was able to meet a dear friend of mine for dinner and that's always a good laugh.

I plan on going back to D.C. to explore more of it, preferably with some friends to share the driving haha But it was a great visit nonetheless and I think probably the World War II Memorial was my favorite. Next time I'll probably time it better too to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. Missed it this year, but just another excuse to come back.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Have an amazing day!

-Chelle

Wayfering 021 :: April Road Trip :: Days 4 - 6

Harper's Ferry National Historic Park

Harper's Ferry, WV

Harper's Ferry is jam packed with civil war history and I think it's worth a day trip there. Because of my travel time I ended up arriving early in the morning (~9am) and ended up being the only one there for a little bit so I ended up exploring the nearby train tracks and part of the Appalachian Trail.

University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA

To kill a little bit of time (ended up arriving at my airbnb early) I recommend wandering around the University of Virginia for an old school vibe. Around the University is "the corner", which is literally a corner of two streets where there are a bunch of restaurants and stores for your pleasure. If you get a chance, about 10 minute drive away is Bloop Frozen Yogurt - AMAZING.

Shenandoah National Park - Skyline Drive
Starting at Rockfish Gap

The entire drive is about 1-5 miles and takes a little over 3 hours to finish. I was pressed for time so didn't get a chance finish the entire thing, but I would definitely drive it again if I was around the area. The opening hours are 9-5, so it's hard to catch a sunrise or sunset in the mountains, but still worth the views!

Military Aviation Museum

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Being the nerd I am, I stopped by this museum to check out some old air crafts from World War II. Many of them are actually functional and they do offer rides on them. Timing was not on my side and I was disappointed about that, but I would go back to see what it's like flying in a couple of these bad boys.

Virginia Beach Boardwalk

The sunset was beautiful, but nothing compared to the sunrise.

Out of what I saw in West Virginia and Virginia, I'd have to say Virginia Beach was my favorite. It's a tourist area in the summer, of course. But well worth it. I didn't have a single bad meal and their famous Orange Crush drinks are quite delicious. And obviously the sunrises are breath-taking. Very much worth dragging your ass out of bed at 6am for.

More updates later!

o-o-o-o-o-o

Have an amazing day!

-Chelle