I wrote about the first part of our trip to Louisville, too!

After the fun of horse races and baseball, the next day we rented a car with a few friends and drove an hour outside of Louisville to hit up a few distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Our first stop: Maker’s Mark.

We got to do a full tour of their whole facility, which was so charming. All of the black buildings with red bourbon bottle shaped shutters, with lots of green bushes and trees.

Alcohol is made in here.

The maker’s mark seal, for the Samuels family.

Mash bubbling up into alcohol. We got to dip our fingers in there and taste the not-quite-ready bourbon (it just needs another 6 years in a barrel).

Then came the fun part: watching the entire bottling process. Bottles being filled with Maker’s 46. So delicious.

Bottles being capped and taped.

Dipping bottles in the signature red wax.

The cutest wax dryer mini-warehouse.

After the bottling, we got to the best part: the tasting! We got to taste the traditional Maker’s Mark and Maker’s 46. Both were delicious, but the Maker’s 46 was my personal favorite.

We didn’t end up dipping our own bottles; the line got long really fast and we had a few other stops before we had to make it back downtown for the rehearsal dinner.

Just hanging out at Maker’s Mark on a beautiful Kentucky day.

On the way to Maker’s Mark, we passed a lot of these creepy horror movie warehouses. As we soon learned, they are barrel warehouses, where the barrels of bourbon will hang out and age for years. These were the ones outside of Heaven Hill, our next stop.

Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center. I knew it for Evan Williams, among other things. (Including Burnett’s–college throwback!)

We did a quick mini-tour here, since the Maker’s tour really taught us a lot about the whole bourbon-making process. We did get to taste Evan Williams Single Barrel and Elijah Craig. My pick here was the Evan Williams.

Our last stop of the southern distilleries was Jim Beam. We got there too late for the last tour, but we did get to do a tasting with the tour group. Whew!

We tried Knob Creek and Basil Hayden’s. I thought that the Maker’s 46 was going to be my favorite, but it turns out, Basil Hayden’s was awesome. Smooth and so easy to drink.

Overall, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail was a great idea. The tours and tastings are all free, but it is a ways outside of the city so you’ll need a car or a tour service, of which there are many I’m sure.

When we dropped off the rental car downtown, we decided to walk across the Ohio River and stop in Indiana.We didn’t get to see much, but made sure to touch ground to say we’d been to Indiana.

After a fun rehearsal dinner, and plenty of recovery sleep, Cainon and I got a big brunch at Dish and then walked to the Muhammad Ali Center. We spent a little while there watching videos of old fights and learning how to box. Before long, it was time to catch the shuttle to the wedding ceremony. The whole ceremony was beautiful and very personal, and the bride, Alyson, looked stunning!  I only snapped a few photos the whole night, but it was a great time.

Until next time, cheers!

If from the title of this post you guessed Louisville, Kentucky, then you would be correct. Cainon and I traveled to “Lewvul” this past weekend for his fraternity brother’s wedding and took the opportunity to make a little vacation out of it.

We arrived early on Thursday morning to take advantage of the trip to a new state and make sure we saw all that we could. After checking into our hotel, The Seelbach, which was beautiful, we headed out to lunch at Proof on Main. The restaurant is decorated with different art installations, the first of a flock of seagulls called “What the Flock?!” and a series of prints of designer interiors of cars.

For lunch, I had a roasted cauliflower sandwich. Sounds a little strange, but it was so good! Cainon had a bison burger, which was also superb

After lunch, we walked down the street to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. After obligatory pictures with the giant baseball bat, we headed inside for the factory tour.

The tour of the factory was really cool. We got to see the whole process and everything that goes into making a Louisville Slugger bat. If yo have any interest in baseball, or sports, I highly recommend spending the $11. And you get a mini bat at the end of the tour!

Churchill Downs was the next stop on our tour of Louisville. We shared a cab with two friends we ran into on the street who were also there for the wedding later in the weekend.

Almost to the finish.

After learning how to actually place bets on horse racing, Cainon won quite a few. Here are his first winning tickets.

We took a tour of Churchill Downs and learned about some of the history of the Kentucky Derby.

We also signed a good luck sign for I’ll Have Another, the winner of the Kentucky Derby this year and who will try for the triple crown: next up, Preakness this weekend!

I think that’s enough bats and horses for now, but I’ll be back soon with Bourbon!

because we all love Fridays, I will leave you with these five things I love.

ISH: ummm…flavored horseradish you guys. beet, citrus, garlic and ginger.

a baby elephant on a beach. enough said. Thanks to Devon for showing me this.

Lauren & Hugh just got married. they have a blog now.

map prints from studiokmo. you can get me this one of blacksburg.

the ridiculous amount of meat I will eat tonight at Fogo de Chao. Happy Birthday, Devon!

have a lovely weekend, friends!

Happy Wine Wednesday all!

Remember that trip I took to New Orleans in February? I had mentioned that I had come across Abita Strawberry Harvest while reading up on some of the Abita beer I had in NOLA. Well, this girl found one last six-pack at a wine shop in Charlottesville this past weekend: Wine Warehouse. I had a bottle last night with dinner, and let me tell you, it was as good as I had imagined. Just enough strawberry sweetness, but not too overpowering. I will definitely savor the five bottles I have left.

We stopped at the wine shop right after getting back from Monticello and were still a little damp from the walk outside int he rain. To help warm us up, there was a free tasting of three different wines:

Ca’ Stella Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2009

Panther Creek Winemaker’s Cuvee Pinot Noir 2009

Chateau de Valcombe Gamme Tradition Rouge 2009 (70% Syrah, 30% Grenache)

They were all very good, but the Pinot Noir was amazing. So delicious, but a little pricier than we were looking to spend. We ended up getting a Carmenere and another Pinot Noir, nothing too special.

Seriously though, if you like Pinot Noir, try out that Panther Creek one. You won’t be sorry.

Cheers!

This past weekend I made the trek down 29 to Charlottesville, Virgina.

Friday was lovely, so I spent some time in the evening reading outside on the porch, kindle and corona in hand. For those that are wondering, I am currently reading the second Game of Thrones book, A Clash of Kings. Yes, it is awesome.

Saturday, we stopped by the farmer’s market downtown for a stroll. We had some fresh sausages and various samples of bread, muffins, and spiced almonds. Later in the afternoon, we drove out to Monticello to tour good ole TJ’s home. I had been before, a super long time with my aunt, uncle and cousins and didn’t really remember a lot about it; although I do remember a little box of rocks I got at the gift shop. (I tried looking for more of them in the gift shop, but I guess they’re a really popular item). As an aside, for those that don’t know, Thomas Jefferson founded UVA, so technically, we’re enemies.

The new visitor center is really nice. They have a short movie giving some background about Jefferson and Monticello in general. There are also other various learning centers and exhibits, but we didn’t get a chance to stop by them on Saturday.

Dorktown, USA. On the shuttle ride up to the house from the visitor center.

Storm clouds and the house; and our little tour group.

After the quick shuttle ride, we did our tour of the house. Right at the end of the tour, it started to storm, so we took shelter in the exhibits under the house: the wine and beer cellars, the kitchens, and the smokehouse, among other things.

The rain died down a bit so we wandered around the garden and the outside of the house. And took more dork pictures.

Instead of taking the shuttle back down, we did the short walk back down to the visitor center and parking. We got to see more of the gardens and TJ’s grave site.

But before we headed back home to warm up, some pictures with TJ were necessary. Apologies for the wet dog look.

I guess he’s a pretty cool guy. Educational trips are a lot more fun now that I can actually appreciate what I’m learning.  And speaking of more learning, anyone ever been out to James Madison’s Montpelier?

One of my great friends, Lauren, got married this weekend to her Hokie sweetheart, Hugh. It was such a fun wedding: so much love, booze, dancing, and pies. Here are a few fun moments from the night:

Cainon, Devon, Elizabeth, and Jeff. All still looking pretty put-together.

A couple of couples.

The girls. We’re cute.

Me and my boo.

Maid of honor, Jessie, and groomsman/bride’s brother, Dylan make their entrance. Go Hokies!

The bride and groom during their first dance. I had some blurrier pictures of better moments, but this one was the sharpest! Clearly I am not a wedding photographer.

Watching her new hus and his mom dance.

Instead of cakes, Pie Sisters provided pies and cuppies for dessert. So yummy!! Lemon, banana creme, apple, cherry, pecan bourbon, lemon.

Cutting the pie!

Congrats to Lauren and Hugh! I was so happy to be a part of the amazing celebration. Love you guys!

Hello world! I hope everyone’s April has been off to a great start; not too many April fool’s jokes or tummy aches from too many chocolate bunnies.

I spend the last few days of March and the start of April down in beautiful Charleston, SC with a few of my best friends from college.

Devin and I drove down from ole DC early early on Thursday morning to make sure we got as much Charleston time as possible. As soon as we got to town, we stopped at the Cooper River Bridge Run expo to get our race packets for the 10K on Saturday. After packet pickup we headed to a local bar on James Island to have a few happy hour beers while waiting for our friend Lindsay to get off work.

During the few beers we had, we talked about grand plans for our inevitable mega millions winnings later in the weekend. Unfortunately, we won’t be buying the Redskins anytime soon.

After Lindsay got home, we went to her house to hang out with her cutie Yorkie puppies, Beau and Belle.

After catching up for a bit, we headed out to Sullivan’s Island for dinner at Taco Mamacita for tacos and margaritas.

the food and drinks were delicious, and I loved the cute little bar/restaurant strip out on the island. I would love to head back there next time I’m in Charleston. I had a strawberry marg to go with my Caribbean jerk and carnitas tacos. So delicious!

Oh, and we found this. Hokies represent!

The next day, we wandered around the MUSC campus while Devin worked on financials for her upcoming start of PT school in May! So happy for her! After that, we went to Five Loaves for a delicious lunch. They have such great daily specials; so many soups and salads and sandwiches. I got a trip of mini soups and a roast beef sandwich on sourdough. I need more sourdough in my life.

After wandering around different areas of Charleston looking at some awesome prospective apartments for Devin, we headed to Lindsay’s house to wait for the arrival of the rest of the gang. We met at Pearlz for a quick dinner and a few beers. I wish there could have been some oyster shooters, but since we had a 10k to run in the morning, we held off.

The next morning was an early wake up call to make it to the shuttle buses to take us over to Mount Pleasant for the start of the Cooper River Bridge Run. Unfortunately, due to unknown circumstances, we waited in a huge line for far too long, and the race start ended up being pushed back by an hour. Not conducive to the best racing. I was starting to get hungry again, the heat picked up, and I just wanted to get a bloody mary in my hand! Geez! I finished in a little over an hour. Slower than last year, but I finished and was happy to just relax and hang out with the everyone!

When we all finished, we headed back to James Island for showers, mimosas, bloody marys, and sausage breakfast casserole. After some card games, food, and plenty of drinks, we headed back downtown to bar hop and have dinner. We ate at Cru Cafe; so excellent, but no photos of whatever fish dish I had.

After a full day of activities, sleep was necessary before the long drive back home on Sunday. We stopped for brunch over in West Ashely at the Triangle. It was such a cute little place: great seating outside, yummy food, and $1 mimosas. I tried to drink one, but it was not happening after the activities the day before. After goodbyes and hugs, it was back onto 95, through South and North Carolina, and back to Virginia.

I always have the best time in Charleston; it is such a beautiful little city, and I know such great people that live there, there’s always an excuse to visit.

Oh, and happy Wine Wednesday! I’ll be back again next week with a new wine pick. Enjoy my past entries about great wines! Cheers!

Happy Tuesday friends!

I just finished listening to the NPR Fresh Air interview with Matthew Weiner, the creator of Mad Men, about the fifth season which started on Sunday night. For those that are fans, this really is a great interview.

If you like the the show, this a hilarious look into the characters’ futures.

Over this past weekend, there were a few fun events. Friday after work, after a beer on the patio in the 80 degree weather, Lauren and I went down to the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms since they had already reached their peak. I hadn’t been down that way in a few years to see all the blooms, and I always forgot just how many people make the trek to DC to see them. We went right at sunset, which was even more lovely to see.

The weekend was rainy and chilly, so Lauren generously invited a group of the girls over for snacks and drinks and games. We ate lots of cheese, hummus, and chips, including some awesome pimento cheese that Lauren made. I contributed a pitcher of white wine sangria with lots of fruit. Yum! Oh, and huge cans of PBR.

Does anyone else love these Kate Spade watches as much as I do?!

I would also like to paint my nails this color. Have a lovely day!

White Wine Sangria

• 1 bottle of white wine; I used a sauvignon blanc
• 3/4 cup of peach schnapps
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 box of strawberries, sliced
• 1 bottle of seltzer water

Add sliced oranges and lemons to a large pitcher, smash slightly with a wooden spoon. Add wine, schnapps, and strawberries and stir together. Let chill and settle in the fridge for a few hours. Serve over ice and add a splash of seltzer to each glass. Enjoy!

I did it! I ran my first half marathon last weekend, on St. Patrick’s Day! I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon in DC.

It was a perfect day for running, and I had a great race. I had so much fun, and I may have already signed up for next year’s race (how can I resist a $20 discount?).

The race started bright and early outside RFK and went all around DC.

And here’s me finishing! I’m in the light green top.

After the finish, with my medal! Only slightly red-faced.

Finish time: 2:11:50

Not the fastest ever, but for my first half, I am more than happy with it!

I ran this race as a Girls on the Run Solemate as well! I raised money for the DC chapter, so girls in the district can participate in this great program! Thanks to everyone who donated, cheered for me, and wished me luck; it really means so much!

Next weekend I’m traveling down to Charleston for the Cooper River Bridge Run and to visit some of my favorite Hokies! Not a bad place for a reunion.

Good evening friends and happy Wine Wednesday. Cainon recently took a trip to Chile and Peru and brought back some delicious bottles of Chilean wine. This one that we had this past weekend was Viña Mar Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. It was so delicious; thanks for the wine, Cainon! If you know me, you know I love a good cab. I am looking forward to trying out the carmenère and chardonnay that he brought back as well.

In other news, I run my first Half Marathon on Saturday! I did a quick 2 miles to stay loose today and have 2 days of rest to look forward to before the race. I am running the Rock n’ Roll National Half Marathon in the district as a Solemate for Girls on the Run DC. You can visit my fundraising page here. I have been a coach for this great program at a local elementary school in the district for the past 2 years. Girls on the Run is an awesome program for elementary and middle school girls that promotes healthy living, self esteem, all while training for a 5K at the end of the season.

I am getting progressively more nervous and excited for the race. Thankfully, the weather looks great for race day: partly cloudy with a high of 75. And after I’m done, it’s time for a few St. Patrick’s Day brews.  I plan to do a full recap of the race afterwards, don’t worry!

Have a lovely evening friends! Cheers!