Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Easter in the Valley


We had a wonderfully busy and fun Easter weekend visiting with our family friends in both Harrisonburg and in Northern Virginia. I always love how Easter ushers in the spring, bringing a season of new beginnings and fun. Plus, I love wearing an Easter dress!


We spent the weekend with our friends Holly and Arthur in Harrisonburg. Visiting the Burg always sends me into fits of nostalgia and wistfulness, remembering the year I spent there in my first year out of college. My job was very cool in a lot of ways, but I was in a long distance relationship (with my now-husband) and felt very lonely as I made my way in the world. It's fun to return and see how the city has grown and changed, but it's also delightful to see what's the same. They took us to have a dangerously delicious brunch at Billy Jack's Wing & Draft Shack, owned by the same team behind Jack Brown's. Holly and I split a carafe of mimosas and we were HAPPY by the end.


Sean got the 10-Napkin burger, complete with bacon nuggets. I mean, have you ever?


They have an incredible menu of sliders, so I had two super-bad-for-me options: a fried chicken slider with dill pickles and sriracha mayo (get on that, Chick-fil-a!) and the Greg Brady, a wagyu beef patty topped with mac and cheese and barbecue potato chips. That inspired combo was tasty, but actually a bit rich. I think salt and vinegar chips would help cut the richness of the mac!


From there, we headed to Three Brothers Brewing, where Sean enjoyed a flight...


And Holly and I both downed glasses of Good Adweiss! We had dinner at Local Chop & Grill House; one of my first articles in Harrisonburg was about the restaurant that opened there initially...it's surreal to think that was almost 10 years ago.


On Sunday, we piled into the car to go meet Arthur's family and my sister-in-law Katie for an Easter brunch. On the way, we stopped in downtown Winchester for lunch. I loved the green trim on this old home's windows!


And I had the best beer-battered fish and chips of my LIFE at Union Jack.


Two years ago, we put together a baby shower for this little nugget! I can't believe how time has flown.


Obligatory Easter couple pic!


The real occasion for getting together: the early arrival of this new best friend! Adam was only four days old in this picture, and already out socializing!


Cuddling with this pal, who decided my necklace was a choo choo and was trying his darnedest to move it around my neck. He's so adorable, I didn't even mind.


We hit the road, enjoyed a beautiful sunset and cracked up through a late show of Furious 7.


Sadly, our weekend trip had to end, but happily, it ended with my favorite sandwich from all the time I lived in Harrisonburg: the Santa Fe turkey sandwich, on a jalapeno bagel. Bliss is when you can leave a place for 8 years and still be able to get your regular order. The world changes, but hopefully this never will. 

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