Fall Festival Weekend


It was a spectacular fall weekend in Northern Virginia. With limitless sunshine, temperatures in the 70s and festivals everywhere, Joe, Theresa & Anna set out to maximize the outdoor time.

The weekend kicked off Friday with Oktoberfest in Reston. While Joe was enthusiastic about the brats and beer (which seems to be the only requirement for calling it "Oktoberfest"), Theresa was less impressed....particularly after the "polka" band began playing 50s and 60s music. Theresa vowed to visit Columbus during the German Village Oktoberfest so that Joe and Anna could see how it is done properly (including the fabulous German desserts).

Saturday it was off to the Fairfax Fall Festival, the of which the highlight was "The Legwarmers," a 1980s tribute band. Well, it may have been the highlight for Theresa...not so much for the rest of the family. Anna was excited about the carmel apple.


Sunday, it was decided to load up and head for the mountains for some hiking. The term "hiking" is used loosely as Anna was going on the trip. We made it to Shenandoah National Park to Old Rag Mountain. After some lunch at the car, we headed up to the trail head. We quickly discovered that the walk to the trail head was about a mile and immediately lowered our expectations for this "hike." The goal became to reach the trailhead...which took about 45 minutes with Anna. Thankfully the ranger had given her a park bandana, which Joe proceeded to show her along the way all the things she could use it for (an apron, hat, flag, etc...). Joe also found a walking stick for Anna, which she used to draw in the dirt along the way. At last we made it to the trail head, and decided to go back to the car....a smart decision given the fact that Anna wanted to be carried the last 10 minutes. While Joe and Theresa are not back to their glory days of hiking, at least this was a start. On the way back, the family stopped at a local apple orchard and picked up 1/2 bushel of apples (Theresa is wondering what she was thinking) and some cider.

Finally, today was Columbus Day and both Theresa and Anna had the day off. Since the weather was again beautiful, they met up with Sue & Aidan at a pumpkin patch - Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia. Apparently this idea was not too original judging from the thousands of other people that were also there. Sue & Theresa braved the crowds and went down countless super slides with Aidan and Anna. The lines were too long for the hayride and some of the other activities, but Aidan and Anna had plenty to keep them occupied, including a straw maze & tunnel. After collecting pumpkins on the way out, everyone left exhausted.


Happy Columbus Day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swimming with the Lakevale Dolphins

Image
The Swim Gang - Leo, Aidan, Megan & Anna Tonight Anna completed her third season with the Division II Lakevale Dolphins.  It was a great season for Anna as she improved her strokes and her times and made it to the "A"team to compete at Saturday meets.  It was an educational season for Joe and Theresa, who learned the ins and outs of life as swim team parents. The neighborhood swim team is the hub of neighborhood social activity in the summer.  There are events throughout the season, including Friday night pep rallies, and Sunday night fund events that include such things as the neighborhood scavenger hunt, laser tag night, bingo night, and even a team night at the Washington Nationals game.  In between the fun is the seriousness of the swimming, and there are definitely some top notch swimmers on the team. Anna with her lollipop for getting a "personal best" time Kids are motivated by different things. Some kids love to race.  Other kids try to beat
Read more

Camp Coles Trip & June Birthdays

Image
Anna at Girl Scout Camp Anna just returned from a fun-filled week at Girl Scout camp.  This year she was old enough to go to Camp Coles Trip, which is on a bay area off of the Potomac River.  This is a water camp, so she spent her days on the bay learning to paddle board and sail along with kayaking. Girl Scout Camp is definitely roughing it.  The camp is in the woods and girls stay in platform cabins with screens.  Anna shared a cabin with 4 other girls.  Mosquito netting is very important at night.  The only electricity is at the dining hall, health center, and activity building.  The girls are also responsible each day for doing "kapers" or chores.  They take turns helping serve meals, cleaning the bathrooms, and general clean-up.  They are also responsible for keeping track of their own things and carrying their bags. Anna had a fantastic time, despite the lack of modern conveniences, and is already planning her return next year.  She made new friends and her favo
Read more

Thanksgiving in New Jersey

Image
The Fagella family (or part of the Fagellas) celebrated Thanksgiving this year in Northern New Jersey thanks to James.  Since James was house sitting for his boss, they were very generous in letting us use their large home in their absence for a Thanksgiving celebration.  We joined Aunt Loren, Aunt Mary, James and Sundance for a Thanksgiving feast.  We could have easily fed another 20 people with all of the food, which meant lots of leftovers.  We also celebrated Aunt Mary's birthday (November 22) and Aunt Loren's (November 27) with a homemade coconut cake courtesy of James. Joe carving the turkey with his assistants. The festivities continued the next day when James hosted 22 of his high school friends for his annual Friendsgiving dinner.  Anna was kindly invited to attend the event.  Since she has attended previous dinners, she already knew many of James' friends.  Once again, the amount of food was staggering with everyone bringing a dish. Aunt Mary and Aunt Loren have c
Read more