Monkey Park in Arashiyama, Japan

Fondly remembered as Monkey Mountain, this quick side trip was one of my favorite parts of our Kyoto visit.

Visitor Information: Here is an excellent link with a map and other tourist destinations in the area. We took a JR Train to get here and exited at the Saga-Arashiyama station. Our intended stop was the bamboo forest and after wandering through that park, we found ourselves at the river. There is so much to do in this area. As long as you are walking in the right direction (towards the river), you can find something to see and do without having a detailed agenda.

That being said, if you have picky eaters in your travel group, here is my advice for eating in Japan: When the picky eaters see something that they are interested in, you should probably just stop and get a snack. Even if it is not lunch time. We walked by several food stands on our way from the train to the bamboo forest and there were items that appealed to everyone. Our get-things-done tourist mentality prompted us to keep going and wait until lunchtime to get food. On our vacations, however, we frequently end up missing the lunch hour because we were absorbed in one of our side trips and forgot to keep time. I prefer being able to do this than follow a rigid schedule, but it comes at a cost. You might find yourself very hungry and searching for food only to realize you are in a district that closes down shop between the lunch and dinner hours, leaving few dining options available. As with most meals when traveling, be flexible or plan ahead are two pretty solid options.

Here are some more specific details for visiting the monkey park:

Admission is reasonably priced between between 250 and 550 yen per person (approximately $2.50 to $5.50), making this an affordable side trip. Keep in mind that you will want to buy snacks at the top to feed the monkeys. I believe it is around 300 yen for a bag of snacks; I opted for the bag of apple slices and felt there was a good amount to feed the monkeys. Do NOT feed the monkeys outside of the hut. There are a lot of them and they are really excited- and can get aggressive- about their food. You want to extend a flat palm to the monkeys so they can pick up their snack.

On the way to the feeding area, you will be walking up a mountain. It may be a small mountain, but you will want decent walking attire and should expect a lot of stairs and incline. While you are hiking to the top, you may encounter some monkeys roaming the hills to burn off some energy. Keep in mind the following rules:



      1. Don't stare at the monkeys in the eye.

      2. Don't touch the monkeys.

      3. Don't feed them outside.



     










 
I saw this sign just after I took this close up photo of my furry friend. Seconds after that picture, the monkey ran towards my phone which was pretty close to my face. I am summing this up as a monkey charged at my face. I squealed and ran away, and that was the end of our encounter, but I did not try to get that close for another photo until I was safe within the hut.

I highly recommend this stop if you are ever in the area! There is a stunning view of Kyoto from the top and feeding the monkeys makes for a unique experience.

Meridian Hill Park

This outdoor space is a nice hideaway in DC when you are looking for some greenery inside the city. It is particularly special for me and my husband since it's where we got married last year. <3 Over the weekend we took a trip to Meridian Hill Park to picnic and renew our vows.

It was nice having time to explore the park this trip. One of the most recognizable features of Meridian Hill Park is the large cascading waterfall; however, there are a number of statues with varied subjects here as well. Try to make a connection between Dante, Joan of Arc, and James Buchanan. Weird. But they are all excellent works of art and make for a nice addition to a walk in the park.

The upper level of the park is lined with tons of benches, so there is no shortage of seating here. There is supposed to be a community drum circle on Sunday afternoons, but we have not made it to one of those yet. We did see a family playing with a remote controlled boat in the pond, a group playing badminton, several picnics, a few yoga enthusiasts, a couple games of Frisbee, and some crazy guys running stairs. This would be a great place to run stairs if you are looking to mix up your workout- there are plenty of them! 

Parking around here is not too bad if you can parallel park moderately well. We have been lucky enough to find a spot on W street both times but as we drove around the park on the way home, we noticed plenty of spots on the hilly perimeter. The U Street metro station is also within walking distance if you would prefer to leave the car at home.

PS There are clean public restrooms on site.

The Book Thing

The other day I heard a brief whisper of a magical place from another teacher. Since the first graders were intently focused on math, I didn't want to disrupt their progress with my sheer excitement, so I bottled it up and waited until I got home.

Had she really said there was a place where you could go and get up to 150,000 books for FREE? Yes! It's called The Book Thing. The simple mission of this volunteer-run organization is "putting unwanted books into the hands of those who want them." In Baltimore, MD an old, simple warehouse is a temporary home for tons of free books that are constantly flowing in and out of its doors.  Inside are rows of shelves filled with loosely organized categories of books, and yes, you really can take as many as you want. The "store" is open every Saturday and Sunday from 9-6. They do accept donations and, of course, more books.

Here is my haul of 81 books from this weekend! Most of them are going to help supplement the library at my AmeriCorps service site. I plan to return and stock up on more early chapter books that I can give out as graduation presents to students who exit the reading program this year. I highly recommend a trip to The Book Thing for any bibliophiles in the area. Next time E and I will have a plan to explore the rest of Baltimore, too!

Tips for visiting:

-Be sure to allow plenty of time to look. There is no alphabetical order.
-Check back in your favorite section before leaving; more books are being added while you browse!
-Bring plenty of bags or grab a box from the pile in the fiction room.
-Dress appropriately. There was no air while we were there and it was quite toasty. 
-Watch where you park. You do not want to get a ticket, so be sure to pull around to the front.

DC Dinosaurs

Quick! Go see them now! At the end of April the dinosaur display is going away for part of a major refurbishment plan. A guide informed us that they won't be returning the fossil display until 2019. My friend and I made sure to soak in a lot of prehistoric fun over the weekend during our DC museum tour. Here are some of her pictures.

P.S. The Cherry Blossoms have finally reached their peak bloom. There is a new Van Gogh painting at the National Gallery. Some of the original Muppets are on display at the Museum of American History.

Christmas in Germany

Ever since the research phase of our holiday honeymoon in Germany, I have wanted to share some things to do around the country during the Christmas holiday. Many of the message boards have very negative responses towards individuals vacationing at this time since so much will be closed; however, that is just when many people have the time to take a big vacation out of the country. So, for all of you who are trying to make the most of your vacation days, these posts are for you!

from Wikipedia's Christmas market page

First thing's first. How early can you leave for your trip? If you want to see the Christmas markets, keep in mind that these are set up with the idea of shopping for Christmas, so they will be closed when the actual holiday arrives. Most of them are open until about the 22nd but some stretch to the 23rd, so look around and see where you want to go and how late the markets will stay open. Depending on when you leave for your trip, you might be able to visit one or two. I used this website to help me check dates. If you have the chance, definitely add the markets to your list. And make sure you eat while you shop!

For the 24th and 25th you want to plan your trip strategically. I think it is best to spend the actual holiday in a larger city. This improves the chances of having some food options available. If you are staying in a place where you can cook your own dinner, just make sure you do your shopping early. Most businesses seem to close by 2:00pm on the 24th. I would recommend staying in a hotel that offers dinner on these nights in case you can't find anything. We managed to avoid hotel dinner both nights, but we did have to do a lot of walking on the 24th to find a restaurant. That brings me to the next consideration. Pick a location that is walking-friendly. You want to be in the middle of a city where you can walk to restaurants, historical sites, churches, statues, trails, train stations, etc. Don't forget to bring comfortable shoes and plenty of warm layers. In the evening, consider visiting Christmas services at one of the old churches or schedule a night at the opera.

On the 26th some of the museums and sites will be opened again. Even though every tourist stop won't be open, the day is not a loss. Consider how many museums and historical sites you will be able to visit and appreciate in one day. You can spend more time enjoying a few locations instead of rushing all over. Based on the openings, consider what you want to see and where you want to go. Come up with the best blend of both and there is no reason you can't fully enjoy this day.

By the 27th everything should be open again, so set out to those sites you wanted to visit earlier in the week! I suggest exploring at least one castle on your trip. I will share specific details from our own travel itinerary in the coming posts. Good luck with your vacation plans!

Sarah

P.S. If you choose to travel by trains, travel routes and times require careful consideration. We had a great time using trains to get around, but I strongly advise planning your route ahead of time. Check out these two posts on how to make the most of German train travel. Saving Money and Getting Around

Girls' Night Out in DC

Since rotations keep stealing our husbands away, my friend and I decided to go out on the town for some much needed girl time. We went over to Connecticut Avenue to hang out at Politics and Prose Bookstore and then we wandered next door to Comet Ping Pong for some pizza.

 

Politics and Prose is a sanctuary for book lovers. It has that wonderful ahhhhh.... feeling when you step through the door and is one of the must-see bookstores in America. For such a large bookstore, this place loses none of the cozy, independent book-seller vibes. The book islands throughout the store are overflowing with interesting titles that bring back elementary school memories of DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read). The store features an extensive calendar of events that are free to the public. This is one of the things I love about D.C. There is a really nice collection of free stuff to do here which makes up for some of the overpriced food. Anyway, you can come out almost every night of the year for a book signing or an author lecture, and they occasionally hold multiple events in a day. Politics and Prose also hosts a series of book clubs in their store; you can purchase your book for 20% off and then come for a free book discussion with one of 20 different groups. The highlight of my trip was meeting the Espresso Book Machine. It prints books from start to finish right before your very eyes in ten minutes or less. How cool is that? I recommend printing yourself a book when you come to visit, and don't forget to check out the sale selections on the lower level!

 

Back when E and I visited R & R Taqueria, I set a goal to visit local gems featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives to satisfy my inner foodie and explore the different hometowns we'll have through a career in the military. Comet Ping Pong has been next on the list for a while, so you can imagine how excited I was when I realized it was right next to the bookstore we were visiting! The photo above features the front dining area. Yes, it does look that dingy inside, but it sets the perfect tone for the laid-back pizza joint. If you walk all the way to the back, you will find the namesake ping pong tables. We were there late-ish on a Sunday night, so it was not too crowded and we had no trouble securing a table for pizza or ping pong. The main attractions on the menu are pizza and beer. Our waitress told us the bread sticks weren't that great when we were looking at appetizers, but the pizza came highly recommended. Prices are $14 for a specialty personal-sized pizza and they start at $8 for your basic cheese pizza with additional toppings costing $1-$4. I was a little sad at first that I would not be getting a giant pizza, but the quality more that made up for any qualms about quantity. Each pizza featured generous amounts of toppings and the crust was just right. Get the melted onions on your pizza! They are awesome. I would definitely like to go back for a longer visit and more pizza to do this menu justice.

Tips for Train Travel in Germany 2: Getting Around

1. Plan out your route in advance. It sounds super romantic to go from town to town on a whim, living without cares or planning, but it is not feasible if you have a limited amount of time and specific goals for your trips. Train travel is not the same as car travel. A trip that may only take a short two hours driving could end up taking seven hours by rail depending on track locations, transfers, wait times, etc.

2. There are many useful resources to help you with scheduling. Google maps lets you look up specific dates and train times. This feature was incredibly useful; we used it before and during our trip to help plan. The information was reliable and provided a convenient way to check/alter our schedule from the hotel. At the station, there are several kiosks where you can enter your desired stop and pull up a detailed list of your best ways to get there. You can choose to print the schedule you decide on (for free) and then you have a portable reminder of where to go next and a great souvenir for your scrapbook. Lastly, when you choose to live on the edge and run from one platform to another in a panic, there are train schedules posted all around the station. Do you see a giant sheet with tons of tiny numbers and letters? That's it! Make sure you are looking at the departures for that station and not the arrivals.

3. Use the bathroom on the train. At most stations you will have to pay to use the restroom, and if you don't have coins handy, it can be a hassle. The facilities on the train are free and are most likely clean.

4. Make sure you are sitting in the right section of the train. If you did not pay for first class, you have to keep walking until you see the ones on the outside of the train turn into twos. Second class still has plenty of room to store luggage overhead, nifty coat hooks, and comfy chairs though, so you are not really missing out on anything. If it is an ICE train at a major station, be prepared to walk for a long time to reach the end of the train. Those things are huge.

5. If you can't get on the train because the doors are closed, push the button. There is a button on the outside of some (most?) train doors. Don't you wish the metro had those?

6. Lastly, be prepared to see some intoxicated teenagers if you are riding through large cities on a weekend. We were treated to a choir of Christmas carols when we arrived, and on the way back we saw some poor attempts at bowling with a drained keg. Yes, these kids brought a small keg onto the train along with cups and passed around drinks like it was totally normal. Ah, to be young. ; )

I hope some of this information will be beneficial to other travelers. If you choose to travel by train, soak in the views and enjoy the ride. The Deutsche Bahn provided a gorgeous ride through Germany and a low-stress experience.

 

Tips for Train Travel in Germany 1: Saving Money

For our honeymoon, my husband and I spent a magical week in Germany over the Christmas holidays. We also chose to travel almost exclusively by train to minimize vacation stress. Here are some helpful tips for planning your own trip and saving money. The German train system was organized, timely, and clean and provided some spectacular views of the countryside. All aboard!

Ways to bring down the cost of your train ticket:

1. See if anyone in your party qualifies for a child's ticket. Although it is a weird feeling being grouped in the same category as a 4 year old, passengers 25 and under can enjoy a discounted rate for the Deutsche Bahn.

2. If you and your party will be traveling together at all times, look into a twin pass. The twin pass ended up being a more affordable option for the two of us. Keep an eye out for special discount offers as well!

3. Order with plenty of time before your trip. We were ordering about a week (maybe less) before our trip, so we decided to get expedited shipping just to make sure our passes arrived before we left. The tickets got here a few days later and we were ready to go, but we could have saved a little bit on shipping by ordering sooner.

4. Don't get a first-class ticket. The German train system is very nice and there are plenty of seats. We had no complaints sitting in second class.

5. There is an extension option if you want to travel to a major city in another country. Based on what I heard from others, a German Rail pass is more affordable than a Euro Rail pass. If you want to travel to Venice or Prague you can get an extension just for that city and save some money.

6. If you are only spending a weekend in Germany, there is a discounted ticket for you! For a Saturday or Sunday trip, you can pay less than 50 Euros for 1 ticket that allows you to travel with 1-5 people that day. This option can be purchased at the station or online.

R & R Taqueria

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Back when I lived at home and had cable, I was lucky enough to catch the occasional program on the Food Network when my sister didn't have control of the TV. How I envied Guy Fieri driving around and visiting all those funky restaurants while enjoying a backstage pass to amazing food. Over the weekend my husband and I decided to take a drive and track down a dive in Elkridge, Maryland called R & R Taqueria. The authentic Mexican food is served up inside a Shell gas station.

At first I thought R & R was going to be a small adjoining structure. I've seen a few gas station/restaurant combos during road trips, but I've never encountered anything quite like this. We drove right past the restaurant and had to turn around! A ledge with bar stools sits beneath each of the windows in the picture above, and a wall of plexiglass separates the restaurant from the gas station's store. The small kitchen is open so you can watch your food being prepared while you perch on a stool.

What this restaurant might lack in ambiance, it makes up for in flavor. We each ordered huaraches and left feeling elated and stuffed. Both tortillas were topped with huge chunks of Oaxaca cheese (yum!) and generous portions of meat. The chili sauce that came with my huarache was out of this world. I highly recommend R & R Taqueria to anyone who is in search of exceptional Mexican food and a little adventure.

PS: I have a new goal to track down all the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in close proximity, so look out for upcoming food posts!

Sarah

National Gallery of Art

Sometimes I get so bogged down by the humdrum rhythm of everyday life that I forget I live in such a cool city. This weekend my wonderful husband and I hopped onto the metro and zipped over to the Judiciary Square stop so we could take in some culture at the art museum.

There is a really cool Byzantine art exhibit (free!) at the gallery until the beginning of March 2014. Amazingly old and well-preserved mosaics, manuscripts, religious icons, paintings, frescoes, etc. fill the exhibit and are accompanied by information on their specific history and the time period as a whole. Another cool feature I noticed while walking through was a few thick reference books laying on benches for visitors to peruse. A movie in one of the rooms displays Byzantine art that is still standing thousands of miles away. If you hear music, walk towards it to get to the video. No photographs are allowed here since this exhibit is on loan to the museum, but you could pick up a commemorative gift or postcard for yourself at the shop near the exit. If you are in the area, it is well worth the trip!

I can't report on the whole museum just yet since we only made it through a portion of it today, but the permanent collection we saw on the main floor of the West Building was incredible! My art history text book was up on the walls. In person! We saw Impressionist paintings galore. I can't even list them all, but the lady at the information desk informed me that I could plan my next trip online, so here is the link for that. You can search through the museum for artists and individual works all from the comfort of your home. However, the museum also has many comfy couches so you can plop down and marvel at each painting as you move from one room to the next.

The building itself is as amazing as the paintings housed in it and movies, jazz concerts, lectures, tours, and family events offer year-round entertainment. More details later! It is time for bed. This week I start my two new volunteer positions to improve literacy and spread the joy of books. : )

Sarah

Harpers Ferry Hiking

Last weekend my husband and I loaded up the car with our hiking gear and drove to West Virginia! It felt so nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of D.C. especially since we only had to spend an hour in the car getting there. Upon arriving at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, we learned that there was free entry for all to celebrate Veteran's Day. Normally it is $10 per car or $5 for individuals who enter on bike or foot.

The visitor center is small but has some very helpful rangers who are willing to guide you in the right direction. They also have stamps for your parks passport. If you plan on hiking, make sure you ask for a more detailed trail map. You might notice that this park is very spread out, but there are free shuttle buses that will take you from the visitor center to town. The buses were pristine and ran frequently.We were told 10-15 minutes, but when we were heading out around noon, the buses kept coming every 5 minutes.You can walk back to the visitor center from town. It is about 2 miles, and keep in mind the sun sets much earlier now! Also, know that there is more than one visitor center within walking distance. If you see the sign while at Jefferson Rock, that is the Appalachian Trail visitor center that is .7 miles away and not the National Park visitor center. We had no idea until we got right below it; fortunately, a nice lady walking her dog came by and was able to point us in the right direction. (Keep going on the trail and take the left at the fork in the trail and head down the hill. Then you will be back on the road with signs to guide your way.)

Our big hike of the day was the Maryland Heights Trail. This is one of the more strenuous trails offered at Harpers Ferry, but the view is so worth it. The hiking itself wasn't too difficult (unlike the Billy Goat Trail) it just involved a whole lot of up. Those were some steep inclines that did not let up. My husband likes to "get in a workout" on the first half of a hike. I felt like I was going to die as we trekked past everyone. (I survived!) If you take your time though, you should have no problem. There is a stunning overlook at the top where you can see picturesque Harpers Ferry sitting on the river below. The train passed by right when we got up there and topped off the whole experience. I will avoid describing too much and just show some pictures. It is very windy at the top! If you hike this during the fall/winter, you will definitely want a jacket.

There is plenty to explore in town as well. If you are hungry after a day of hiking, Lower Town offers a lot of sandwich/salad type restaurants and tons of ice cream shops. The architect in your group will enjoy the well-preserved buildings, and shoppers will be delighted with the assortment of stores including handmade and local items. We wandered into a "historic candy shop" that dates back candy favorites and their histories to the 1700s. The woman who owns this store will gladly talk to you about the fascinating history of candy, and the best part is you can take some home. Museums are set up in several of the historic buildings around town so you can step inside and learn more about this town's Civil War past. Did you know Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark) stopped through town to get his gear for their famous expedition? There is a cemetery that dates back to the 1800s nearby Jefferson Rock. If you walk a little further down the trail after taking in the view, you will notice some stone steps off to your right. Those lead up to the cemetery; there is a plaque at the top to give you more information about its history. One thing I really enjoyed about this trip was the history lesson. Signs and exhibits all over Harpers Ferry illustrated the town's past in an interesting and engaging way. This is a well-rounded family outing!