Round Three

No, I didn't go back to Barns and Noble (though don't think the thought didn't cross my mind).

After a group nap (greatly needed on all sides), we drove out to Old Town Alexandria and went to dinner at a little burger place called Five Brothers. They are a chain store, and I know they have a location in Akron, so if there's one in your area you should definitely check it out. They have really good food, and for being in the DC area, they're pretty cheap. Even though it's a chain store, you walk in and immediately feel like it's one of the mom-and-pop '50's dinners.

From there, we walked through the Old Town. All of the buildings were built in the 1700s, so I took several pictures of the historical sites. I guess there's a church there where George Washington went, but we didn't walk past it. Instead, our first stop was a bead shop called the Potomac Bead Company. If you are into jewelry making at all, then check out their website. They have really good prices on Swavarski crystals (like 12 4mm rounds for under $2). I haven't checked out their online shop thoroughly yet, but the girl at the counter did warn me that not everything in the store is available online yet, so if you happen to be in the area I would highly recommend going in person.

After that we looked in a little Art and Craft shop (I think that's the name; I forgot to grab a card). They had some really interesting stuff in there, and I nearly took half of it home for my mom--it was a little out of my price range, though (even if I hadn't just spent $70 on books)(hey, that was research material. I was perfectly justified), and then went down to the Torpedo factory. It's not a factory anymore, but rather an indoor space with lots of little shops that is open at each end (I did take pictures). Sadly, the place we where heading for was closed for a special event, but we plan to go back later this week, and I took lots of pictures of the river since the Factory is right on the water.

Then, it was Holy Land part deux: A Ben and Jerry's store. I didn't even know they had stores, I always just bought the pints at Walmart. I had a strawberry kiwi sorbet cone, and it was really good (wanted to try a flavor they don't have a Walmart). The tables have little cartoons on them with the history of the company, and it's really interesting--like the whole concept started with a $5 correspondence course on how to make icecream.

The best part of last night? We finally got our air mattresses blown up, so I don't have to be cramped on the loveseat anymore. Not that I can complain, since Alice has been sleeping on the rug (and the concrete floor). Still, it was a big improvement. Now if only I can get a blanket that is about six inches longer, we'll be in good shape.