Savannah to Charlottesville to Alexandria and Back

Last week I flew to Charlottesville, VA to see family before heading to a public awareness conference for the American Society of Landscape Architects (I represent the Georgia Chapter). Dave was going to go with me, but decided to stay home and maintain the urban farm. I actually called one night to see if he would make up some sugar syrup for the bees (he was already on it - what a man!). I spent my first night with my Cousin, her husband and their twin girls. My cousin and I spent a lot of time together in San Diego as we were growing up and in Texas when she moved there for college. When she moved to Virginia we began a 'Fall Trip' where we drive and meet in the middle. Fall trips included Charlotte, NC (very cool city) and Asheville, NC where I learned she was pregnant with twins. This was my first opportunity to meet her girls - both sweet, beautiful 19 month olds full of personality - and I came away having learned some very important things for a non-mother:

1. When pushing the monstrous double stroller, stay to the center of the path. I lost a bottle over the edge of the fenced, raised walkway when one decided that she had drank enough and flung it over the side. It went in slow motion as it fell between the 6 inch gap. We also lost a pair of shoes - though I think they levetated or were abducted by aliens as they were nowhere on the path (we checked). Aliens, please return the pink sandals with the flowers on the bottom.

2. Car seats are complicated these days. There are all sorts of levers and pulls and clasps. All I remember about car seats from our generation is that they were really hot, brown pleather and burned when you got in on a hot day. All of the clasps were metal and shiny and acted like horse brands when they tried to strap you in. No one faced backwards, and the real highlight was graduating to that weird plastic booster seat thing that slid around on the back seat unless you had your lap belt on.

3. Pack snacks. I was amazed at the snacks that kept showing up out of nowhere. An eating child seems to be a happy child. The first person who comes up with a way to string grapes on a necklace that they cannot drop or choke on should win a prize.

4. Kids make me nervous. Not in an old person 'they are being to loud' kind of way, but in an 'oh no, one of them is surely going to trip and fall and get a concussion or eat something poisonous' kind of way. They are constantly moving rapidly, heading for the bathroom toilet, the sink cabinet, the stairs, sharp wall corners and everything that might pinch a finger or poke out an eye. My cousins do not seem to be bothered by this, which I think is a gene that surfaces when you have twins.

The same walk that we lost the bottle, we went up to the Thomas Jefferson Vistor Center and Smith History Center at Monticello (award winning design by a landscape architect!) which was fabulous.

Next my Uncle picked me up that afternoon and I got to go visit their home on another side of Charlottesville. They live in Glenmore, a hilly green masterplanned community with walking and biking trails, lots of trees, an equestrian center, a golf course and my favorite style of dark wood pasture fence lining the streets. I think between the fitness center, tennis courts, other various provided amenities and somewhat confusing road system, I might never leave Glenmore if I lived there. They might find me, tennis racket in hand, face down under my bicycle in a manicured flower bed muttering 'no more activities, I just can't take it anymore'.

My Aunt and Uncle drink wine - good wine - and have a refrigerated wine attic that feels like my version of a pink princess play castle. For some reason they do not mind sharing, and whenever I see them they introduce me to new wines. We had two bottles over the course of our evening, along with a great dinner, and some more time with my Cousins and their girls. We went to bed too late, and then got up early to go walking before they dropped me off at the Charlottesville Train Station.

The train ride was about two hours, and it was lovely - lots of leg room, quiet and clean. I arrived in Alexandria at 1130 AM and to 100 degree temperatures with 130 degree heat indices. I love to see a new City, and I endured the heat to do so, but that was the hottest day I have ever experienced - and that says a lot coming from Savannah and Texas. Alexandria is a beautiful historic City, and I had a chance to see some historic sites before beginning the conference.

The Train!

 Yay! Scooter and Bicycle Commuters!

George Washington Masonic Memorial

The Historic Carlyle House

Carlyle House Gardens

Historic Captain's Row

The conference itself was fantastic. There is nothing like being a room full of people who are just like you - we all validate eachother's crazy ideas and passions. I love hearing the success stories that are coming out of this poor economy for creative people in my profession. We mostly discussed our big PR event coming up in August (a nationwide 'mob' of landscape architecture public awareness campaigns) and even demonstrated in a public place in Alexandria (in the heat).

I flew back on Sunday afternoon and arrived to a happy husband and rhodesian ridgeback sticking her head out of the door at the airport (a tradition when one or the other of us goes away). They lost my bag and I had to sprint to my flight in Atlanta, but it was a great trip. Thanks to everyone who helped make it so!