Koehler Women (and Jeremiah) Vacation Together

As mentioned in my previous post, my mom and sister came to visit Jeremiah and me for a little vacation from Thursday through this morning. A lovely time was had by all! After a rather extensive and frustrating drive down I-95, they made it here safely (a mere seven and a half hour haul I think it was). We started the festivities that evening with a trip to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. This kind of thing is right up my mom and sister's alley, and I do think they enjoyed it. It's a beautiful place with tons of different vegetation to see. Jeremiah enjoyed taking plenty of artistic shots while we were there, too.

The next day, after the four of us went to Cafe Caturra (a favorite of mine and Jeremiah's), the girls went out shopping, particularly to hit Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn. 'Twas quite the exciting trip, especially with a tasty Godiva truffle mixed in. Later, the whole brigade checked out the 17th Street Farmer's Market 'Red, White, and Brew' but, unfortunately that was quite the bust. Mom and Jeremiah did enjoy a beer together though. We opted for a nice dinner at Maggiano's instead.

That brings us to the 4th of July! We headed to Maymont Park to check out their animal and garden displays prior to our settling down for several hours waiting for the climax of Independence Day. Jeremiah could not have gotten a better parking spot, which allowed us to be equidistant from Maymont and Byrd Park, where we would be celebrating the rest of the holiday. I had packed a picnic dinner and we each brought a book to pass the time (thank God for that--even though I don't like to read) and a lawn chair so that we could spend the five hours we had to wait for fireworks relaxing, people watching, and attempting to eat overcooked, oversugared funnel cake. It was well worth it though! One of the best fireworks displays I have ever seen! And hands down the best finale I have ever seen!!

For our rainy Sunday we scheduled a trip to Barboursville Vineyards, to check out a winery that a friend recommended to me. None of us had ever been to a winery, so it was a fun experience for all. Can you believe only $4 for 16-20 tastings, a souvenir glass, and a tour?? Talk about a steal. 

We ended our vacation with a bit more shopping and just some much needed time to relax and spend time together. Actually, we officially ended our vacation with a viewing of the new show "Dance Your Ass Off" on Oxygen. WOW. Words cannot describe. In Midlothian, it was on Monday evening at 10pm. Check it out--a must see. I can think of no other way to end a wonderful visit.