I’ll be honest; I’ve never really been a fall person. Sure, I acknowledge that the season has its charms: pumpkin bread (I can’t stand the lattes, though, sorry); autumn foliage (though my current home in the mid-Atlantic can’t compete with my New England upbringing for that); and yes, it’s nice to be able to break out my sweater collection again. But ultimately, fall has always signaled to me that summer, my favorite season, was coming to an end. I just couldn’t get too excited about shorter days and colder nights. Add to that the fact that most of my travels often happen in spring and summer, and fall never really felt that exciting to me.
This year, however, things feel different. As I alluded to in my last post, I’ve spend the past few months (ie all of my beloved spring and summer seasons) dealing with health issues that have consumed a lot of my time and attention and kept me grounded at home with no travel to distract me. That’s why this year, I’m doubly excited to welcome October: it means I’m almost done with the main part of my medical treatments (I can see the end on the horizon!), and I’m finally ready to do some traveling again (and just in time to head north for peak-ish foliage!)
My trips this month won’t be all that exotic, but that’s okay. At this point, I’ll embrace pretty much any opportunity to hit the road, and I’m looking forward to several mini-adventures this month:
Melissa’s October Travels
The first stop, next weekend, is Philadelphia! After reading about several bloggers’ fun experiences in the city, I’ve decided it’s high time to explore its restaurant, café, and museum scenes. And as it’s only two hours from DC by train, it’s a perfect escape for the Columbus Day weekend break.
I’ve been to Philadelphia before, but that was over a decade ago and I’m sure a lot has changed since then, not the least of which is me. I’m a very different traveler now than I was in 2005, having lived overseas and traveled to five continents since then! I know more about what I like and want to focus on in a city, and for me, that means soaking up Philadelphia’s rich history as a pivotal part of the country’s founding days (already got my tickets for the Museum of the American Revolution!), checking out some cool cafes, gelaterias, and donut shops (Federal Donuts, I’m coming for you!), and of course, trying some fantastic new restaurants. I have a dinner reservation at Talula’s Garden, a reputedly amazing foodie mecca, for my one night in town, and I can’t wait to check it out and see how it lives up to expectations. Stay tuned for more on my Philadelphia adventures in the next few weeks!
Next up is my annual work conference in New York City. Normally, I don’t think of this as a vacation because a) it’s a work trip, obviously, and b) I don’t like NYC very much (sorry not sorry). But, I will admit the city has grown on me over the past few years of traveling there for my job—by which I basically mean I appreciate the indisputably excellent restaurant scene, which hasn’t let me down yet. Plus, I look forward to getting to visit friends and family in the city whom I don’t often get to see. Oh, and I’ve already started recruiting coworkers to visit Black Tap with me to enjoy burgers and, more importantly, these milkshakes. For this decadent candy-covered experience, I’ll happily ride a train three hours north (and hopefully see some decent foliage as part of the bargain!)
Black Tap milkshakes are worth a trip to NYC!
I’ll be in DC the rest of the month, but looking forward to a few fun local adventures too. These include visiting the Kennedy Center in a few weeks to see the Mariinsky ballet, and attending a book signing by legendary newscaster Dan Rather to celebrate the release of his new book (as one who’s been following his eloquent Facebook posts for the past year, I’m really anxious to see how his musings on politics, America, and national unity that have captivated so many on social media will translate into book form).
Time for a culture fix at the Kennedy Center!
So, it will be a busy month of small but delightful adventures and escapes. Just the prospect of a change, a break from the routine of the last few months of my tethered life, is exciting to me; I want to get back out into the world and re-engage the part of me that thrives on travel and exploration. Hopefully this time in a few months I’ll have lots more adventures planned and in the pipeline, but for now, I think I’m off to a pretty solid start as I re-emerge onto the travel scene.
For once I’ll join the chorus: bring on fall!
Have you been to Philadelphia or NYC recently? Any recommendations for my visits? What do your fall travel plans look like so far?