As the Washingtonians Do

I'm not sure if my recent trip to Washington DC with not only my husband, but my parents and brother and girlfriend as well counts as a babymoon, so we'll just call it a quick-but-full weekend getaway. (Note that the weekend was quick...I am decidedly NOT quick since Baby B decided to take up residency where my left lung used to belong.)

EATS (and drinks for the non-pregnant adults)

Dacha Beer Garden

All I wanted were fried pickles and a giant pretzel, and Dacha delivered! Or rather, my brother did as we sent him to get us a few appetizers while we hung out in the air conditioned Airbnb next door. Someday I'd like to return and, you know, try out the beer at the beer garden, but until then, my German food craving has been sated.

Union Market

I went a little overboard here with the variety of food I consumed, but I have zero regrets. A giant Caprese salad (one must eat ALL the fresh tomatoes in Aug-Sep to make up for the rest of the year!), bao sliders (I never pass up bao), Korean tacos (coleslaw makes my heart happy), arepas (with so much green sauce), and crepes (seriously, just put some stuff between dough and I'm there)...I heard there were tiki drinks as well, but I was content with all the street food from around the world.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

There's something about fresh/homemade lemonade that makes me happy to be human. A well-constructed salad and a hamburger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches brings a great amount of joy as well. Did I mention pickled potato salad? I guess I needed another German food fix after all.

ACTIVITIES

This trip was less about doing/seeing things than enjoying each other's company, but there were a few highlights to our itinerary. We stopped by the National Air and Space Museum to see Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 Spacesuit. This librarian also got to check "Become a Library of Congress Reader" and "Visit Library of Congress Reading Rooms" off her bucket list. Continuing the library theme, we checked out (pun intended) the new Apple Carnegie Library. It was bizarre and meta to think about how Carnegie's "Palace for the People" is now a retail store for an exclusive-yet-ubiquitous product. We saw our President, First Lady, the Distinguished Toni Morrison, and a few other Supreme Women at the National Portrait Gallery. A night at The Kennedy Center to see Aladdin, which has become a touchstone of my and my husband's relationship, was the perfect way to end our trip and celebrate being together.

Happy (Almost) End of Summer

Welcome back (to me and you) from my planned/unplanned vacation from blogging! I was flirting with the idea of taking the summer off, and then life said "Yep, you definitely need a break," so I logged out and worked on all sorts of personal and professional endeavors. Now I'm ready to share what's new in Rachel's book/travel/food world and resume some recommendations and reviews. First, here's a bit of what's been going on since May, the media I've consumed + would recommend, and what I'm looking forward to this fall:

BOOKS

• I finished Scythe (and later, Thunderhead) and I'm now eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this trilogy.
• I listened to Sadie, which might be the only way to consume that book - it's part podcast, part quest for justice.
• Now I'm settling into my second trimester and reading all the books. I've perused pregnancy books, but lately I've been feeling the heavy emotional reads: Good Talk is a graphic novel memoir about a woman discussing race and racism with her young son; A Heart in a Body in the World is a young adult novel about the violence of control and how we can run away from our past while also running toward a new future; The 57 Bus is a nonfiction book about events that occurred on a public bus in Oakland, California in 2013. All three made me cry.

MOVIES

• We started off the summer of Disney remakes & sequels with Aladdin, then saw Toy Story 4 and The Lion King. Now this mermaid eagerly awaits the live action The Little Mermaid and wonders if Disney's streaming service will be worth it...
• Besides remakes, my favorite movie of the summer was Rocketman. Now we just need to catch up on Bohemian Rhapsody and Yesterday!

OTHER INTERESTING THINGS

• I don't follow basketball, but I did enjoy this story about Giannis Antetokounmpo from The Ringer.
• And a related story that should shock no one - "Experts Say Storytime Can Help Children Recover From Trauma" - but what the article doesn't say is that reading, listening, and engaging with stories helps us all, no matter what age we are.

LIFE

• In early May, I *officially* graduated from Dominican University with my MLIS. While I'm certainly proud of my high school and undergrad diplomas as well, this one means the most to me. I'm so glad I get to put it to use regularly, and I'm forever grateful to friends and family who supported me during my studies.
• In late May, my husband and I found out we are pregnant! So far my favorite pregnancy book is Lucy Knisley's Kid Gloves. It's real and relatable, plus I learned so much about the history of pregnancy and prenatal care.
• My first trimester was filled with naps, soup, and trying to drink as much water as I could. I shouldn't have been surprised that I was also in a massive reading slump. Nothing interested me, mostly because I was exhausted. I was also a bit anxious - as much "fun" as it seemed to have a secret shared only with my husband, it was also hard to not tell people when I really needed their support. Revisiting this piece by Neil Gaiman helped my brain. So did mysteries and thrillers like Your Name, We Were Liars, and Sea Witch.
• By July, I felt much better. My husband and I traveled to Baraboo, Wisconsin to visit Circus World (this has been on his bucket list for a while), and we joined the rest of my family for a reunion/camping trip. While there, we surprised everyone with something we had found out a few weeks prior: we're pregnant with TWINS!

LOOKING FORWARD

• The end of summer brings a wedding, a trip to DC, and the return of school year programming at work.
• My stack of TBR books includes a few contemporary young adult novels that have gotten a lot of buzz (some great, some not good at all), a highly rated young adult crime novel, and a spooky retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
• It's almost Halloween! I'm excited to celebrate by watching Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, IT Chapter Two, and a few classic horror movies. I also need a good costume to show off my growing belly...

A Weekend in DC

Things that make a great vacation:

• Options for activities, including no activity at all
• A knowledgeable host
• Great food
• Naps

Escaping from Chicago for four days was exactly what I needed, and choosing Washington, DC as our travel destination was a great choice - I had never been as an adult, Jesus hadn't been in several years, and we had great hosts to both house us and take us to a bunch of fun spots around town. We ate at Ted's Bulletin (homemade Pop-Tarts!), Sudhouse (patio seating & games!), and Rakuya (happy hour sushi!). We drank at The Board Room (board games and beer!) and Drafthouse (free comedy!). We went to a Japanese festival and the Cherry Blossom Parade. We visited four museums and three parks, saw a drum circle, and rode the Metro like locals. We even fit in a short snooze on the National Mall. It was a solid Spring Break getaway.

As the Milwaukeeans Do

Jesus and I took a late Anniversary trip to Milwaukee this past weekend - just a quick one-nighter - and we loved it. It's less than a two-hour drive from Chicago, and with some advanced planning, much cheaper than the same weekend would be here. We had tickets to see the Zelda Symphony Orchestra at Riverside Theater, and added in a few extra activities as we went. Here's what we recommend:

Eat

For a quick snack, check out Wild Flour Bakery in the Shops of Grand Avenue. Their muffins were the perfect size to tide us over until dinner. Plus they're a Woman-Owned Business!

We had dinner at Buck Bradley's. The food is typical American/bar & grill, with an extra special Wisconsin touch (think: CHEESE!). The atmosphere is cozy and vintage, with TVs for the sports fans and a quieter dining room for families and couples on dates.

Stay

Since we had this trip planned since spring, we got a pretty decent deal at the Fairfield Inn & Suites downtown. It was only 3 blocks away from the theater, and within walking distance of many downtown attractions. Parking was only $15 overnight, and we had a legit continental breakfast.

Do

The Zelda Symphony won't be back to Riverside Theater until at least next year, but they have tons of upcoming shows. It's a historic theater with quite the origin story (including a fire & continuing floods), and stunning decor.

Depending on the season, there's always something going on downtown. We got to see holiday lights, do a little shopping, check out the restaurant/bar scene, and gaze up and down the river (until we decided it was way too cold for that nonsense).

Our activity for Sunday was the Milwaukee Public Museum. We highly recommend this 134-year old museum, and it may even edge out our own Field Museum in novelty and great use of space. The Streets of Old Milwaukee are fascinating and we spent a lot of our time imagining ourselves in each room or house of the European Village. And that Butterfly Vivarium! This is a must for families, or couples with a childlike sense of wonder.

As Puerto Rico Does: Beaches, Caves, Waterfalls, & Rainforests

This is less a post about what Puerto Ricans (or visitors to Puerto Rico) do and more about what the island has to offer by way of geographical landmarks. While only 100 miles at its longest and 35 miles north to south, PR has enough land formations and bodies of water to quench even the most intrepid explorer's thirst for adventure. This collection is by no means exhaustive - these are just several spots we were lucky enough to see during our vacation.

Playa Cerro Gordo: Come for the (clean, uncrowded) beach, stay for the hike that brings you to a breathtaking view, unobstructed by anything man-made.

Cueva de las Golondrinas & Poza de los Mujeres: Take a nice long walk to get away from civilization and reward yourself with a day of exploring a few caves at low tide and/or laying out on the beach.

El Yunque: The only rain forest in the US National Forest System and home to stunning vistas and nearly private waterfalls. (Bring swimsuits and water shoes!)

Cueva del Indio: Climb down an old (but sturdy) wooden ladder to see Taino carvings in the rocks. Stay up top to enjoy (yet another) breathtaking view.

Rio Camuy Cave Park: This guided tour takes you into a natural limestone cavern formed by the Camuy River. Watch out for bat poop!