D’s Birthday

D’s birthday was a month ago. I know, I’m late blogging about it. I have no excuse…

Just like my birthday, we had a week-long celebration for D’s – taking a short trip out of town to Williamsburg and throwing a dinner party for him with friends. Williamsburg is probably one of our favorite getaways besides Florida. It’s close enough to drive to and far enough to get away from the city. (Quick fact – I’ve celebrated a birthday in Williamsburg, too!) And even though we’ve been there several times now, we still keep finding things to do.

I admit, it wasn’t what I originally had planned for his week-long birthday celebration. I was going to take him to the gun range, a couple local breweries, and possibly a new restaurant. But when I came back from my Monday morning meeting, he asked about driving to Williamsburg for a few days. It was out of the blue, but we sort of like being random. So, of course I said yes, packed a bag, and we ran out of the apartment towards freedom.

While in Williamsburg, we were able to get in some much needed R&R. We realized that it’s been awhile since we went away. Our last trip was in September when we cruised down the coast of Florida. Needless to say, we were well due for a romantic getaway. And I don’t know what it is about unplanned trips. It might be the long drives that we enjoy. Or it might be the time we have with no distractions (other than crazy Virginia drivers). Or it might be our inner wanderlust feeling fulfilled. Whatever it is, we love it. We can cruise forever, if we could. ^_^

Besides Williamsburg, we had a small get together for D’s birthday, a dinner party if you will. I served D’s favorite cake – German Chocolate Cake – and his favorite foods which included pulled pork sliders, lumpia, chicken satay, caprese salad, etc. I originally planned on having a main entree with sides, but D loves appetizers so that’s what I served with his favorite brews from Port City Brewing Company. It was hit! Everyone loved everything. I know D loved everything. His one request – to keep leftovers of his cake while everything else could be sent with our guests. LOL.

Check out the rest of our highlights from Williamsburg and the birthday dinner, in case you need any ideas for a quick getaway or party.

‘Til the next time.
– E

Williamsburg Highlights

Elements Massage and Bodywork – Best couple’s massage to date. Booking an appointment was super easy – they have an online system.
Dog Street Cafe – The food is okay, but definitely come here for the beer. They have a lot of local beers on their menu and you can get a flight of them if you wish.
The Williamsburg Winery – The trip to this winery is beautiful. You feel like you’re lost in the woods – but in a good lost kind of way. There are a few tasting options. We decided to do the Tour & Tasting for $10/person. It’s a 1 hour tour with a 30 minute tasting, and our guide helped drop some vino knowledge on us. It was fun and definitely something I’d want to do again with friends/family. Additionally, we liked the wine so much we became wine club members!
Shields Tavern – Only rule you need to know about any of the restaurants in Colonial Williamsburg – always have a reservation for dinner. ALWAYS. Yes, it’s pricey, but you get transported back into time with colonial food, dinner by candlelight, a fiddler creating the mood, and your waiters/waitresses in colonial clothes. Worth it. And if you’re celebrating a special day, let them know in your reservation notes.
Montpelier – On our drive back we stopped here for a few hours. If you’re interested in historic buildings and American history, then this should be on your list. It’s not as restored as Mount Vernon or Monticello, but it’s still a great site to see.

D’s Boozey Birthday Menu