Phil & Jocelyn Return to Williamsburg

What fun! I got a phone call on Wednesday..."Sarah, can we come and visit?" It was music to my ears. I love having visitors! Phil and Jocelyn are DCers, so they were excited to come to the"country." They visited last November, so I was excited to have them return and see Williamsburg's summer glory.

They had to fight through 4th of July holiday traffic, but they stuck it out and made it! Seattle traffic can be nasty, but I'm not sure it compares to the drive leaving Washington DC. Trying to get from northern Virginia to the Richmond area should only be an hour or so, but when it backs up (from mere congestion...not even an accident) you'll be on the road for 3-4 hours. See why we love people to come to us?!

It was fantastic to have time to visit with Phil and Jocelyn. The weather was comfortable. Not hot, not sunny, a little breezy and the rain was coming. We took the opportunity to drive the historical triangle...Williamsburg to Jamestown to Yorktown. They're all connected by the Colonial Parkway which is a gorgeous road that runs through the forest and has great views of the James River. (Not that we stopped to take any pictures...maybe next time...)

Yorktown has a cute little boardwalk with some tourist shops, a good restaurant (or so we've heard), a beach and a pier.

The three of us have a good time talking about work, traveling, summer plans, future plans and sometimes, a bit of gossip.



Then it was back to the apartment to relax, have a drink and talk some more. Before they arrived, I went to the Williamsburg Farmers Market (watch for another post about this). I picked up fresh ingredients for dinner and swung by the Wine Cellar to ask Andy which wine to pair dinner with. We made Scallops with Mushrooms in a White-Wine Sauce. Heavenly! I served it with angel hair pasta and spinach. Yum! For dessert, we tried a banana foster type recipe, but I'm not going to pass that one on. I wouldn't make that one again. I'll let you know when I find a better dessert. Nothing beats a relaxing evening with good food and great company.

Sunday, we enjoyed our Bloody Marys at the pool and lunch at the Cheese Shop. The Cheese Shop is in Colonial Williamsburg (and I am going to be struck down by this comment, because it is a religion here) and I was disappointed with the sandwich. Everyone raves about them, and it's taken me months to actually get there to have one, and when I did - it was meat and bread. Both were good, but nothing to rave about. Hum. I may have to give it another try, but right now, figuring out fun combinations with our new panini press sounds like more fun. (I'll keep you posted on that endeavor.)

It's a tough life. I feel like when people visit me and the husband (when he's here) in Williamsburg, they are on vacation. So I try to treat them like I like to be treated on vacation - relaxation, lots of food, a comfortable bed and fun drinks. Anyone else interested in reserving the guest room? You're all welcome!