Louisa Trip, Day 2: Hiking, Soft Serve, and a Giant Frittata
- By Robyn Lee
- Sep 12, 2009
- Comments
This entry originally took place on July 31.
Waking up at Tristan's house in Louisa is worlds away from waking up in my cave-like Brooklyn apartment.
- Sheepies.
First, there's the flock of sheep outside the window. Just doing their thing. Being fluffy.
- Aw...
And, a bit to the right, Colin in a hammock petting Hoppy, the family dog.
- FOOD.
And, in the kitchen, farm fresh eggs (cooked by Olivia!), homegrown tomatoes made into a Caprese salad, and raspberries...not from the farm, but still awesome. My frequent eating out prevents me from keeping much food at home—my fridge is where anything perishable goes to die. Slowly. The Jones family kitchen is full of food, and when it's being raided by five 20-somethings, everything gets eaten.
- Oh yeah, we're amused.
Also in the kitchen is the ability for all of us to gather around Tristan's computer and marvel at the wonder that is Advice Dog. (I'm a big fan of this one. Vitamin deficiency tickles my fancy.)
- Oo, nature!
In the afternoon we went to Cedar Run in Shenandoah National Park to hike to the natural rock slide. It was a lot like last year but a smidge cooler and wetter.
- Hangin.
And perhaps a smidge longer. The distance was the same—it just felt longer because of Tristan's gross underestimation of how long it would take to reach the rock slide. "Another 30 minutes," he responded when Olivia asked how much further it was...and then he's repeat the same answer after 45 minutes.
- There it is.
After what felt like two hours, interspersed with many, "OH GOD, TRISTAN, ARE WE THERE YET?" and him going, "YEAH I THINK ...no, not yet," we finally reached the holy land of The Slide. Like last year, I didn't actually go down the slide because, like last year, the water was brain numbingly cold. Although I wore my bathing suit I pretty much just sat on the rocks with Olivia and Veronica and soaked in the peacefulness of our little spot of nature as the boys did their macho thing and freeze their asses off. I'm not ashamed of being a wuss. A wuss who likes her skin's temperature to stay fairly constant.
- GO, COLIN!
This is Colin before going down the slide.
- In shock.
This is Colin after. Quiet, violently shivering Colin.
Tristan went down a few times. He deserved his fun after having to hear the rest of us whine during the hike. Perhaps mostly from me.
- Drippy.
On the way back to Tristan's house, we stopped at a supermarket...conveniently located next to a Tastee Freez. Which meant I was gonna eat some soft serve.
- Drippy.
I got a chocolate dipped cone—a rippled tower of vanilla soft serve (that's some quality soft serve-pulling) coated in a hard chocolate shell. The soft serve doesn't taste like anything special, but it's a fulfills the desire of something sweet, cool, and creamy, accented by something sweet and crisp. It's a no-fail combination.
- Cornfields and tents. That's how we roll.
Back at home, we reveled in the beauty of the sunset.
- NO REVELING.
Except for Colin since he had a headache. We didn't even know where he was until, while walking outside, one of us said, "Where's Colin?" and we heard a low moan of, "I'm heere," come from the tent.
- WHIFF IT.
We picked a bit of apple mint from the garden to make cocktails with (it really does smell like apples and mint...durh).
- Awww.
And awwww, look at Tristan and Hoppy. They're meant to be together.
- FRITTATA TIME?
For dinner, Olivia made us a huge ass frittata made with 20 or so eggs from the farm.
- Success!
With Colin's help, the frittata was set free from the iron grip of its...iron vessel. Free to enter OUR MOUTHS.
- Get in mah belly.
The frittata had a nice crispy bottom (or top, rather) and was full of tomatoes and peppers...and things. I don't remember exactly; I just know it was fat, fluffy, and delicious. We ate it with vegetarian chili, brown rice, and cooked spinach, surely making it the healthiest meal I had eaten in a long time.
- Time to go outside and sit around this concentrated source of heat. (Extra dude on the right is Fletcher, Tristan's brother.)
And then I undid the healthiness by eating some s'mores.
- Grill dem 'mallows.
Or just one s'more—the combination of graham crackers, chocolate slab, and gooey marshmallow is fairly gut-busting. I ate one full s'more and then one gimpy marshmallow-and-graham-cracker version before calling it a day.
Epic sleepiness allowed me to drop dead in the tent that night.
Comments
WHAT a beautiful post ~~! You all look so happy and summery. I love the picture of Tristan and his bro at the fire with all the friends on the left. And s'moooore's...Good times, looks like!
That rock slide looks awesome.
the rock slide sounds fun, but not at the risk of hypothermia. I'm with you on that.
smores are good for the soul, better than chicken soup.
bon fire! that looks like so much fun! gotta love roasting marshmallows in an open fire. ah... memories.
I was never big on s'mores...I just like terribly burnt marshmallows. The kind you have to beat on the ground to extinguish. Bruleed marshmallows, if you wanna be fancy about it. Also, that dog is awesome.
Smores are the perfect camping dessert. :)
Btw, where did you get your solid color belts? I'm trying to find a white one and it's so difficult for me. Thanx!
june2: Thanks!
wix: It is! I'm happy enough just...watching other people go down it.
christina: DOWN WITH HYPOTHERMIA.
Danny: I think the first time I roasted marshmallows on a fire was in middle school. And then I didn't do it again for another 4 years. My life doesn't have enough marshmallow roasting in it.
anna: I like burnt marshies too!
kim: I got some from Uniqlo although one of them my friend got me from a street vendor in Chinatown. Hope you find a belt!
I haven't had s'mores in YEARS.
Did I just date myself? lol.
Thanks for reminding me of how much I love living here!
a natural waterslide, frittata, and s'mores...sounds like a most eggcellent day..sorry for the lame pun..I just couldn't resist.
Stash: I don't think you're supposed to eat s'mores very frequently anyway. :)
AF: NO PROBZ.
Sarah: Puns are very welcome in my world.
wow! looks like a beautiful trip. im inspired to go hiking AND make a frittata!
ahm heere
sandy: Do it at the SAME TIIME, INTENSE FRITTATA MAKING
colin HAI
BAHHH on it - got my tims and my cast iron pan out