Washington, D.C.

It took us five hours to drive from Cary to Washington, D.C. Bobby took care of the 125-mi stretch of I-85 from Cary to Virginia. Cool! Street parking is impossible near the White House so we decided to avail of private parking. The quick tour to the vicinity was really express because we had to reach Yorktown before midnight. Besides, parking is on a per-hour basis and expensive (not as pricey as in Manhattan though!)

Cary, North Carolina

It was almost midnight when we arrived at our distant relative's house in Cary, NC after our 6-hour drive from Baltimore, MD. My sister initially planned for a day stay then we were supposed to proceed to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Ida came so we just enjoyed our quiet break in the house for three days. Contented to be with "Obama" at home We visited the two newly built subdivisions in the area and checked out their model units.  

The next day, it was still raining so we just drove around the campus of Duke University and went malling in Durham, NC. Bye Cary...

Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland

From Philadelphia, we continued with our long drive and stopped for an overnight stay in a hotel at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.



Crabcake sandwich is the order of the day ;)

Hibachi Experience

We were in Philadelphia to attend a friend's child dedication. After the worship service at Fairview Village Church of Nazarene, we proceeded to the reception at Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse of Valley Forge. It was my first Hibachi experience. Prior to cooking, the chefs assigned to each table did some juggling acts with their utensils. We were so impressed to see how the eggs were cracked upon landing on the blade of the food turner. Everything, from the rice to our main course (mine was chicken and shrimps, NY steak and shrimps for Bobby), was cooked in front of us. The food was cooked just right. To top it all, the guys at our table gamely caught with their mouths the bits of chicken, steak, and shrimp thrown at them by the chef. Just for fun. We did enjoy the mini show and, of course, the meal cooked and served Hibachi way. Domo arigato!

Philadelphia Steaks

In Philadelphia, what else is there to eat but the famous cheese steak sandwich? It was hard to choose between the steak heroes, Pat's King of Steaks, and Geno's Steaks. The two are just across from each other. One is brightly lit and adorned with photos of celebrity customers. The other one is simply furnished but known for its best-tasting steaks. We ate at Pat's and because of the long queue, we had to follow strictly the rules on how to order a steak. It's all worth the long wait. Yummy!