Hi friends!
It’s back to work today after a wonderful day yesterday playing hooky. After working for a few hours in the morning, I treated myself to a 10 a.m. yoga class at Blue Nectar Yoga in Falls Church via ClassPass. I’d been to the studio once before ages ago and really liked it, so I was excited to go back!
I enjoyed the class – low key and a nice stretch, and I liked the instructor a lot, too. Good zen vibe! I wish Falls Church were more convenient because I’d totally go to that studio more often.
When I returned home, I did a little more work, and then, as I mentioned, Matt and I decided to take the afternoon off to have a little adventure! Our first stop was lunch – we tried to go to Sweetgreen but the line was massive, so we went to Sweet Leaf instead. It’s similar, but they have sandwiches, too, which Matt likes. 🙂 I got a massive salad – arugula, tomato, black beans, quinoa, mushrooms, avocado, peppers, feta, lemon juice, and balsamic vinaigrette. Plus some bread on the side!
Fueled up, we drove north to our adventure spot: Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland. It’s about an hour away from DC.
We tried to hike at Sugarloaf a couple years ago on my birthday but it was rainy – the weather was a whole lot better this time. 😉 Perfect day to be outside!
It was surprisingly crowded for a Monday! We did a quick 1/4 mile super steep climb up to the overlook first:
And then ventured out into the much less beaten path – the 5 mile Northern Peaks loop. Once we got away from the main summit (which is a quick hike up from the parking lot), there was almost no one around. So nice!
The weather was SO amazing. I felt lucky to be out there and enjoying it with this guy. 🙂
After hiking for about an hour and a half, we stopped for a little snack. I had pre-peeled an orange (I hate having sticky hands!) for us and put it in a little tupperware so it wouldn’t get smushed in our bag. We also snacked on a KIND bar and another unpictured bar and an apple.
Then we ventured on! Hiking is definitely my happy place – so quiet and calming, and the steady, repetitive motion is almost meditative for me. We chatted on and off and sometimes just walked along in silence in our own thoughts, enjoying the weather and the views.
By the time we made it back to the car we had been hiking for about 3 hours. It was hilly and we were wiped, but in a happy way. 🙂 I wish we’d had time to stop at a cute winery that we drove past on the way out, but alas, we had to get back to the real world – both of us had some work we needed to get done after dinner. Another time!
As for dinner, we busted out the grill for the first time since last fall! We had some chicken marinating in BBQ sauce (Bone Suckin’ Sauce is my fave) overnight in the fridge in preparation of our return home from the hike.
Along with the BBQ chicken, Matt also grilled up some asparagus and onions for us. Highly recommend that vegetable grill basket, by the way – it’s awesome!
Meanwhile, inside, my job was the baked beans! I know, rough life – opening a can and dumping it into a pot was pretty hard. 😉 This Walnut Acres organic brand was quite tasty – two thumbs up!
It was so warm out we decided to dine al fresco. This little table hasn’t gotten any love in quite awhile!
Here’s my plate. This was so delicious – simple but flavorful and exactly what I was in the mood for. Yum! I ate every bite. 🙂
I had my alarm set for my track workout this morning but when it went off, I decided I was too sore! Between this weekend’s workouts and yesterday’s strenuous hike, my legs were dead. Instead, I hit up Washington & Lee pool for a nice and easy swim. Whenever my legs are really tired/achy, a swim always helps a TON! And tomorrow will be a full rest day. 🙂 I’ll get back after it on Thursday!
Speaking of tomorrow – I have an awesome post to share, all about simple tweaks you can make to live a healthier life in a sustainable way. Stay tuned! I’ll be sharing some tips from me as well as some from fellow bloggers and dietitians.
Are you a hiking fan? What’s your favorite hiking spot? In the DC area, I love the Billy Goat Trail, and of course the Shenandoahs (in VA a couple hours from DC) – especially Old Rag, where Matt and I got engaged! Overseas, Switzerland takes the cake – hiking there is so picturesque it almost looks fake.
