I'm sure we are not the only family who bases their vacation around food. Maybe not as obsessively as we do, but still. Before we left I spent hours upon hours researching various available private food tours, looked to see if there were any companies giving public tours of their facilities (a la Ben and Jerry's), what cool restaurants we would come across...and most importantly, WHEN would we find our first Sheetz or Wawa!
Both Sheetz and Wawa are an addiction. The former is something we tried more recently and found it perfect for the traveler who didn't want to take time out from driving, yet didn't want greasy, heavy fast food from the super chains. Sheetz' dark roast coffee is sublime, especially at 1am and you're about to re-take your "turn" driving. The more knowledgeable patrons realized you could order your meal right from the kiosk by the gas pump, but since we hadn't ever ordered anything before, we were a little wary of this. After all, we didn't want to look like we didn't know how to pump gas, nor did we want to hold up the fast forming gas line in order for us to figure out what we wanted to try.
It's a simple concept of chosing which meats, cheeses, breads, and toppings you want, but for the novice like me, it was perfect. Soon we were on our way again, trekking to Maryland from South Carolina.
I'm not sure how many people look for the flying goose logo when they are driving, but if you do, you know you are a Wawa addict. I'm sorry, but there is no cure. Moving south doesn't help, I assure you. Once you strike up a conversation with someone who is also from the north, the conversation inevitably turns to Wawa. Funny how many people miss a store chain! I could live without 7-11, but without Wawa? I prefer not.
There were no Wawa's where I grew up, so my love was fostered over time, mostly thru travel with my family as a youngster. I remembered the geese, that was it. Until I met Jason, my love for Wawa hadn't been developed fully, but one simple trip back up North where we both grew up and lived until well into adulthood, cemented it. Not only was I addicted, but he addicted both of my kids AND my mom!
Our first day in Maryland brought us not much on the way of culinary cuisine, unless you count the food cart by the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art (west wing) that we visited. The prices weren't terribly outrageous, $2.50 for a hot dog with your choice of meager toppings. When I lifted up the covers to the condiments, I spied a spicy sauce made up of peppers and other various things. It reminded me of a kicked up relish, minus the pickles. I'm sure it wasn't intended for hot dogs, more for the giant greasy eggroll she also offered, however this was the perfect topping for me. One hot dog later and we were once again strolling in the sun bathed warmth of Washington DC.
One thing DC has done right, besides laying out their city in a totally understandable way, was the subway. It was clean! What a concept! Other cities should try and take a page from their Metrotrain book. Did I mention it was clean? I remember that from my college days, as I had written about that fact for our college paper. I had compared Boston, NYC, and DC's subways, and for once I could say Washington was doing something right. I still stand by this today!
