To see Part I, click here.

Instagram… something many of us have very mixed feelings about. Have you seen the “Look at this Instagram (Nickelback Parody)?” (Warning: strong language.) I think a lot of Instagram users are guilty of what the singers are making fun of – myself included. I do not hold any secret to how to stand out in the Instagram community, but I do try to focus more on thoughtful compositions rather than just documenting outings with friends and what I had for dinner.

Here below are my two favorite photos from today’s group of Instagram photos, the first one is of a lobby in the Reagan National Airport when I was flying out to Honduras and the second is of a building in Washington, DC when I was walking to lunch from the metro station:

I have been on a few adventures with friends this summer. I took one of my best friends out for coffee and exploring. She graduated high school this year and I wanted to treat her to some fun. We got coffee outside of Crozet at Trailside and found the Chiles Orchard. We went strawberry picking and bought cider donuts.

I went hiking with one of my childhood best friends up to Humpback Rocks a couple weekends ago. It was a fairly cool morning. Really humid though. It was so damp up on the mountain that it was almost tropical. The fog hung around the Rocks for a while and started to lift when we were leaving to descend.

I went to Washington, DC this past weekend to spend time with my former college roommate, Kathy. We adventured around with her roommate and two of her other friends. We enjoyed a dinner at Cactus Cantina over on Wisconsin Avenue NW my first night there. Yum. Another good place to eat is Hill Country Barbeque over on 7th Street NW – although I warn you, it is a confusing cross between a cafeteria and a restaurant. Make sure to ask your waiter/waitress what you are supposed to do with your Meal Ticket. I enjoyed a really good beef barbecue special there. Kathy and I watched RED 2 at the movie theater beside the Verizon Center. It was a fun movie and of course, action packed and hilarious. Kathy and I walked to the mall from there to kill time and enjoyed the sculpture gardens outside of the Hirschhorn. Hmmm…. my third day there, Kathy, her roommate and her roommate’s guest, and I took the Metro over to Eastern Market after our eggs, waffles, and turkey bacon breakfast. We perused the different vendors at the flea market. I got to see more of the market this time around, which was really neat. It makes me want to live in DC. The flea market is on Sundays. If you go, make sure to check out Capitol Hill Books if you are a book lover. Three stories of floor-to-ceiling used books. Anyway, I know one thing for sure about my visits to DC, I walk miles and miles!

I am still an avid gardener. My tomatoes are very happy, but I lost my cucumbers and zucchini to the cutter worms. Nasty little buggers. My tomatoes are just now ripening this week and last. Black cherry tomatoes are so good!

Thank you always for viewing today’s post! I enjoy traveling and sharing corners of the world with you. Where do you like to go?