I’m sitting at home enjoying a cup of Yemen Mocca Matari coffee, purchased this week in Alexandria, VA at Misha’s Coffee.  It’s really interesting and delicious, and roasted right in their shop.

I purchased a pound each of:

  • Yemen Mocca Matari: Very sharp, smokey aroma.  Medium-bodied cup with very smokey flavor and pronounced tanginess.  French Roast.

  • Zimbabwe: Pungent, smokey aroma.  Full-bodied and richly acid.  French Roast.

  • Java Kayumas Estate: Deep, sweet aroma.  Heavy body with delicate acidity.  Very distinctive flavor.  Full City Roast.

The prices were very reasonable and they have online ordering!

 

We visited the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria.

This is the view out of one artist’s window:

That would really suck to have to see that every day.

 

A view from our hotel room, on the 15th floor of the Gaylord National.  The resort’s location was originally many, many acres of trees, which were cut down in order to build this fake city on the Potomac River.  If you look at Google Earth or Google Maps, the location still shows dirt and construction.

The biggest drawback of the hotel was it’s location.   To get into Washington D.C., there was a 20 minute bus ride to get to a metro station on the outskirts of the metropolitan area.  Or a water taxi to get to Alexandria.  Or a $16 cab ride (one way) to get to Alexandria. 

The convention facilities were nice.  The hotel service was really good (we had several requests, and they were fulfilled).  At the National Harbor Resort, the restaurants were really expensive, especially for the quality of food.

 

In the air, nearing Reagan International Airport, I saw the conference hotel:

2009-07-13-Gaylord

 

With a layover in Chicago, one must eat a Chicago Char Dog!

 

A show that would’ve been cool to see:

 

Waiting for The Deuce (Double-Decker Bus), July 16th:

 

One of my favorite photos taken in Vegas, riding down Las Vegas Boulevard:

 

 

© 2012 zenandjuice.com Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha