Ben's Chili Bowl at DCA

Any Washingtonian will tell you that for chili dogs, there is only ONE place to go.

Ben's Chili Bowl.  An icon of DC culinary culture.  DC's best known hole-in-the-wall fast-food joint where the only thing richer than the chili is the establishment's history.  Renowned for being favorite hangouts of a young Bill Cosby, and the occasional visit by President Barack Obama.  In recent years, Ben's has expanded from their original U Street location, dating back to 1958, not far from Howard University, with new locations including Nationals Park and Rosslyn, Arlington.

Ben's newest addition is now open at Ronald Reagan National Airport, and joining the festivities was the Chuck Brown Band, paying tribute to the late Chuck Brown who frequented Ben's during his music career.  After the band played their set for visitors and travelers to enjoy, Virginia Ali, Ben's widow, and her son Kamal, who now operates Ben's with his brother Nizam, cut the ribbon to officially open the newest continuation of Ben's legacy.

After photographing the events, it was lunch time for me - gimme that Half-Smoke all the way, Chili con Carne, and a Milkshake to wash it all down!  Mmmmmm yeah!!!

Matt and Amber: The Proposal - Video

Do you remember the marriage proposal I photographed at Dulles Airport this past April?  Dulles Food and Shops has released video of Matt's proposal to Amber - check it out!  The video is a mix of footage shot by Marketplace Development, and stills shot by myself!

In case you missed it; here is the news report that aired the next day:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2014: China and Kenya

After last weekend's hike on a short stretch of Shenandoah's Appalachian Trail, I had intended on visiting the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival the next day, which I attend every year.  That simply didn't happen, so instead I went the day after Independence Day - the festival doesn't run on weekdays.

This year was all about China and Kenya.  The Folklife Festival is never as big as it looks, so you can easily see everything in one day; it always brings a good crowd, although I was surprised there weren't more people visiting, given the long holiday weekend, and fireworks the night before.

For fun trips, I usually like to have a bit of fun with my shooting as well - usually I choose one lens, and shoot the whole day with it.  It's a good exercise for beginner and seasoned photographers alike, because it continually teaches and reinforces how to make compelling images with any lens.  This way, you also don't rely on the versatility of zoom - a prime lens forces the photographer to find a way to tell the story within one set focal length.  I tend to prefer longer lenses, because I like to isolate subjects and bring out details, sometimes only showing part of something, and leaving the mind to figure the rest out.  My converted Lubitel 75mm is perfect for this sort of thing, however this trip I opted for another oddball lens I own: Canon's Tilt-Shift 90mm f/2.8 - another fully manual lens.  Tilt-shift has become somewhat of a gimmick with the popularity of Instagram effects, but since I'm using an actual tilt-shift lens and not just faking the effect, I feel no shame in making tilt-shift images.  #TiltShiftAllTheThings

China

This man is handmaking tiny kites shaped like birds and butterflies.  Some kites have small whistles that sounds in the wind, carved out of nuts.  Two kite demonstrations were scheduled - I was very excited to see them... but nobody showed up to fly them!  I was VERY disappointed.

Lushengs were also being made, and available for sale.  Later there was a lusheng and dance performance, of which I actually took some tilt-shift video.

Visitors were also treated to a traditional Dragon Dance - this one was different than the Dragon Dance I photographed at Air China's Dulles Inaugural.

There was also a Dragon Cart, although I missed the first half of the performance and didn't have a very good view.  I imagine it's a huge hit with the kids, possibly even scary to younger children.  The incredible skill of the operators prevents the cart's ropes from becoming tangled in this cart that equates to an oversized marionette.

Dynasty.

Kenya

I spent almost as much time exploring Kenya, however I didn't shoot nearly as many photos since I didn't watch any performances (I listened while eating).

Artisans sculpted bas reliefs and carved wood and stone figures right before your eyes.  I wanted to go into the Marketplace and buy a friend of mine an elephant figurine, but it had an extremely long line just to be let in the building - I didn't know shopping for folk items was anything like going clubbing.  I don't remember the marketplace being its own enclosed building in years past; it seems to me it would make more sense as an open air market.

I was glad to see the recycling exhibit, showcasing innovative use of raw recyclables, including bottles, cans, and even discarded shoes fashioned into art pieces.

Just a few extra shots before heading back to Virginia.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

Seeing as we had the rest of the afternoon, Teddy Roosevelt Island seemed like a great option, especially since I'd never been before.  So, after leaving DC and popping up in Rosslyn, I stepped right back into DC by going to the Island (it technically is in Washington, DC due to the Virginia / DC line following the Virginia side of the Potomac.

Unfortunately, the first thing we did was get lost... somehow we ended up on what remains of the original perimeter trail, which is mostly just a mix of deer trails.  We followed the shoreline for about 1/3 of the island - I didn't know we had an obnoxiously loud pirate themed party boat... upon which nobody seemed to actually be partying.  Everyone looked bored and distracted on their phones while the music blasted.  WTF?

I finally decided to hop the remains of the "trail" when it pretty much disappeared, and just cut up to the actual trail, which was boardwalk when I finally came up to it.

The memorial itself has wise quotes from Teddy... words I think that have been forgotten by the masses, and ignored by the teens under the statue blasting "Gangster's Paradise."

Finally it was back to Rosslyn to catch the train home ...but not before some photos of the Arlington skyline disallowed in DC.

Appalachian Trail Day Trip

Recently I've been itching to go on a nice hike, and typically I like to choose a place that's new to me to go explore.  I've taken trails that briefly intersect the Appalachian Trail before, but I've never outright hiked on the AT.  This weekend a lot of stuff fell into place - some friends wanted to go hiking, we went wine tasting at a vineyard just a few miles off the trail, and I got the Chinese food I've also been craving all week (while watching 'The Prestige' for the first time).  Unfortunately I didn't make it out to the Folklife Festival like I do every year, but I'll surely be going next weekend instead.

This trailhead was right off of VA-55, which is the same route I usually take to Luray.  Just a few hundred feet off the trailhead was crossing to the other side of the tracks.  I have never conducted a stereotypical photoshoot on railroad tracks, and I don't advise it due to the extreme danger.  I had a spotter watching both directions to keep me safe for the few snaps I did take here.

See the very end of this post for details about our hike path.

I also decided this was a good day to have some fun with my 90mm Tilt-Shift lens, which is probably my least used lens... although that pains me to say, since it is a wonderful lens to enjoy.

The AT's official name is The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, however this 4 mile stretch of the AT's 2,200 miles simply wasn't that scenic, even at the two peaks we hiked to.  It was mostly steep, rocky switchbacks and tick infested swaths of overgrowth (shocking, I know).  This portion was more about covering terrain than overlooking scenery.

I can't even imagine what this is like for Patrick, who hikes barefoot.  One of the backpackers we passed commented that he was "hardcore."  The joke is that he "lost his shoes in a bear attack."  Sounds like the beginning of a Chuck Norris joke to me.

Even at the peaks, you really couldn't see much.  These are the only few spots you had much of a view through the thick woods.

We didn't spot much wildlife, despite birds being heard all over.  In fact, the most common sight was Blue Mud Daubers which have a distinctive metallic blue body.  Even though this was tick heaven and you could spot them waiting on grass blades, none of us picked any up.  Thankfully not a single snake sighting... except for the harmless black ratsnake the vineyard captured later that day during our wine tasting.

After doubling back to the trailhead, we went a few miles up the road to Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn for a tasting.  All of their wines are blends, which I do enjoy, however their driest white wine, Islington, was the sweetest end of the spectrum I would normally enjoy.  All good wines; just overall too sweet for my personal taste as a dry wine drinker.  We found a cozy, cool spot to enjoy our wine, sangria, and dark chocolate as a post-hike treat before saying hello to the goats outside.

Details

Here is a map of our route along the AT, and some stats from our hike.  Unfortunately I couldn't figure out how to export the graphs of our altitude, which was interesting to see as we climb and descend; some of the sections were pretty steep.

Distance:    7.2 miles
Elapsed Time:    4hrs including lunch on the trail.
Avg Speed:    2.3 mph
Max Speed:    4.1 mph
Min Altitude:    742 ft
Max Altitude:    1,501 ft
Max Gradient:    -17.1%
Total Ascent:    980 ft
Total Descent:    2,454 ft

A Taste of Reston

Over the weekend I spent some time at A Taste of Reston; a food, beer, and wine festival akin to Oktoberfest, in the heart of Reston Town Center.  Just a few short miles away, Reston is a place I spend a lot of time enjoying great food and drink (may Uno's rest in peace).  I brought my camera along for the event and shot some fun photos while taking in the relaxed atmosphere.