I have to admit; I was a bit skeptical about a bookstore that did an all-day breakfast too. Was it just going to be like the cafe at Barnes & Nobles with overpriced coffee and muffins? Absolutely not. Kramer’s serves up delicious bagel sandwiches, funky omelets, and has a full bar regardless of what time of day you want a drink. The place was pretty crowded but after we had a really good breakfast, I was happy to see that the bookstore was even more crowded than the restaurant. And people were actually buying books, not just standing there reading them like it was a library! I, too, had to indulge and walked away with four novels (mostly food-related) that I knew purchasing there would be better than throwing more money at Amazon.
Monuments and Then Some
After breakfast and dropping the book(s) back at the hotel, we got back on the metro and got off somewhere near the Smithsonian. Then we walked. First to see the Jefferson Memorial where we convinced yet another tourist to take a picture of us. I had to direct her a couple of times until she got the shot I wanted (sorry!), but eventually, she got it right. Hint: you want to show all the columns at a certain angle, not just ONE column.
After seeing Jefferson and “oohing and aahing” over the beautiful ceiling, we headed over to see Franklin, Eleanor, and MLK Jr. I’m not sure how we had missed these monuments in the past, but we did.
Unlike the Eisenhower Memorial we saw yesterday, at least Eleanor and Franklin had a water feature going. And I loved the different sculptures they had made of Franklin, too. Especially the smaller one where he is in a wheelchair. (I also rewatched Atlantic Crossing recently on Netflix with Kyle MacLachlan and Sofia Helin so I was intrigued by these sculptures.)
After a short walk around Potomac Park, we found the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Facing the Tidal Basin and described by the National Park Service as the “Stone of Hope,” I thought this 30-foot statue of Dr. King was really powerful.
Oysters on The Wharf
We had tickets to get into the Library of Congress later that afternoon but decided to check out The Wharf area and maybe get some oysters for lunch. I had a feeling that The Wharf would be similar to The Seaport in NYC and I was pretty accurate. There were lots of shops, bars, and restaurants. There were also a lot of people walking around. But then I realized it was probably because it was a nice day and you could easily grab something to eat or drink with a view of the water. I’ve also come to accept that many people don’t really like doing the touristy stuff in D.C. anyway, so this is probably where they ended up instead. (Or, maybe they just actually live here?)
We stopped at Rappahannock Oyster Bar (obviously to eat some oysters), but we also decided to split a shrimp and fried oyster Po’ Boy sandwich. While the sandwich had the potential to be good with all the fresh fish around us, unfortunately, it was dry. I think they just forget to put the rémoulade sauce on. Still, look at these amazing oysters!
The Library of Congress
Even with tickets we waited in a very long line. In the sun. I didn’t realize this place was so popular! But once inside, how had I missed knowing that the building was so ornate? And gorgeous! Obviously, I deserve an “F” for not doing any research on the building before we visited, so we had quite a bit to look at. You can’t get into the main reading room without a special ID card, but we climbed the stairs and got a view of the reading room behind a glass partition.
The ceiling, all the artwork, columns, staircases, and paintings were just amazing. Less amazing were the over-anxious security guards who were constantly yelling at the visitors not to stand and taking selfies on the stairs. I got it, but a lot of people didn’t. Afterwards, we walked over to the Capital. Then we made our way over to visit the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Another Library – Shakespeare
Unfortunately, the one room I wanted to see (the wood-paneled library) was not open that day because there was some sort of musical rehearsal going on in the space. See the books behind the glass? We did briefly walk through the exhibit on Shakespeare (not my favorite author by the way) and decided to just sit in the big room next to the library where everyone else seemed to have congregated as well. Since they had a cafe and it was the afternoon, I thought a European type of break would be appropriate. Well, we didn’t have coffee, but we did have some wine and then we shared a messy, but delicious, strawberry and rhubarb tart. And then we just sat for a while looking at the decorative plaster ceiling. It was quite lovely actually. And I’m really glad that we got to see everything that was on our agenda that day. We still had dinner to look forward to, and tomorrow we’re up early, leaving D.C., and heading to Virginia.
Last summer, I wanted to visit Naulakha, the only house that was built by Rudyard Kipling in Dummerston, Vermont. Unfortunately, the trip never panned out, so when tickets went on sale for this year’s opening, I didn’t waste any time.
Now owned by The Landmark Trust USA, the house is about a 10-minute drive from Brattleboro. Construction started in 1892-1893 and Kipling spent about $11,000 to have the house built. He was also adamant that the architect, Henry Rutgers Marshall of NYC, design it so the layout was similar to a ship. I didn’t really see the ship allusion, but the house is quirky, and the grounds are beautiful.
Manchester for Lunch
We had started this two-day trip the day before and headed to Manchester for lunch. I’ve written frequently about traveling to Vermont when we lived on Long Island, and how when our son was little, he called the state of Vermont “Mont.” Apparently to him, it was a magical place that Mommy and Daddy liked to disappear to every so often.
Manchester has changed in the 30+ years we’ve been visiting. Some of the old Inns are still there, but bigger chain hotels have moved in. There seem to be more places to eat now and less shopping. (That in my opinion is a good thing.)
Sunday lunch (not brunch) can be tricky even in major urban areas. My favorite thing to do is simply look at Google maps, click on some restaurants in the area I’ll be traveling to, and hope that their restaurant hours and website are up to date. Bonus points if they have posted a recent menu and not a “Mother’s Day” menu from 2022.
We ended up at a new place (for us), The Crooked Ram, that advertised their outdoor dining area – The Yard. Since I love eating outside on almost any occasion (well, maybe not when it’s snowing), this seemed like a lovely way to kick off our small trip.
The Yard has a fun vibe. You’re sitting outside but are covered under a mostly open wood beam structure. The menu is small plates oriented and creative. If there were any pet peeves on my part, it was their highly crafted, but limited wine offerings by the glass. This is partially my fault. I’m not up to speed on organic/natural wines and haven’t jumped on the orange wines that are very trendy right now. (I actually had to look up how that particular color is achieved. It’s wine made from white wine grapes, but they use the same fermentation process as red wine.)
We were going to get oysters to start. But when I learned they had been flown in from the West Coast, I balked. I really do try to stay local and not contribute to climate change problems. Hence, I don’t like to order things to eat that first had to make either a plane ride or long-distance truck haul in order to get on my plate. I did see other tables eating these oysters and hoped we could get some for dinner.
Tuna Crudo and A Pie
So, forgoing the oysters, the next best thing was for us to order a tuna crudo with dill fronds and thin slices of radishes with a diced fennel garnish. There were also some spicy red peppers thrown in with the vinaigrette and all I can say is “Yummy!” Could the tuna have been flown in from the West Coast as well? Possibly, but at this point I had already passed on the oysters, and the crudo sounded delicious.
You’ll notice in the photograph below that after much back and forth with our very patient server, I simply ordered us glasses of French Burgundy. Yes, I wimped out after trying to discuss the merits of a certain white or orange wine, and I wasn’t in the mood for beer.
After the tuna, we decided to split an artichoke and coppa-laden pizza that was pretty good. I say that because while the dough was thin and chewy, it was a little on the bready side for my taste. Still, it hit the spot and we had a nice lunch.
This was not an inexpensive meal, and I did read many of the Trip Advisor reviews online where people complained about the prices and the small portions. I don’t mind small portions and since I food shop almost every day, I know what good food costs. Factor in the price of staff to make and serve such delicacies and, yes, it becomes very expensive to eat out these days.
Woodstock Next
We didn’t remember ever visiting Woodstock, Vermont, and after lunch we drove to see “what’s there.” There were shops, a few hotels, a few restaurants, but the most popular place in town seemed to be the ice cream place – Woodstock Scoops. It was hot, it was summer, could we actually get a scoop of ice cream and break our record of only one scoop a year? (We already had ice cream last month after a day on Lake Ontario.) We did. Well, since we were in Vermont, I wanted something with maple syrup in it. Hence, my scoop of vanilla with maple syrup and walnuts. It was so good that I forgot to take a photograph! I just ate most of it myself until I handed the cup over to Lynn who had already finished his (boring in my opinion) chocolate soft serve in a cone.
One Red Covered Bridge Needed
I wanted a picture of a red covered bridge so did a quick search on my phone and found one after our ice cream stop. The Taftsville covered bridge proved to be a popular spot with visitors that day, but I did get more than one photograph.
Waterbury – Hen of the Wood
We had visited Waterbury back in August 2021 and the reason for our visit this time (besides visiting Kipling’s house which at this point was now two hours south of us) was to have dinner at Hen of the Wood. We had eaten at their Burlington location, but never snagged a reservation at their Waterbury place.
Hen of the Wood is now located in downtown Waterbury, a move from their previous site. The space is modern which I wasn’t expecting but not cold. The menu and wine list were as inviting as their Burlington spot, and the service was probably some of the best I’ve experienced in a few years.
We were lucky that they had oysters to start. From Cape Cod! That’s only two states over, right? So, we ordered a half dozen. In perusing the menu, I was almost embarrassed to admit to our server, Maria, that I knew what “Fazzoletti” meant. (It’s handkerchief pasta.) Although I told her in jest not to tell anybody, even she couldn’t resist raising her eyebrows at my knowledge. That said, the pasta was a bit doughy, but the mascarpone cream sauce with spinach and breadcrumbs brought it all together. We ordered the ham-wrapped rabbit loin next and while it looked very appealing on the plate, it was a bit dry.
This location, like Burlington, has a wine list with lots of vintages you don’t see on other restaurant menus. We ordered an Austrian blend which was a nice accompaniment to the entree we split – a hanger steak with asparagus and grilled onions that looked like tiny trumpets on top of the steak. Heralding summer perhaps?
We weren’t going to get dessert, having already indulged in ice cream that afternoon, but they were offering a selection of Vermont cheeses. Perhaps I was expecting a cheese plate from days past. What we got was a wedge of cheese with some rhubarb-y purée and a few crackers. It was underwhelming.
After dinner we walked across the street to look at real estate listings since our table had been facing the window of a local real estate office. We aren’t looking for a house, but I always get a kick out of seeing how much people are asking for houses/land in the area. (Most of the homes were over $1 million.)
Back on the Roadin the Morning
We had some time to kill before our timed ticketed entry to visit the house, so after we had a halfway decent hotel breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast, weak coffee, and even fresh fruit), we stopped to take a look at how Montpelier was doing. You may remember that the capital of Vermont sustained massive flooding last summer. The town was up and running but it looked like they were still trying to pave the road in front of the Vermont State House.
Finally, Naulakha
Here’s a photograph of Rudyard Kipling’s house as you walk up the driveway.
It was fascinating to walk inside the house and go through the rooms. While it’s now available for short term rentals (as a historic property through The Landmark Trust), I think they did a good job of trying to retain the authenticity of the house. The kitchen is equipped for modern day use (toaster, stove, fridge, etc.), but when you walk through the dining room and the guest bedrooms, I did get a sense of Kipling being there.
Couple of things I learned while walking through the house. I didn’t realize he was so incredibly prolific as a writer, or that he made a lot of money doing so. His wife, Caroline, kept a very detailed diary, not only of what their daily life was like up in Vermont, but of their finances. On December 31, 1894, Kipling wrote: “Carrie tots up the books and finds that I have this year earned $25,000. Not exactly a bad record.”
Here’s a picture of his desk and a bookcase filled with his work.
Besides the various small guest rooms (most with single beds), there were two rooms that were designated as “nurseries” for his three children. The plasterwork in the photograph was done by Kipling’s father who was also an illustrator/teacher and curator who spent most of his career in India. There was also an expansive loggia with lovely views of the garden and the mountains in the distance. I could imagine him sitting there during his residence. I could also imagine myself sitting there and writing…
The Attic
We went up to the third floor of the house to see the attic. In this part of the house, there was a pool table, but also a collection of Kipling’s golf clubs. Apparently, he enjoyed playing golf when Arthur Conan Doyle (author of the Sherlock Holmes books) came to visit him. Kipling, according to legend, is also credited with introducing “snow golf” in Vermont. (He painted the golf balls red so he could see them in the snow.)
The Rhododendrons
These were added by the subsequent owners, the Holbrooks, in 1903 but wow, they are amazing! They’ve gotten so large that the bushes have created tunnels where you walk underneath the flowers. I expected them to be intoxicatingly perfumy, but they weren’t at all. It was fun to walk through them and I would have gone back a second time, but there was a bit of a crowd. Lynn did manage to take a photograph of me, so you can see the size of the flowers after nearly 120+ years.
The Years in Vermont
Rudyard Kipling lived in Naulakha for only four years (1892-1896), but it proved to be fruitful. There, he wrote, The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous and also portions of Just So Stories. I still have my copy of the latter. Did I ever think when reading that book as a child that I would one day be able to visit the house where the book was penned? I did not.
