Episode VIII

ROAD TRIP & ON THE BORDER

This past Wednesday was a real treat. Though nothing had been planned I knew we weren't going to just sit around all day, on day in which both my wife and I had off. Originally I hadn't intended to do much more than hang around Frederick, but the road was calling and I needed to drive.

Road Trip
For most people a road trip is an adventure to explore new places, see new things, and maybe get somewhat lost in the process. It may also mean staying the night somewhere after a heavy day of driving, but not in all cases.

Unlike many people I know, I enjoy driving, and will venture down roads I've never been down. Does it matter where it leads? No, of course not, for I'm certain that I will be able to find my way back home. It's not that I can't get lost, but I have a decent sense of direction, being able to visualize roads and where they connect without looking at a map. For instance, when my mom and me lived in Wisconsin, there was a time when she got lost trying to get home. I was way to young to drive at the time, but my internal radar was spot on. According to her I was able to guide us home lickety-split.

As I mentioned above my original thought for the day was to walk around Frederick and call it a day. But a sudden meeting changed my perspective on the day. Prior to the meeting I had dropped off my wife at the mall, thinking that this meeting would take at least an hour. Thirty minutes later I was back at the mall, discussing our plans for the day with my wife.

She'd eaten a late breakfast so she wasn't really hungry, which meant a delay on food for me, since I'd been up since eight that morning. I could have grabbed some lunch at Red Robin, or one of the many surrounding restaurants that encompass the mall, but I wasn't going to waste money on lunch if not all of us were going to eat. So we headed for the car and our daughter was starting to get fussy. "We should just go home," my wife said. "We can put her to bed and then go out later."

I just don't do that. If I'm out and about, I want to stay out. If I have to go home I might as well stay home. I gear myself up for the day of being 'around town' and when I'm forced to go home early I get grumpy. So I insisted that we stay out, that I wanted to go for a drive, and we did. My mind immediately started compiling points of interest.

Baltimore has the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards; DC has the National Mall and museums, and Nationals Park; while Woodbridge, VA has On the Border and The Game Parlor. By the time I had collected my thoughts I was already driving south, so Baltimore was out. Sure, I could have crossed over some back roads to get us back on I-70 East, or I-95 North, but the day was drawing on and I wasn't going to spend all my time driving. I chirped about my POIs to my wife, and we decided, because it was too hot out, that we'd go to Woodbridge.

First it was time for lunch. And while my wife was wanting Chili's I wanted to one-up her. So I took her to On the Border, possibly THE BEST Tex-Mex Restaurant EVER!! (Now for a departure from our regularly schedule program ...)

On The Border
If you've never been to OTB then you're missing out on some of the best food in the United States. When it comes to Tex-Mex, OTB is where you need to be. It has been over two years since we were last at the OTB in Woodbridge, and we were both pleased to have made the choice to return.

I had first started going there with my parents when we lived in Woodbridge some fifteen years ago. At the time it was a new restaurant, and when we tried it, we got hooked. Service hasn't always been the best, but the food was great! We even got to know one of the bartenders, which I recommend to anyone who frequents any one restaurant. And now that we've moved away from the area, any chance we have at returning to Woodbridge, we make sure to visit OTB.

Their latest menu is packed full of delicious choices. So many in fact that I had a hard time choosing. My wife tried one a watermelon flavored drink, which she enjoyed, and had their grilled chicken salad (which she claims is still not as good as Chili's Quesadilla Salad). I had their Chimichanga, and ordered a side of Guacamole and Avocado Fries. Now, let me say, whoever invented the Avocado Fry should win an award. It's simple in design, but has an amazing flavor. Take avocado slice, deep fry them and sprinkle a zesty salt on top and ta-da, you have the Avocado Fry! Creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. And it comes with a chipotle ranch dressing, it's just fabulous! Oh, and the Chips and Salsa are better than anywhere else. If you like your salsa with a kick, OTB is where it's at!

I highly recommend OTB to anyone who has the chance to visit. (now back to our program ...)

Road Trip (continued)
After leaving OTB, with leftovers in hand, we tried to decide where to go next. We'd talked about going to The Game Parlor, but knew that if we went that we'd spend more money. And as it was getting into the main part of rush hour, I knew we needed to head for home.

If anyone has driven on I-95 or I-395 during rush hour, you know it can be a nightmare. And what should only take an hour or more to get home can turn into nearly a two hour commute. So I chose to take a longer route home, thinking that I could cut across some back roads and get home in just over an hour and a half. Well, that didn't turn out exactly as I planned.

Prince William Parkway takes you from Woodbridge and into Manasas, from which you can then get on I-66 West to pick up I-81 to Hagerstown, MD. By my estimations that drive would take just about two hours. But when you start taking detours that time increases. We left Woodbridge just after 4pm and didn't make it home until 7pm. So much for my clever detour.

But all was not lost. As I drove down I-66 I decided to get off on a side road that paralleled the interstate. It was a nice scenic route, but was 20 mph slower than the main route. And since we had already had a long trip down there (just over an hour and a half) my wife wanted to get home. Knowing that it was going to be at least thirty minutes before we got to Winchester I knew we needed to stop and stretch our legs.

A sign caught my eye and we made our way back to one of the many national parks in the area. It was a nice little park, and since it was off the main road it was nicely secluded in the hills of Frederick County. No one was there so we were able to walk freely about and give our daughter a chance to see the beautiful countryside. We walked about for maybe thirty minutes before making our way back. This little stop by the extended drive worth all the trouble.

Finally we made it home. Had I decided to just deal with the traffic I never would have found this quaint little park. It's now a place I am sure we will want to visit again. As they had several picnic areas and many walking trails. So you see, random road trips are worth every dollar spent in gas to  get there, because you never know what hidden jems you may find.