Top Five Wednesday: Summer Vacay

Summer vacation is almost here and that means trips! As you get beach bod ready, we decided to give you a few suggestions of places to show it off and get some good food at the same time. This week’s Top Five are the top places to see and eat at the same time. The District will be full of tourist during the summer months, so if you are a native you are looking forward to getting out of the city. The typical spots come to mind around this area: Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach and Atlantic City. If you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone, it might be a good idea to think of some less than likely food havens with great history and sites. Check it:

1. We understand…the economy has changed a lot of vacation budgets so it is more efficient to drive rather than fly a lot of the time. Our first suggestion for a Washingtonian is “When is the last time you took a trip to Virginia Beach??” The city that rests at the bottom of the state has plenty of room for basking in the sun and eating all the crab you can fit in one sitting. The Chesapeake Bay area is known for its abundance of good and fresh seafood. A short drive and you’re in a crab cake haven.

2. OBX- You know the seal that you see on car bumper stickers with “OBX”?? Well that stands for the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Having lived in Eastern Carolina, we know it is one of the most beautiful and delicious places to vacay on this coast. Plenty of reasonably priced beach homes to rent during the summer and more low key than the crowds at the Hamptons and the Vineyard, the OBX is a top destination for those that want something super mellow.

3. Savannah, GA- No real cool beaches but plenty of gorgeous Victorian homes to see. Home to Paula Deen’s The Lady & Sons Restaurant, you must know that good food is not going to be hard to find. Take a horseback ride through town and enjoy the southern comfort.

4. Virginia’s Wine Country- After attending a recent event sponsored by Heart’s Delight, we now have a new mission of becoming a sommelier. What better way to begin our unofficial training than to visit the local wineries and learn the process. Most of the vineyards are within driving distance and with a couple extra dollars you can rent a party bus/van/limo for a day trip to the vineyards.

5. Philly- How does this fit into the paradigm?? Why leave a busy city for another busy city?? Well let us start with those cheese steaks (of course…), then there’s the art scene (intriguing) and what about those Phillies?? A good baseball game, a cheese steak from Geno’s and a trip to Liberty Bell will make you see why Philly is the two-hour drive that is worth taking.