May 20, 2024

Washington DC Family Trip | 美國華府全家遊

May 20, 2024/ Brandy C.

(Scroll down for English translation.)

從我媽去年9月來之後，UN就時不時問我媽要不要住美國，但我媽沒被洗腦成功，也沒被可愛孫女動心，台灣生活多采多姿不想過美國生活（苦笑中！）三月我們全家人去華府，UN去開會，我們去玩。博物館多到逛不完，餐廳多到吃不完。老實說，還真想念城市生活，一直有新地方能去。

去華府無數次，我們像是導遊，不免俗當然要看一下白宮和不同的博物館。除此之外，我們還和朋友們見面，太想念我的朋友們了！真希望能待久一點，可以聊久一點。

Washington DC

Lapis

1847 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
http://www.lapisdc.com/

阿嬤和GH第一次吃阿富汗食物非常成功，連店員和旁邊的客人都說GH吃的津津有味！點了店員推薦我們的餐點，唯獨雞肉偏乾，其他都是一口接一口。

A&J

1319-C, Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852
http://www.aandjrestaurant.com/

我們好愛的台灣餐廳，牛肉麵和牛肉捲餅是我們每次必點。可能是一陣子沒吃到臺菜了，我們點了一堆食物！來了馬里蘭，讓我好想搬來東岸啊！

Dolcezza

904 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001
http://dolcezzagelato.com/

飯後朋友帶我們來這裡吃冰，一看到招牌我就馬上認出來！這是我在Whole Foods買了好多次的義式冰淇淋，終於第一次來店裡吃到了！很香很濃，我很UN好愛。寶寶們，不好意思你還要等一下才能吃！

Pisco y Nazca

1823 L St NW, Washington, DC 20036
https://piscoynazca.com/washington-dc

有秘魯血統的朋友J帶我們來吃這家秘魯菜，應該是我目前吃過最好吃的秘魯餐廳！光看人潮就知道這家非常受歡迎，朋友J也幫我們點了讓我至今還很懷念的秘魯料理。下次來DC，絕對會再來！

China Chilcano

480 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
http://www.jaleo.com/dc

絕對不是第一次在不藍地清單介紹這家餐廳了，每次來DC必吃這家的午餐！Lunch Special很划算，推薦給大家。

Since my mom came to stay with us last September, UN would occasionally ask my mom if she wanted to move to the US. She was not brainwashed so easily, couldn’t even be convinced by her cute granddaughters. Life in America for her pales in comparison to her glamorous life back in Taiwan. In March, we traveled to Washington DC as a family. UN went there for a business trip, and we went to tour the city. There are countless museums to see and restaurants galore in DC. Makes me miss living in the city.

We’ve been to DC many times now, I feel like I can be a tour guide. Must visit is the White House and check out new museums. We even got to meet up with our dear friends! I wish we could’ve stayed longer and caught up some more.

Washington DC

Lapis

1847 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
http://www.lapisdc.com/

Grandma and GH’s first time trying Afghan food was a success! GH’s appetite impressed the waitress as well as other customers! We ordered their popular dishes, all were hits, only the chicken was a bit dry.

A&J

1319-C, Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852
http://www.aandjrestaurant.com/

Our favorite Taiwanese restaurant! We always order their beef noodle soup and Peking beef wrap. Maybe because we haven’t had Taiwanese food for a while, so we over ordered again! Visiting Maryland makes me want to move back to the East Coast!

Dolcezza

904 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001
http://dolcezzagelato.com/

After dinner our friend took us here. I recognized this place from the sign! I buy their ice cream from Whole Foods all the time. Finally I came to their store to try freshly made ice cream. UN and I love the fragrance and the richness of their ice cream. Sorry babies, we will let you guys try this next time!

Pisco y Nazca

1823 L St NW, Washington, DC 20036
https://piscoynazca.com/washington-dc

Our Peruvian friend took us to this place, and it quickly became my favorite Peruvian restaurant! You can tell by the crowd how popular this restaurant is. Our friend J ordered her favorite dishes for us. I can still taste the umami just thinking about it. Will definitely dine here again next time we are back in DC!

China Chilcano

480 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
http://www.jaleo.com/dc

Not the first time this restaurant is featured on Brandy’s List. A must eat lunch place when in DC! Their lunch special is worth every penny, highly recommend!

April 20, 2024

Nashville：美國南方鄉村音樂之都

April 20, 2024/ Brandy C.

(Scroll down for English translation.)

在美國的我們也來放春假，一家人到Bowling Green, KY和Nashville, TN玩。田納西州Nashville，又稱音樂之都（Music City），也是鄉村音樂的大本營。不知道Nashville在哪沒關係，但你肯定知道Taylor Swift！她就是在這被發掘！這是我們第一次來Nashville，鄉村音樂配上美國南方人的熱情，讓原本不熟悉鄉村音樂的我們都愛上這城市。我們對Nashville的另一個印象就是市中心乾淨又安全，我們在路上騎電動滑板車時都覺得很自在。

住宿

Holiday Inn at Bowling Green

165 Three Springs Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42104

這次我們在Bowling Green停一晚後就一路開到田納西州，總車時大約4小時。有附早餐，飯店旁邊還有我愛的Parlor Doughnuts。

W Nashville

300 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

位在The Gulch區，步行就能到Broadway（必去），而且附近有許多知名餐廳，好熱鬧！帶小孩也很方便，飯店裡有室外泳池能讓小孩玩得非常開心，還有附設餐廳The Restaurant的早餐很好吃（GH超愛！）

景點

Mammoth Cave National Park

https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm

和朋友們提起我們春節旅行時，許多人的問題都是Bowling Green有什麼特別的？為什麼要去那？這裡有全世界最長的地下洞穴（426英里），至今還沒看到開採完畢，專家也指出目前可能只開一半不到，實在好好奇這洞穴的出口在哪（科幻腦出現）。1798年，開始有這個洞穴的紀錄，這個洞穴和我們一般見到的鐘乳石洞不太一樣，裡面非常乾燥。順帶一提，大提琴家馬友友曾在這裡表演過。

National Corvette Museum

350 Corvette Dr, Bowling Green, KY 42101
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/

來到UN的夢想跑車博物館，一進去就是滿滿的Corvette等著主人來領車。博物館裡介紹歷史，還能看到古董跑車讓我直呼太美了。許多人可能對這個博物館有一些印象，在2014年時因自然現象，館裡發生天坑坍塌（sinkhole），造成8台跑車損毀。今年六月，會有特別展覽重新回顧當時情況。參觀完可以到Stingray Grill吃飯喔！後記：感謝館裡的工作人員對GH超好！

Broadway in Nashville

有著Honky Tonk名號，意思是放著鄉村音樂的酒吧。第一次到美國的deep south，見識到南方魅力。長長的四條街，每間酒吧都有現場表演，全唱的是鄉村音樂。好多人也帶著牛仔帽，真的是在東西岸很少見的畫面。我們選了一家酒吧聽音樂，太喜歡這氣氛了！非常推薦！

The Parthenon

2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203
https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/

1897年建造，一比一仿造雅典的Parthenon。雖然我們無緣進去裡面參觀，但天氣好時來這裡走走非常舒服。

Vanderbilt University

2201 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37235
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/

好美的學校！開車在校園裡繞，老式建築還是我的最愛。一直對著在車裡睡午覺的寶寶們說，你們以後要不要來這裡上學啊！

餐廳

Yuki Japanese

35 Mill Rd, McDonough, GA 30253
http://www.welcometoyuki.com/

每次在這種幾乎沒有亞洲人的地方吃到道地日本料理，都會特別開心。點了fried soft shell crab、nabe udon、gyudon和chirashi，我們全家都很喜歡。

Martin’s BBQ joint

410 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201
https://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/menu

最近我們家買了燻肉烤爐，開始研究起BBQ，所以來到田納西州，我們一定要試一下這裡的烤肉。和其他州的BBQ不一樣的是，餐廳濃濃山胡桃木燻味，用乾粉抹在肉上（dry rub），燻了一天卻不乾，所以這裡靠的不是醬，而是製作過程。我們點了pulled pork shoulder, sliced beef brisket。小菜店員推薦mac and cheese, baked beans, hush puppies, cornbread hoecake。吃BBQ時一定要配ice tea！

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
http://hattieb.com/

在Nashville最後一天，我們來Hattie B’s吃炸雞。店還沒開，已經有人在外面排隊了。在地常客告訴我們最辣等級非常辣時，隊伍的人竟然一致認同！為了不想在路上胃發熱，我們點了mild，別忘了拿come back sauce。不吃辣的人一定要謹慎點菜！

We went to Bowling Green, KY and Nashville TN on our Spring Break. Nashville, also known as Music City, is the home of Country Music. It’s okay if you don’t know where Nashville is, but you must know who Taylor Swift is! She was discovered in Nashville! Our first time in Nashville, being strangers to country music, we couldn't help but fall in love with the country music scene and the southern hospitality. My first impression of Nashville is that its downtown is very clean and safe. We felt totally carefree riding electric scooters on the road.

Accommodations

Holiday Inn at Bowling Green

165 Three Springs Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42104

Holiday Inn is a safe choice for road tripping, they have free breakfast. Next to it is also my favorite donut shop!

W Nashville

300 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Located in the Gulch, walking distance to Broadway, and has many popular restaurants nearby. The hotel has an outdoor pool, so great if you are visiting with kids also. Their Restaurant serves delicious breakfast, and our girls are huge fans of their foods!

Sightseeings

Mammoth Cave National Park

https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm

When we mentioned our Spring Break plan to our friends, many asked us what’s there to do in Bowling Green? Why were we going there? Bowling Green is home to the world’s longest underground cave (426 miles), and they haven’t even discovered the end of it. Experts believe the full length of the cave can be twice as long, and we still don’t know all of its exits. The first recorded history of this cave dates back to 1798. This cave differs from stalactite caves in that it is very dry inside. Fun fact! Yoyo Ma performed here before.

National Corvette Museum

350 Corvette Dr, Bowling Green, KY 42101
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/

We went to the UN's dream car museum. As you enter, there are rows of Corvettes waiting for their new owner to come pick up. The museum exhibits history of the making of Corvettes, and showcases many beautiful antique cars. Some may remember the Corvette Museum on the news back in 2014 for the ground breaking due to a natural sinkhole, destroying 8 Corvettes. This June they will have a special exhibit to commemorate the tragic incident. Stop by the Stingray Grill at the end of the tour!

Broadway in Nashville

Known for the Honky Tonk culture, Broadway is lined with Country Bars. This is our first time experiencing the charisma of America’s Deep South. Every bar has live country music and is packed with people wearing cowboy hats, a rare scene on East and West Coasts. We stayed at one bar for about an hour and really enjoyed this atmosphere. Highly recommend it!

The Parthenon

2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203
https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/

This 1:1 replica of the Parthenon from Athen was built in 1897. We missed the visiting hours that day due to temporary closure. This place is nice for a leisurely stroll on a good weather day.

Vanderbilt University

2201 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37235
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/

What a beautiful campus! We toured the campus by just driving around, and marveled at the many captivating old style architecture. We kept telling our napping babies that they should consider coming here for college in the future!

Restaurants

Yuki Japanese

35 Mill Rd, McDonough, GA 30253
http://www.welcometoyuki.com/

We get excited everytime we stumble upon an authentic Japanese restaurant in an area without many Asians. We ordered Soft Shell Crab, Nabe Udon, Gyudon and Chirashi. Our whole family loved their food!

Martin’s BBQ joint

410 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201
https://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/menu

We recently purchased a smoker, and started studying BBQ. We know we must visit a BBQ joint when in Tennessee. The difference between this BBQ joint and others we’ve had in other states is that the place is permeated with the smell of hickory smoke. The meats are seasoned with dry rub and smoked for an entire day, and yet the meats are not dry. No need for BBQ sauce, the quality of the meats and the smoking method speak for themselves. We ordered pulled pork shoulder and sliced beef brisket. The recommended sides are mac and cheese, baked beans, hush puppies, and cornbread hoecake. Don’t forget to pair your BBQ with ice tea!

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
http://hattieb.com/

On our last day in Nashville, we hit up Hattie B’s for some hot chicken. A line was out the door before the restaurant even opened. The regulars in line found out we were visiting and kindly warned us that their highest heat level is very spicy! For our stomach’s comfort for the long drive back, we ordered mild. Must try their Come Back Sauce. If you don’t eat spicy, take caution when ordering here!

March 04, 2024

Airstream Factory Tour｜房車界勞斯萊斯：Airstream

March 04, 2024/ Brandy C.

(Please scroll down for English translation.)

Airstream，人稱房車界勞斯萊斯，是美國最老的trailer公司！美國官員、副總統、第一夫人都靠著Airstream到世界各地。那標誌性的銀色鋁製設計，在路上遠方看到絕對不會錯過。品質和外表，讓我們未來想擁有一台Airstream。不誇張，我們在路上見到時，一定會跟車主打招呼！在營區遇到Airstream，我們也會和車主學習房車經驗為未來做準備。這是我們將來最想要擁有的車子，這次能來Airstream總公司參觀，真的是興奮破表！

Airstream總公司，一走進去，牆上寫著“To open a whole world of new experiences… a new dimension in enjoyment, where travel adventure and good fellowship are your constant companions.” 讓每位Airstream擁有者用新的方式看世界，天啊好期待我們擁有Airstream的一天！

參觀工廠時，因安全問題我們不能拍照或錄影。解說員講得很仔細，我媽也鼓勵我問問題，畢竟以後要買一台，需要先了解一下。參觀時，我們遇到一台Airstream正要做防水測試。Airstream和其他房車不同的地方就是他們先把外殼建好，確定沒有漏水或漏風問題，才會開始把裡面配備裝起來。全部完成後，工廠也會反覆檢查確定每台Airstream都準備好出貨。在這工作的員工應該很喜歡這裡，經過的人都會跟我們打招呼。同團叔叔阿姨們也很鼓勵人心，和員工們說good job, well done！

結束後，我們到總公司的gift shop買些小禮物給UN。以後我們也要穿著Airstream、開著Airstream出去旅行！

Airstream, the Rolls Royce of trailers, is the oldest trailer company in the US! Airstream is popular among many politicians, including Vice Presidents and First Ladies. The iconic silver bullet design is hard to miss on the road. Every time we see one while driving, we would wave at the owner, and if we see one at a campground, we would pick the owner’s brain on their ownership experience. We hope to be an Airstream owner one day! So excited to be able to tour Airstream HQ this time!

As you enter Airstream HQ, you are greeted with the saying “To open a whole world of new experiences… a new dimension in enjoyment, where travel adventure and good fellowship are your constant companions.” How inspiring and makes me want to be an Airstream owner even more!

During the tour, due to safety reasons, photography and videography are prohibited. But the tour guide is very thorough and encourages questions. We saw them doing waterproof testing on our tour. Every Airstream is built with the outer shell first. After they make sure the shell is waterproof and windproof, then they build the interior. After assembly, an Airstream has to go through rounds of quality inspection. The workers here must love their job, they were all very friendly and said hi to us. People in our group also encouraged the workers with “good job” and “well done”.

After the tour, we went to the gift shop to buy some souvenirs for UN. We shall return with our Airstream gears and go on a road trip with our own Airstream!