As summer winds down, don’t miss the opportunity to take a trip. August and September can be two of the most pleasant months to travel and soak up the last of the summer sun. For a cheap and easy trip, stay close to home and take a day to go to a lake or beach. Here in the Research Triangle, my water of choice is Jordan Lake. It is a short drive, and, for only a $5 recreation fee, you can stay all day. Take a cooler, a good read and a Designroom Group float for a perfect day on the water.
Or treat yourself to a long weekend and take a road trip. My destination of choice this summer? Washington DC. It is an easy drive for most on the east coast and an underrated city, in my humble opinion. Of course, you should take a few hours to walk the National Mall and visit the monuments, but DC offers oh so much more than patriotism. On weekends in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Eastern Market offers a mouth-watering lineup of merchants selling produce, poultry, pasta, seafood and cheeses. In addition, the market has an eclectic weekend flea market full of antiques, prints, books and art. There is truly something for everyone. If you aren’t a museum person, I would still recommend going to the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn. You can see the lips of Marilyn Monroe on a Warhol or the very cool Strange Bodies exhibit, as well as a beautiful outdoor sculpture garden.