The Plains, VA

Place Visited: The Plains, Virginia, USA
Date: May 2016

I actually had plans for a sketch outing at the National Zoo that day, but I'd neglected to account for the Rolling Thunder Memorial Day ride, which involves hundreds or maybe even thousands of motorcycles descending upon DC. When it took me two hours just to get to Arlington, I turned around and headed back west. On a whim, I took the exit for The Plains. I stopped by a farmers market for lunch, then enjoyed my first cold-brew coffee at Happy Creek, where I drew the scenery. After that I wandered the local shops and galleries. All in all a nice day.

Silver Spring, MD

Place Visited: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Date: August 2016

This was my very first DC Drink & Draw meetup, and my first time at Denizens Brewing Co. The beer and food were both quite good, but the company was even better. I love this crowd. There's often an informal theme, and this time was Thank You For Riding Metro (because of the crazy scheduling and closings that is SafeTrack). We each drew our own Metro car, then linked them all together on the wall. It was fantastic.

Champaign, IL

Place Visited: Champaign, Illinois, USA
Date: June 2016

I visited my usual spots (The IDEA Store, Habitat ReStore, and Cafe Kopi), plus made a couple of new stops. I discovered CU Woodshop Supply through a billboard on the drive in. We had a great time checking out all the tools and gorgeous wood. Oishi Hibachi Steakhouse was recommended by friends. It was standard hibachi, which means it was fun and delicious. Oh yeah, and the Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight are fantastic gel pens I had a blast playing with. I love Champaign. My trips there are never long enough.

Manassas, VA

Place Visited: Manassas, Virginia, USA
Date: July 2016

I finally made it down to the Manassas Museum, then spent some time wandering downtown. I stopped by my favorite coffee shop in town (Grounds Central Station), drew the train station, and browsed Prospero's Books, which was quite the adventure. The nice ladies at the visitor center had me pick up a brochure for the art installation downtown, where the paintings had been turned into banners that hung from the street lights. I included my favorites that depicted Manassas in some way.