The Piano Guys and Maryland Renaissance Festival!

Last weekend was a good weekend! On Friday night, I went to Wolftrap with some friends to see The Piano Guys concert. 

The concert was awesome!! I've seen The Piano Guys perform live before and I really like them!

Their music is great and they're really funny!

This was the view from where we were sitting. We couldn't see the stage but we did have a view of the screens (where they showed what was going on on the stage). 

The last time I saw The Piano Guys (also at Wolftrap), I couldn't see the stage either. One of these days I'm going to make it to one of their concerts where I can actually see the stage not through a screen.

They had a standing ovation at the end of the concert so they played an encore song. We stood up and watched that from the back of the main part of the lawn.

Then we rushed back to our cars. And can I just say that was the fastest I've ever gotten out of the parking lot of Wolftrap before?! It was awesome!

The next day, I met Rachel and Cat at their place and we three went to the Renaissance Festival in Maryland.

I've been to the festival before but it's been a few years. It's a great place to people watch, eat delicious food, and watch fun shows.

One of the things I must do when I go to the Renaissance Festival is eat lots of food. :) They have delicious food there so of course I must eat it! Fried cheese, how can you go wrong with this one?!

Potato wedges, classic choice! :)

If you're holding any grudges or you really just don't like someone, you can curse them here. (No I did not curse anyone.)

Although food is an important part of the festival, the shows they put on are pretty great too!

We saw some cool things while there. We watched jousting, Aerial Silk Fantasy (pictured above), Shakespeare's Skum: Tag Team Romeo and Juliet, Barely Balanced, and The Wheel of Death.

I don't have many pictures of the shows we watched. I took more pictures of my food than I did of the shows. :)

Orange Italian Ice served in an orange peel, it was soooo good!

Funnel fries, funnel cake but easier to eat as fries. Delicious!

We spent a lot of the day at the festival. It was a fun day with awesome company and entertaining activities and delicious food!

Then on Sunday, I had to teach Mia Maids. I had been preparing the whole week for the lesson but I always need some time on Saturday night to think about it. I taught it and it was fine.

Philadelphia and Longwood Gardens!

Lara and Glen and family moved just outside Philadelphia. I miss them living nearby but I'm glad they're still on the East Coast (at least for now). 

One Saturday in August I decided to visit them in their new town. I planned on only spending the day there but decided to just stay the weekend. 

I hung out at their house most of the day Saturday.

Adam and Ellie had a regional dance that evening in Philly at the chapel just across the street from the temple. Lara, Emma and I drove them there and then walked around Philly while waiting for them to be done at the dance.

The sky was gorgeous that night!

 Isn't it beautiful?!

Some sites we saw as we walked toward Independence Hall from the chapel (where we had parked the car).

Everything was closed since it was later in the evening but it was fun to walk around!

Independence Hall.

We're at the Liberty Bell! We look a little excited or maybe scared to be there. ;)

A Holocaust Memorial we ran across on our way back to the chapel.

I haven't spent much time in Philadelphia (even though I've only lived about 3 hours away for more than 8 years). I liked walking around Philly and now I need to go back and visit when the touristy things are open. :)

When we got back to the chapel, the dance wasn't quite over yet, so Lara, Emma, and I hung out in the temple visitor's center for awhile. Then we went to the chapel once the dance was close to be over.

I spent the night at Lara and Glen's house that night. I went to sacrament meeting with them in their new ward the next morning and then I started toward home with a pit stop at Longwood Gardens.

Lara had bought a season pass to Longwood Gardens and put my name on the pass too so I decided I needed to visit it while I was in the area.

I really loved the gardens!

I didn't even see half of the gardens in the amount of time I spent there.

The gardens were so big and so beautiful! These pictures don't really do it justice.

 The Italian Water Garden. I loved this part. I stayed here for awhile just soaking in the view!

 Topiaries! So cool!

Longwood Gardens was gorgeous! I need to go back and explore some more someday soon.

After the gardens, I found something to eat and then drove home. Since I had my GPS set on avoid toll roads, it took me on back roads half of the way home and it was beautiful!

Thanks Lara and Glen and family for letting me hang out with you that weekend!