Harry Potter and the Cursed Child- NYC

A few weekends ago one of my friends texted me and asked if I wanted to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in NYC the next Saturday. She had found good ticket prices and was looking for people to join her. It was the cheapest I'd ever seen the tickets so I jumped at the chance. 

That next Saturday morning we caught a 7 AM bus from Union Station in D.C and arrived in NYC around 11:30 AM. The first show started at 2 PM. 

We found a place to eat lunch, went to some Broadway souvenir shops, visited the Hershey store and Disney store, and walked around Times Square until it was time to go to the theater.

While walking around Times Square we noticed a new statue and learned that it had just been put up the day before.

Read the sign below to learn more about the significance of the statue.

The Disney store is right in Times Square and is fun to walk around and look at all of the cool toys and costumes etc that they have there!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a continuation of the Harry Potter books. The story line focuses on the story of one of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasly's children.

I won't say much about the story line, but if you like Harry Potter and enjoy theater, you should definitely see these plays! You have to see both plays in order to get the full story, but it's worth it.

It was fun and the magical effects they did on stage were soooo cool! The actors were great and they did a really good job with it!

The theater was changed into a Harry Potter theater. They had patronuses painted on some of the walls. They had H's on the carpet and walls of the theater (for Hogwarts). I don't know if they do that with every show that plays there, but they really transformed it!

After the first play was over, we found dinner and then just sat in Times Square people watching until the next one started. It was awesome! There are so many colorful characters in Times Square.

I decided to hold the H because I took a test once to learn what Hogwarts house I would be in and it told me Hufflepuff. ;)

The second show was awesome! I think I liked the second part better than the first. Mainly because it flowed better but overall I really enjoyed both shows and they both had such cool magical effects!

After the second show was over, we caught an 11 PM bus back to D.C. I don't sleep well on buses or planes, so I didn't sleep on the bus home. We got back to D.C. around 3:30ish AM and then I got back to my house around 4:30ish. I slept for a few hours and then got up and went to church to see the primary program. And then slept some more after church. :)

Thanks Kara for the invite! It was an awesome day!

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!