weekend of family fun
so far, our official weekend of family fun has gone pretty well.
the good:
★ ridiculously perfect weather
★ really good food
★ lots of sleep & rest
the bad
✖ josh is sick with some GI bug
✖ my dad is having an allergic reaction to my sister’s cat
oh well. we haven’t let these medical woes keep us down too much.
zest cafe
we had a lovely brunch at zest cafe & home art in raleigh. this is a very cute and unpretentious little place that my sister discovered. in addition to a fun menu, they have an adorable shop up front with girly dishware, bags, candles, and the like. i scored a pretty insulated lunch bag (to be shown in a later post!).
i love the fork & knife fencing around the outdoor area – nice touch!
obligatory menu shot:
up on the wall:
my sister and i split two items: a brie and strawberry sandwich with arugula (!!!) . . .
we both LOVED this sweet-savory combo
and a roasted veggie wrap.
this was less exciting, but still tasted healthy and fresh
family table shot —
sans camerawoman
hiking around falls lake
after lunch, we all headed out for some sun & activity (yep, sticking to the plan!). falls lake is just minutes from raleigh, and yet it really feels like a rural nature preserve.
it took us a while to choose a trail (and find a bathroom!!) but we eventually settled on one near the dam.
setting out . . .
my dad attempting to play forest ranger (unconvincing). he remarked that my version of outdoorsiness was “a balcony at the ritz-carlton.” but where do you think i got that from??
josh striking some kind of mountain-man pose. he was a trooper!
isn’t nature amazing?
group shot! and it only took 12 takes . . .
not so local yogurt
there was only one logical destination after this outdoor extravaganza (we hiked for about 75 minutes or so). loyo! but this time, we visited the raleigh location. i had never been there but was pleased to find the same flavors, toppings, and friendly service that i am used to over in durham. and it was actually a lot LESS crowded than i am used to, which meant we could all take our time in line sampling and determining the optimal combination of flavors.
i got plain with peaches & graham cracker crumbs, and it was gone before my camera had a chance at capturing the deliciousness. my dad’s peanut butter-banana-reese’s combination made it on screen, though.
the somber faces in this picture are probably because everyone is done.
detox?
it was a great day (and we had a great dinner on top of all this deliciousness). however, i’m already ready to ditch restaurant cuisine for my usual standards.
on sale at zest cafe
sage advice.
5 Comments
Very well chronicled, Sarah! Looking forward to today's activities and tomorrow's post about them 🙂
L, da
Looks like a good start to the weekend (except for poor Josh. GI bugs are no fun). My brother actually moved to Chapel Hill last weekend- his girlfriend started school and UNC and he finally found a job in the area- and I'd love the check out the whole Triangle area.
What a great weekend of family and food! Shockingly I have yet to visit the Raleigh LoYo, although I did go to a Fresh Berry last night. Almost as good. Almost.
what a great day!
Loved reading about your day and seeing photos of the family! Sorry to hear about the GI bug and allergy to the cat. Give hugs to everyone for me!!!