By Lani Gering

Man oh man…did I ever struggle with deciding on what the subject matter of this month’s column was going to be. Not that there is a lack of things to highlight in the Harbor, especially this time of year as summer is getting into full swing – concerts, movies, etc. Thankfully, my pal Bob suggested that we take a Sunday drive over the bridge to see if I could garner some inspiration. Well…it worked!

It was a gorgeous sunny day and there was a bit of a breeze coming off of the water so we spent the afternoon just walking around and stopping into some old favorites along the way. After parking at the Fleet Street garage, we headed to Waterfront Street and landed at Bond 45 for a beverage and some nourishment to fuel up for the rest of the day. As always, the cocktails were great and the meatballs never disappoint. The best part of this visit is always the staff. John Alfy Edward is a great host. I always run into people that still live in my former condo building so it’s great to catch up with them.

Leaving Bond we took a leisurely stroll over to the Gaylord along the waterfront path to see how things were going with the newly remodeled Old Hickory Steakhouse in the hopes that our longtime friend, Joseph, would be behind the bar. Our wish came true. He has been with the Gaylord staff almost since the first day they opened. Old Hickory has always been a special place for dinner but with the new model in place they are open for breakfast and lunch daily as well as brunch on Sundays. After seeing Joe, we stopped by the Belvedere Lobby Bar to see Carlos. I love this space. It is a perfect location for a ton of people watching and the atrium is always beautiful.

The next leg of our trip took us from the Gaylord up Fleet Street to American Way and down to the newest addition to the Harbor dining scene on the waterfront, Fogo de Chao. Even though I’ve been down American Way hundreds of times, I am still in awe of the amazing sculptures on display between Fleet and Waterfront Streets. Arriving at Fogo (McLoone’s Pier House was in this space for several years) on National Plaza, we treated ourselves to a couple of Caipirinhas. This South American cocktail is very unique and very tasty – Silver Cachaca, limes and cane sugar.

A Sunday afternoon in the Harbor wouldn’t be complete without a walk out on the pier to the Capital Wheel and the Flight Deck. This is an amazing place to watch the sunset since it sits right on the water. After taking in the view and doing some boat watching, we decided to call it a day and headed back to the garage with one last stop on the Plaza – Maw Maw Miller’s Kettle Corn. My girl Sarah wasn’t there but her cool husband Nick was manning the popper. If you are a caramel corn fan, this is the place to get your fix. Their signature Sweet and Salty is the best!

The Sunday night movie was just getting underway and we thought about sticking around until we saw that is was Jurassic World Dominion – neither of us are fans. However, the plaza was filling up with families getting all settled in with blankets and beach chairs.

It really was a pleasant late afternoon/early evening and I am looking forward to doing this more often. I hope you all treat yourself to a day like we had as well.

July Movie Schedule

Thursday Date Night

6^th – Black Adam

13^th – Wonder Woman (2017)

20^th – She’s the Man (2006)

27^th – Gracie (2007)

Sunday Family Night

2^nd – DC League of Super-Pets

9^th – Up

16^th – The Princess Diaries

23^rd – Her Best Move (2007)