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By Katie Bianco, Alice Levitt and Michele Kettner
Visiting the panda
If you’re like me, venturing out of the house still feels like an intimidating process. My two children are surprisingly good at wearing their masks, but making sure they stay on still requires vigilance when we’re out in public. Even so, I’ve tried to fill our summer with socially distant adventures. A few weeks ago, we made a reservation and visited the National Zoo. Without many people there, there was plenty of space to have a safe adventure. However, we didn’t get to see the giant pandas. And, now I know why. It turned out Mei Xiang was pregnant and surprised everyone when she gave birth to a panda cub in late August. While I doubt she’ll be venturing outside soon, the prospect of seeing her is enough to take us back for another zoo visit. Even if we don’t spy the pandas, there are plenty of other cute animals to give our attention to this weekend. -Katie Bianco, Editor
B-I-N-G-O
Bingo is usually associated with senior centers and retirement homes, but my friends and I are obsessed. It all started in second grade when I won my first game; from that moment on I was hooked. Every year we would go to the annual Skip Wizards Basket Bingo fundraiser and every year I won (which my mom is still bitter about). Eventually I got my friends involved and we started going to bingo events whenever we came home from college. While the pandemic has canceled all indoor bingo events for the time being, some bingo halls are starting to adopt the drive-in format and bring the game outdoors. So Wednesday night after work I’ll be heading down to Fredericksburg for the Drive In Family Bingo, my second drive-in bingo of the year. Fingers crossed I continue my winning ways. – Michele Kettner, Editorial Assistant // Dorothy Hart Community Center: 408 Canal St., Fredericksburg; Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.; $5
Sipping it old-school
I’m a history buff, especially when it comes to the subjects of food and drink. When writing this story, I was excited to learn that George Washington was once one of the prolific distillers in the United States. Better yet, his recipe is still being produced in a historically accurate way. I’ve got plans to taste history at his distillery this weekend. -Alice Levitt, Food Editor/Critic
