Monday, July 19, 2010

Exploration Of My State Capital

HARRISBURG, PA - About one year ago, I went to Harrisburg for the first time. I have worked for the same law firm for the past three summers and last summer one of the partners in the law firm asked if I could drive him to Harrisburg for a meeting. I set my alarm for 3:45 a.m. in order to arrive at his home before 5 a.m. We arrived at our destination a little after 8:30 a.m. and I had an entire day to explore Harrisburg. Little did I know that it wouldn't take an entire day...

Just last week, I had the opportunity to venture to Harrisburg once again. But instead of walking around the city, reading historical signs and taking pictures I was just a stereotypical girl. This time, I didn't do anything that couldn't be done in any other city. I went to Barnes and Noble and I went to the mall. After purchasing three pairs of heels, a new pair of Nike shoxs, running pants, an outfit for vacation, and getting a pedicure with a fancy design I drove back into the center of Harrisburg.

The week before I left, I did some research on where I was going to eat lunch. I found exactly what I was looking for. The restaurant was fabulous! Mangia Qui is a tiny restaurant located on North Street. They have a few outdoor tables, which is exactly where I situated myself even though it felt like it was 90 degrees outside.

It was hard for me to decide what I wanted to eat. I was teetering between the Crabcake Caesar Salad, the Filet Mignon Sandwich, and the Chicken Diablo. I ended up ordering the Crabcake Caesar Salad and a freshly brewed iced tea. Great decision on my part for an extremely toasty summer day.

Mangia Qui also has a tapas menu. It is the first tapas bar in Harrisburg. I was interested in trying some of the dishes on this menu, but I found out that it is only open Tuesdays through Saturdays after 5 p.m.

After I finished my lunch and responded to e-mails using Mangia Qui's free wireless, I grabbed an iced coffee and ended my day walking around the city.

The capital building in Harrisburg is a beautiful piece of architecture. It is symmetrical and extremely decorative. There are many levels to the structure and the roof of each level act as public spaces. Picnic tables fill the second tier. While shrubs and flowers create small rooftop gardens.
Every city has something to offer. I am sure that if I went back to Harrisburg a year from now I would discover many more interesting and exciting things about this small city that is known as Pennsylvania's capital.

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