If you have never traveled to Washington D.C., you need to go. Our nation's capital is electrifying—the crisp air, the blooming cherry blossoms, the ever-present policy banter. I love it all.
Maybe its the city's role in the American story. There is a palpabale energy everywhere you go, a faint echo of the decisions that have shaped our country that demands to be heard. I felt it most prominently as I walked through the hallowed basement of the Russell Senate Office building, passing past the Senate Barber Shop, cafeteria, and other gathering spaces that have witnessed our government behind the scenes for over a century.
Maybe its the abundance of distinctly different neighborhoods linked together by walkable streets and easy-to-navigate public transportation. I took the metro once out of desperation, my feet destroyed after a 12-hour day of strutting in stilettos from meeting to meeting. The rest of the trip my sister Carla and I took advantage of our flexible schedule and walked everywhere. (We tallied an average of 25,000 daily steps on my Withings watch! #winning)
Our first day we walked 50 minutes from downtown, through less than friendly neighborhoods, to drink Compass Coffee (D.C.'s Panther Coffee) and scope out Union Market. After a quick purchase of Craft Kombucha's elderflower kombucha on tap and a much needed knit infinity scarf and a not-so-necessary scroll of tropical plants from Salt & Sundry, we trekked back to downtown for a quick rendezvous at the National Mall and the newly opened Museum of African American History. (Not before stopping first for a dirty chai latte at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse to bring our frozen hands back to life.)
Day two began with a breakfast of champions: bottomless brunch at Boqueria. Starving, we checked off almost every dish on the tapas menu and regretted it later when we were faced with truffled mac and cheese, a heavy egg dish, and two desserts when we were already deeply in a food coma. Nevertheless, we powered through it and found it the perfect fuel for another long day of non-stop walking. Notable destinations included the White House where we inadvertently joined a rally (because D.C.), the Air and Space Museum, and Union Market (again) for dinner at Bidwell.
Not to be outdone, our third and final day consisted of—you guessed it!—a ton more walking. We started with a heavenly mani-pedi at U Nail Salon as a thank you to our feet for carrying us through our adventures. Then, we proceeded to destroy them again as we shopped our way through the neighborhood, stopping at Wydown Coffee Bar and Salt & Sundry's standalone brick-and-mortar, before making our way back to the National Mall to check out the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and peeking down the Potomac.
My only regret—besides ordering too much food at Sunday brunch—is not having more time to explore everything. (We only had two hours to spend at each museum and we didn't make it past half of their incredible exhibits.) Unlike my recent trip to Seattle with my sister Lucy (Carla's twin), I fell in love with D.C. and am pleasantly surprised to hear so many of you are heading there this year. Whether you're stopping by for work or for pleasure, I hope you love it as much as I did. P.S. Those cherry blossoms are filling in beautifully!
Have you been to D.C.? What are your favorite places to visit? Your favorite coffee shops? Your favorite museums? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!
No comments
Post a Comment