Washington D.C.

Last weekend Joe and I had the chance to visit friends in Washington D.C. I hadn't been there since I was a teenager, and Joe had never visited, so we took the opportunity to really make this a vacation. We soaked up the touristy requirements around the mall, and took in plenty of history at the various Smithsonian museums. Our friend Nick suggested a Segway tour of the main sites around the Mall, and we decided it was a great idea. Not only was it totally fun to ride the segways, but it was also a quick and easy way to see so much in just 3 hours. It was a perfect overview of the important buildings and monuments in D.C., and our tour guide made the whole experience a lot of fun. This was a great way to start our trip!

After the segway tour, we spent the rest of Thursday just hanging out. We started drinking around 2:00... are you impressed? We had a great time just wandering around the city, bar hopping and sampling different beers and food menus. My friend Janice, who I've know since second grade, met up with us after work. It was so fun to catch up on the last few years! We also got to hang out with our friend Jay, who used to live in Chicago. His girlfriend Becca was busy starting her own law school graduation celebrating, but did get to meet up with us towards the end of the night. I wish we could get this crew together more often, because it was so much fun to hang out with everyone!

Friday was our super tourist day, and we made the most of it. We started at the American History museum, where we saw Julia Child's kitchen, Michelle Obama's inauguration dress, the Beastie Boys boombox, and other important American artifacts. We did a quick tour of the Air & Space museum around lunchtime, then met Nick at the Native American museum for lunch. We enjoyed a little relaxation at a quiet sculpture garden, then braved the lines for the National Archives. Seeing the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence was facinating and well worth the wait!

We met up with Danielle that night, and had a fantastic dinner at Marvin. Joe had the southern experience of Chicken & Waffles, and we got to sample some fresh, local soft shell crab. More bar hopping followed, with special cocktails at a sorta secret throwback bar called the Gibson. The weather couldn't have been better, and we loved exploring the nightlife in a new city. U street was packed with people, and seemed to have something for everyone!

Saturday Danielle teamed up with friends to make an amazing brunch at her house. The food was out of this world, and that combined with breakfast cocktails made for some major sleepiness by early afternoon. We forced ourselves off the couch, though, and spent the afternoon exploring Georgetown. I couldn't stop commenting on how much I loved the whole neighborhood! We managed to stuff our faces a little more when Danielle brought us to her favorite cupcake bakery, and then went home to relax a little before a very late dinner. The pizza and small plates we had a 2Amys was some of the best food of the trip, and this relaxing dinner was a perfect end to a busy trip.

Thanks Nick and Danielle for hosting us! We had a fantastic time!