DC Visit #2

After last year's tour of DC, I was really excited to head back for Gabby’s wedding. I ended up flying out a couple days early to get some sight seeing in and visit with my friend Tracy. I got into DC a few hours before Tracy and spent the time drinking good wine and eating delicious tapas from Barcelona - would definitely recommend that spot.  The next morning, neither one of us was up bright and early as we were both still on CA time so we enjoyed being on lazy vacation mode before heading first to the White House and then to the National Portrait Gallery. My favorite was the Bill Clinton because it was just so unusual- the artist grids all of his canvases and then uses random shapes within the grid to form the image. Within the same building is the American Art Museum and they had some cool stuff especially the neon map of the US. After getting caught in a downpour, we got a couple drinks at Penn Social before meeting up with Bonnie at Founding Farmers (chicken and waffles yasssss). 

 Our second day was also the day of Gabby and Luke's wedding! Bonnie and I fit in a bit of sightseeing in the morning by heading over to Arlington National Cemetery. The grounds are really pretty and peaceful and I liked walking through the Arlington House (they staged it well so you really feel like you're seeing it like it was back when it was lived in). After grabbing a bite to eat at Sweetgreen we got our nails done at Venus Spa (not fancy or anything but they did a really good job) and got ready for the wedding. The wedding was held at the beautiful National Museum of Women in the Arts and it was gorgeous wedding. I didn't get a ton of pictures as I was too busy eating, drinking from the bourbon bar, taking photos in the photobooth and dancing the night away. Bonnie and I satisfied my &pizza craving on our drunken walk home from the wedding...mmm pizza :-)

The next morning, Bonnie and I headed out to tour the White House Visitor Center- I tried to get on the actual tour but didn't make the cut (wtf secret service?!!?). The visitor center is really well done and we spent a lot of time there learning about the famous building. Afterwards we got a quick bite to eat (while listening to the worlds most awkward first date one table over) and then Bonnie headed off to the airport. I tried to go visit the National Achieve Museum but the line was around the block so I skipped it this trip. Instead I visited the US Holocaust Memorial Museum  and wished I had set aside more time. I had to rush through it (flight to catch) so I only got about 25% of what the museum had to offer. It is an incredibly well done museum (how its laid out, the way they present the information, the sounds/lighting/effects, etc) but it is an obviously very disturbing and at times horrific experience so would recommend giving yourself enough time at the museum to give it justice.

Turns out I didn't have to rush through the museum as my flight to Vermont ended up being SUPER late (way to go United)- until next time DC!