For the past two weeks, it’s been impossible to escape all the talk surrounding the government shutdown. I love my NPR as much as the next bike-riding, Wes-Anderson-loving hipster, but sometimes enough is… well… enough!
The iconic locations that represent our nation seem underserved by all this talk.
So Behold! (cue jazz hands) Washington DC in pictures… not words!*
*Fine print: there are still words, just fewer than I usually use. I can’t go cold turkey, and, as Mr. M can confirm, my mute button has been broken for years.
Day #10,799 (Washington, D.C.):
Breakfast of champions at Georgetown Cupcakes.
Taking learning Very Seriously at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum might be one of the most interesting museums on the Mall.
Walking the National Mall at sunset.
I’d never seen the National World War II Memorial before. Nightfall made it all the more dramatic.
Mr. M & I planned our trip from New York to DC in order to meet up with Sister S, who was in town for a neuroscience conference.
Sister S’s favorite sight was the Lincoln Memorial.
I wanted to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial for my grandpa, who still gags at the smell of kimchi and tells us stories about volunteering as a local gymnastics coach when stationed in Korea.
Amidst the back & forth and political punditry, the quiet soul of Washington DC shines through.
No words needed.
**This post turned out to be the blogging equivalent of holding my breath for as long as possible. Whew! Excuse me while I go binge write.**
Details of the Day: After spending a long day winding your way across the National Mall, the end of the day may find you- like it did us- at the Lincoln Memorial/Korean War Veteran Memorial area. Which is regrettably far from a convenient metro station. I rarely advocate pedicabs over a healthy stroll, but… head toward Henry Bacon Dr and the Memorial gift store… if you happen to find a pedicab that can take you to the nearest metro, I won’t tell.
Georgetown Cupcakes. If you won’t be satisfied taking my word for it, (which was ‘meh’), the Bethesda location (4834 Bethesda Ave) is a lot less crowded than the storefront actually in Georgetown (3301 M St NW). Check their Facebook/Twitter for the secret flavor of the day, and if you’re in the first 100 folks to mention it at the register, you’ll get a free cupcake.
Our history is as rich as the batter for those cupcakes.
My poet friend has returned! You have such a gorgeous way with words, Luis.
What a great post to coincide with the culmination of my DC trip! Also, I have been trying to remember the name of that substance - Stardust Aerogel - all weekend. Thanks for reminding!
Sister S shows herself! ;) The DC theme was actually for you! If I could pull off one epic heist (a la Ocean's Eleven), I would steal that Stardust Aerogel. It is unbelievably alluring. I want to bathe in it.
Trinity went to DC with my brother when she was 5. She was SO EXCITED for the Lincoln Memorial.... or, as she called it, the building on the back of the penny. Sister S and Trin have very similar tastes, haha.
Ha! The Lincoln Memorial does seem a lot more monumental when you think of it like that! :)
What???!!! You come by my neck of the woods and don't drop in and say hi??!!! (I'm kidding!) Seriously, though, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to DC. The WWII memorial is one of the nicest around. I liked the panels at the front depicting life during the 1940s. When I went, there was a group of veterans from an Honor Flight and watching the looks on their faces was amazing.
Mea culpa!! *sheepish grin* :) Next time, I have two things on my list: Arlington Cemetery & you! Oh that must've been so wonderful to watch a group of veterans enjoying the memorial. The monuments are gorgeous to see & photograph, but that's what it's all about. :)