I was able to spend the past 5 days in the nation's capitol and surrounding areas while staying with my Uncle Tony, Jen, and little AJ. They kept me busy and helped me to truly get the most out of my stay.
Top Ten
favorite
Things I Saw in D.C.
Nationals Baseball Game
The stadium was amazing. The seats we had made it even better. The crowds of people in their red, white, and blue was about as patriotic as you could get on the morning of the 4th of July. Sure, it was a sticky, hot day but we made the most out of it.
Best part: the Nats won.
Fireworks on the National Mall
I thought I have seen some impressive firework displays in my day; man, was I wrong. These fireworks were the best of the best. The view sure didn't hurt either. I was out on the grass lawn smack dab in the middle of the Capitol and the Washington Monument with a group of friends. The warm summer night and big beautiful sky full of colors was a moment I won't forget any time soon.
The Natural History Museum
When I asked people for suggestions on which Smithsonian museums to visit I surprisingly did not hear this one as a response too much. Well, this was by far my favorite that I visited. The many displays that showcased Ghana made me miss my adventures abroad and gave me the motivation to look for my next African home. The special exhibit on Genomes: Unlocking Life's Code enticed my nerdy interests. Overall, this was a big winner in my book.
Annapolis and the Naval Academy
What a beautiful little town and impressive campus. My uncle, Jen, AJ, Shannon, Gerred, and I all went to mass at the chapel on Sunday morning. It was very special with the arch bishop presiding over mass and the plebes singing in front of the congregation. It was exciting to see the chapel in which my cousin Gerred and his fiancé Shannon will be married next year. Annapolis was equally as exciting with cute shops and the waterfront in sight.
The city while riding a Capitol Bike Share bike
This neat way of touring the city is one I wish more cities had. Or maybe they do and I just don't know about them? Either way, man, did I love biking along the paths from monuments to memorials.
Capitol Tour
Jen was the best tour guide. She took me through the Capitol on Sunday afternoon and showed me all of the neat little areas normal people usually don't get a peak at. Did I feel special or what? Her 16 years on the Hill definitely helped make this possible. The building made me feel so small and really made me appreciate how amazing our country is.
Eastern Market
I love a good Saturday Farmer's Market. This market was that and more. It had an area for produce and even a fish and meat counter in the air conditioned building. A flea market area was around the corner and featured many fun artsy goods. I found a vendor selling old maps and of course one came home with me: one of western Africa from 1897!
The Great Falls
This was a trip I did not plan. My Uncle Tony surprised me with a side trip to the Great Falls, on the Maryland side. It was breathtaking! I did not imagine something so powerful and natural would be that close to such a thriving city. I was so thankful that he took me out to see a piece of the unbeaten path.
Iwo Jima and Arlington Cemetery
I cheated, I put two places as one thing. They are near each other and it was really hard to choose either or. Uncle Tony and I headed out to the Cemetery at 7am to catch the sights before the humid temperatures and sun caught us. It was such an experience seeing the Iwo Jima statue at sunrise. And man, did they make my pictures look great. It was nice to see the cemetery and privately take a moment to reflect on all of those who have fallen for our blessed country.
Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Memorial
Again, it was much too hard to choose out of all of the memorials just one, so I picked two. The Lincoln Memorial was majestic and everything I thought it would be. Lincoln looked so strong and sure sitting up there. I wonder what life might have been like with him as a president. The Vietnam Memorial showcased so many names and had quite an effect on me. Seeing older men and women look onto the wall with heavy hearts, fingers trailing over names: this is what made this memorial much more of an experience for me.
Top Nine
favorite
Things I Ate in D.C.
Gluten Free Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cupcake: DC Cupcakes
So I know everyone always talks about how awesome this place is, well, they definitely know how to make a great gluten free cupcake. I've tasted many gluten free desserts in my day and they sure got this one right. The cute little shop was filled with loads of flavors and little pink boxes full of love.
Chicken Pie: Dangerously Delicious Pies DC
Jen was awesome and decided to have a little sweet pie tasting right after our Chicken Pie dinner. The Chicken Pie was so good: perfectly flaky and not super gooey in the middle. Then we tried their cherry crumble pie, apple pie, pecan pie, and Baltimore bomb pie. To ask me to pick a favorite out of the four is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child: not going to happen. They were all amazing in their own special way.
Chicken on Pita: Tasty Kabob Food Truck
My goal while visiting D.C. was to try out as many food trucks as possible. Unfortunately, I only was able to try out one on the trip. Fortunately, this is the one I tried out. When I looked at the menu the first thing that stood out as something I'd love to try was the Lamb Gyro. Since I rolled up to the truck at about 2:45pm they were all out, so instead I was able to try the Chicken on Pita. I'm usually too afraid to try chicken because faux chicken is the worst, but theirs was delicious, real, and spiced to perfection. It was topped with tomatoes, lettuce, dill sauce, and loads of hot sauce (per request).
Crab Boil in Annapolis
The Kirby's invited us all to come over for a Maryland Blue Crab boil and a night of fun with their family. We feasted on crabs, corn, hushpuppies, and many, many delicious drinks. Mr. Kirby even gave me a tour of his man cave/beer brewing station. It was awesome. And he makes delicious beer. With really cute, and sort of embarrassing (Sorry, Shannon) labels! We ended the fantastic night with s'mores and sparklers.
Hazelnut Praline Salted Caramel Macaron: The Sweet Lobby
I've been on a macaron kick lately and since the only macarons that I know of that are made in Omaha are from one place, I was craving to try a new shop. The Sweet Lobby is right on Capitol Hill and has many cute patriotically named package deals for cupcakes and macarons alike. I tried a few macarons, they were small, and my favorite was the Hazelnut Praline Salted Caramel Macaron. So delicious.
Prosciutto & Black Mission Fig Pizza: Matchbox at Capitol Hill
Talk about an awesome pizza. This pizza reminded me of one I tried at Pitch in Omaha, and dare I say, it was better! The crust was perfectly crisp and the slices of black mission fig atop a layer of mozzarella and gorgonzola was insanely good. The prosciutto was thinly sliced and added to the top for the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Jen's Halibut and Panzanella
Whenever I eat really good fish I ask how it was prepared so I can try to do as awesome as they did. Her simple and yet tasty halibut dish was flaky and moist. She paired it with panzanella, using fresh tomatoes from the Eastern Market that we had been to earlier that day. I would eat this meal everyday if I could prepare it as well as she did.
Eggs Chesapeake: Treaty of Paris in Annapolis
Treaty of Paris is a historic hotel with a classic dining room for visitors to stop for a bite to eat. I chose to try the Eggs Chesapeake for our late brunch. It came out on a plate decorate with sliced fruit, full of breakfast potatoes, and two English muffins stacked with a crab cake and poached egg on each. The eggs were covered in hollandaise and were so delightful. It was definitely one of my favorite dishes of the trip. A bit of the Maryland flair with the crab cakes but dressed up with the poached egg and sauce.
Peanut Butter Oreo Ice cream: Annapolis Ice Creamery
I love homemade ice cream. I also love a fun atmosphere. This store had both. The Ice Creamery was a cute little shop with tons and tons of decorated spoons on display and a case filled with classic and unique ice cream flavors. I decided to try the Peanut Butter Oreo ice cream because I am slightly obsessed with peanut butter and although I am not the biggest fan of Oreos, I thought I would give it a try. Thank goodness I did. Wow, good work Annapolis, that's some tasty ice cream you've got there. Another flavored I sample, thanks to a suggestion from Shannon, was strawberry Oreo. Yeah, wrap your head around that one. Amazing.
