the stories that I'm telling.

Category: Washington D.C.

  • Quick Weekend Trip to DC

    Quick Weekend Trip to DC

    A couple of weeks ago, Kevin and my dad were scheduled to work at a trade show in Washington, DC. Given the success of our previous trip, my mom and I decided to tag along for the ride.

    Though Kevin and Tony did spend some time working, the 4 of us found plenty of time to see sites and eat well.

    Here’s a quick rundown and review of where we went…

    Thursday:

    When we drive to DC, we take a semi-scenic route, and stop midway in a Pennsylvania town called Altoona. We eat at Champs Sports Grill, which has impeccably clean washrooms and pretty good food. Kevin recently realized that his favourite candy bar, the Mallo Cup, is made in Altoona. Obviously, we had to stop at the factory and stock up at Boyer Candies. You can see photos of our visit on Google Maps!

    After arriving in DC around 6pm, we ate dinner at Zaytinya, a Greek/Mediterranean tapas restaurant. The weather was so good that we were able to sit outside on the patio! The service and food were great. After a day in the car, it was really nice to relax outside while eating a light dinner (and wine, of course).

    Friday: 

    Kevin and Tony worked in the evening for a few hours, but we did our site seeing during the day. We started with the Newseum, a museum that highlights the importance of the press in the American democratic system. Entry isn’t free, because it’s not part of the Smithsonian, but it’s a really cool museum and well worth seeing.

    After a few hours at the Newseum, it was time for lunch. We walked up the street to a place we tried and failed to eat the last time we came to DC, Charlie Palmer Steak. Congress wasn’t in session, but our server told us it’s a go-to spot for Republican Congresspeople. Then again, we could only name 3 house representatives, so I doubt we’d have recognized anyone either way.

    Charlie Palmer’s is one of the closest restaurants to the Capitol Building, which Kevin could see in full view from his seat. But the view got much fuller after lunch when we were given the opportunity to go to the building’s rooftop. This is the spot where CNN sits to film inaugurations, which was really cool. The photos we got seem to prove that it’s the best view in town.

    While the gentlemen worked, Judy and I did some shopping. We then met up for dinner at a french restaurant called DBGB. The food and service were both good, and yet I can’t imagine craving a return trip.

    Saturday:

    Kevin and Tony worked, so Judy and I headed off on an adventure in Georgetown. The plan was to visit a cat cafe, which we couldn’t get into because we didn’t have reservations. Then we wanted to try on wedding dresses (for me) at a bridal boutique. We went to several different boutiques and couldn’t get in anywhere due to lack of appointment. And yet! In the basement of Carine’s Bridal Atelier they had a sample sale! No appointments necessary! This welcome surprise really turned our day around. We spent a fairly amusing 2.5 hours working with a woman named Brianna in trying on 50+ dresses. Nothing purchased, but lots learned!

    That night we headed to Filomena Ristorante, which had been a highlight on our last trip. The portions being enormous, we couldn’t finish eating and certainly disappointed our waiter. Again, as with everywhere else we’d eat, the food and wine were delicious.

    Sunday:

    Sunday morning started early. I got up at 6:30am to book day-of passes for visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture. As the newest Smithsonian to open, it’s incredibly popular, and you can’t get in without a pass. There are 3 upper floors and 3 lower floors. The lower floors required a wait time of 2 hours, so we opted to start upstairs. And even the upper 3 floors had more information than one could take in during one trip. I spent nearly 2 hours on the the third floor alone. And just before leaving? I found an entire art wing! It’s an incredible and important museum, and we’ll definitely be going back for more on our next trip to DC.

    After a few hours at the museum, we walked up to the W Hotel. My friend Julie had recommended it as good spot for drinks, with an unmatched view, and she was right. It was nice to wrap up our day with a view of the White House.

    From there, we headed to the hotel, packed up the car, and began our road trip home. And just before we left, we actually saw the presidential motorcade in motion. Bizarre, to say the least.

    A few people asked me if the feeling in DC was any different post-election disaster.Visiting at the Newseum felt particularly important this time, and you could tell that some of the people visiting the museum were feeling frustrated with the current administration. Otherwise, we were there on a quiet weekend, with no marches/protests taking place, but the overall vibe of the city seemed the same. We’ll see if that continues on future trips to visit the USA.

    A quick stop at Boyer Candy Factory in Altoona
    View of Pennsylvania Ave from the Newseum
    The Canadian Embassy was right next door to the Newseum
    Practicing my newscaster skills
    Selfie with my recording. Unsurprisingly, I read too fast.
    A bit of public participation at the Newseum
    In front of the press freedoms map
    Capitol Building Selfie
    Big purple rooster on the National Gallery’s East Wing
    Kevin’s view of the Capitol Building from lunch!
    The view from upstairs!
    Family photo with the best view in town
    Red Cadillac Eldorado owned by Chuck Berry, at that National Museum of African American History and Culture
    View of the White House while eating lunch at the W Hotel
  • Adventures in DC – Day 2!

    Adventures in DC – Day 2!

    Our second full day of adventures in DC was slightly more subdued, only because our feet were truly beginning to hurt.

    After breakfast in the hotel, we headed out to the Smithsonian again. The Smithsonian is free to enter, and is one of the best things to do in DC. Here’s some quick facts on the Smithsonian and how it came to be, courtesy of Wikipedia:

     The Smithsonian Institution (/smɪθˈsoʊniən/ smith-soe-nee-ən), established in 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States.[1]

    British scientist James Smithson (d. 1829) left most of his wealth to his nephew Henry James Hungerford. When Hungerford died childless in 1835,[8] the estate passed “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men”, in accordance with Smithson’s will.[9]

    Though the Smithsonian’s first Secretary, Joseph Henry, wanted the Institution to be a center for scientific research,[15] it also became the depository for various Washington and U.S. government collections.[16] The United States Exploring Expedition by the U.S. Navy circumnavigated the globe between 1838 and 1842.[17] The voyage amassed thousands of animal specimens, an herbarium of 50,000 plant specimens, and diverse shells and minerals, tropical birds, jars of seawater, and ethnographic artifacts from the South Pacific Ocean.[17] These specimens and artifacts became part of the Smithsonian collections, as did those collected by several military and civilian surveys of the American West, including the Mexican Boundary Survey and Pacific Railroad Surveys, which assembled many Native American artifacts and natural history specimens.[18]

    The Smithsonian Institution Building (also known as “The Castle”) was completed in 1855 to house an art gallery, a library, a chemical laboratory, lecture halls, museum galleries, and offices.[4] During this time the Smithsonian was a learning institution concerned mainly with enhancing science and less interested in being a museum. Under the second secretary, Spencer Fullerton Baird, the Smithsonian turned into a full-fledged museum, mostly through the acquisition of 60 boxcars worth of displays from the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The income from the exhibition of these artifacts allowed for the construction of the National Museum, which is now known as the Arts and Industries Building. This structure was opened in 1881 to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of the growing collections.[5]

    The Institution grew slowly until 1964 when Sidney Dillon Ripley became secretary. Ripley managed to expand the institution by eight museums and upped admission from 10.8 million to 30 million people a year.[6] This period included the greatest and most rapid growth for the Smithsonian, and it continued until Ripley’s resignation in 1984.[6] Since the completion of the Arts and Industries Building, the Smithsonian has expanded to twenty separate museums with roughly 137 million objects in their collections, including works of art, natural specimens, and cultural artifacts.[1] The Smithsonian museums are visited by over 25 million people every year.[1]

    When the Detroit philanthropist Charles Lang Freer donated his private collection to the Smithsonian and funds to build the museum to hold it (which was named the Freer Gallery), it was among the Smithsonian’s first major donations from a private individual.[22] The gallery opened in 1923.[23]

    So, that was a lot of info, but it was also relevant, because we started out our day by visiting the Smithsonian Castle. It was the original Smithsonian building, and today it serves as a visitor information centre, as well as a museum about the history of the Smithsonian. It’s a beautiful old building, and completely different from architecture of the surrounding buildings. It’s very old timey Britain-esque in a way that most buildings in that part of DC are not.

    The Freer Gallery was under renovation while we were there, but we were able to visit the underground portion of the attached Sackler Gallery, which contained an incredible exhibition on artisans in Afghanistan. Through an organization called Turquoise Mountain, the work of these artisans was highlighted as part of a project to rebuild the Murad Khani district of Old Kabul.

    I’m pretty sure that we could have seen more art, but I was conscious of time, knowing that we wanted to still explore the entire National Gallery of Art.

    Of course, before going to the National Gallery, we made a quick stop for a guided tour of the National Museum of American History. This is where you’ll see things like the famous movie props, the dresses of first ladies, and the first star spangled banner. It’s a lot to take in, so we enjoyed an abridged tour provided by one of the museum’s guides. Next, we had lunch in the sculpture garden beside the National Gallery of Art. For the next leg of our journey, sustenance was required. (A note on lunch: I’d read online that the best place to eat was the cafeteria at the National Museum of the American Indian. This is definitely true. Lunch there was far better than the lunch beside the sculpture garden, though the latter had a better ambiance).

    And next up was the National Gallery of Art.

    Having been through the lower level, we were faced only with tackling the extensive collection of the main floor. I’ve been to a lot of art galleries, and I love art galleries, and so I was beyond thrilled to explore this collection. It’s possibly one of the most concentrated collections of iconic artwork that you could see. It took effort, and our feet were killing us, but we were able to see the entire collection in a matter of hours.

    And oh, what a collection. We saw art by Da Vinci, Titian, Vermeer, Fragonard, Rembrandt, Turner, Constable, Manet, Cezanne, van Gogh, Monet, and Matisse. And not the secondary stuff and early career sketches, but the actual career-defining great works. If you’re looking to see a collection that will take you through the evolution of western art over the past 200 years, this is the museum for you. But seriously, wear comfy shoes.

    As we walked out of the Gallery, we saw the East Building. I knew that it was some kind of modern art building, but it far surpassed my expectations. The East Building is less of a traditional gallery, and more of an actual work of art itself. From what we could tell, the building is an open, modern space, which provides event and exhibition spaces for the gallery. Within this open events-oriented space, you’ll find a variety of modern sculptures and installations. We took very few pictures because it was impossible to capture the feeling of lightness and calm that came over us in the space. If you’re in DC, drop in for a visit. It’s unbeatable.

    After a day of museums, we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We then cabbed across town to the historic neighbourhood of Georgetown, en route to Filomena Ristorante. When travelling, I try to aim for choices more unique or creative than simply ‘italian food’, but Wikitravel promised this would be well worth the visit, so I added it to our list. Besides, sometimes carb-heavy comfort food is just what you need while on vacation.

    I cannot stress enough how much we enjoyed our dinner here. It’s a supposed favourite of the Clintons, so I figured it would be good, and I was so pleased by just how good it was. It’s a basement restaurant, and when you walk down the stairs, on your right hand side (at street level) you can see a kitchen full of women making pasta from scratch. The atmosphere and service were excellent, as were the food and the wine. My dad’s comment was that he’d go back to DC specifically to eat there. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it certainly was worth returning to if the occasion arises.

    After dinner & dessert (and coffee… and sambuca…) we walked along the waterfront, and then cabbed to the Lincoln Memorial. We walked all along the Vietnam Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, over to the WWII Memorial.

    From there my parents cabbed home, while Kevin and I opted to walk. DC is a gorgeous city, and it was great to see the same sights again under a different light (though we did all notice some burnt out lights along the Mall and on the Lincoln Memorial). My feet were killing me (have I mentioned that yet?!), but we got up early to drive back to Canada, so I had plenty of time to recover.

    All in all, we had an amazing trip to DC, and the drive itself was excellent. I know for sure that Kevin and I will be back again soon, as there’s much more to see.

    Photos are below, and are once again in reverse order:

    This incredible statue was in the modern building.
    this second building is the modern art section of the National Gallery. It’s an incredible space and a must-see item!
    art selfie!
    this museum has the most incredible collection. so much super famous and beautiful art!
    being serious with Rembrandt
    entrance to the Museuem of Natural History. #toobusy #toomanykids @nothanks
    A Tiffany bicycle!
    this statue of George Washington was controversial after it was made, as it was deemed to be unseemly to present the President in this manner.
    obligatory band photo
  • Exploring DC – Day 1 of Adventures

    Exploring DC – Day 1 of Adventures

    We went to Washington, DC to watch my friend Komal’s documentary, Dream, Girl, at the White House, but we also took the opportunity to spend a few days on holidays in DC. My mom and I had been before, but Kevin and my dad had never seen any of the Washington, DC attractions, so we got to work quickly on our tourist experience.

    Morning Adventures

    We stayed at a hotel within walking distance to Capitol Hill, which also put us within a short distance of the Washington Mall.

    If you’re not familiar with Washington, DC, here’s how Wikipedia describes the National Mall:

    The National Mall is a national park in downtownWashington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National Mall, which is part of its National Mall and Memorial Parks unit.[2] The term National Mall commonly includes areas that are officially part of West Potomac Park and Constitution Gardensto the west, and often is taken to refer to the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol, with the Washington Monument dividing the area slightly west of its midpoint.[3] The National Mall receives approximately 24 million visitors each year.[4]

    Here’s a photo of the National Mall, and some notes on different landmarks, relative to our hotel.

    dcnationalmall

    We started early in the morning with a quick breakfast and a walk around the Capitol Building. The heat was pretty intense, so my parents opted for a relaxed, air-conditioned morning at the hotel while Kevin and I rented some Capital Bixi bikes, and biked down the Washington Mall to see the Lincoln Memorial.

    With Tony & Judy relaxing, Kevin and I bike in the sun along the Mall, past the Smithsonian museums. We stopped for a photo op at the Washington Monument, and then carried on to the WWII memorial. I’d seen all of this before, but it was great to see it again. The size and beauty of the National Mall is always impressive, and even Kevin agreed with that, so it was fun to see him enjoying himself so much.

    The WWII Memorial in particular includes such great attention to detail. Between the carvings, and the sounds of the fountains, it’s truly a work of art.

    The weather was nice and hot, but it was too early in the year for DC’s infamous humidity, so we enjoyed the sun as we biked along the reflecting pool and then climbed the steps to the Lincoln Memorial.

    Because we were in DC for Memorial Day weekend, it was an especially busy spot. At every memorial and landmark, we saw different veterans and veteran groups, which added a bit of extra meaning and context to all that we were seeing. As a Canadian, American politics can sometimes be a bit bewildering, so it was interesting to see Americans expressing their meaningful politics on this set of national landmarks.

    After the Lincoln Memorial we saw the Vietnam War Memorial. It’s one of my favourite things to see in DC because it’s so different from typical war memorials. Rather than celebrating achievements or supposedly high minded ideals, this memorial is a wall of stone, cut into a hill, with all the names of the American soldiers lost in Vietnam carved into it. Rather than celebrating the state, it recognizes the American soldiers who were lost in the war. It’s rather emotional to walk along, even more so when you’re walking behind and in front of Vietnam war veterans.

    On our way back to the other end of the mall, we stopped for a photo op near the White House, then headed to the Museum of Native American History for lunch (which was excellent).

    Afternoon Adventures

    After lunch we met up with my parents at the National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian has a really impressive collection of things in general, and this museum was no different. We saw exhibits covering the first attempts at flight, the first launches into space, and real pieces of modern spaces stations and technology. It was a great way to see and understand the progress of travel over the last few generations.

    Kevin was pretty bummed to not see Cape Canaveral when we went to Florida, so he was quite thrilled to see some spaces ships, rovers, etc at the Smithsonian.

    Next up we went to the National Gallery of Art. We only had time to see the basement floor, but we stumbled upon some Mark Rothko paintings, so we were quite excited. All in all, we had a great time on our first day exploring DC!

    Evening Adventures

    After the museums closed, we headed back to the hotel to shower off all the sweat and sunscreen of our day. After changing, I headed out with Kevin and my Dad. Unfortunately, my mom wasn’t feeling well so she stayed back in the room to sleep.

    Before going to dinner, we went to the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art. It was “Jazz in the Garden” night, which I thought meant that it would be full of stuffy rich people doing the polite golf clap while listening to jazz. I could not have been more wrong. By the time we got there, the garden was completely full. We found a line up, bought pitchers of beer and sangria, and stood in the garden to listen to the music and enjoy the energy of the crowd. It was a great crowd of people of all ages, gathering for what was clearly a very popular Friday night social event. It also helped that we were at the season debut. If you’re in DC on a Friday night, I highly suggest you check out this awesome free event!

    Next up we headed to a wine bar for dinner. I did some heavy research on WikiTravel for this trip, as I’d been advised that good restaurants were hard to find in DC due to the high amount of touristy/business-y nonsense restaurants. Fortunately, I found a great list of places, and we didn’t have a single bad meal.

    On Friday night we ate at Proof. The food was excellent, and the wine was also great. The wine list wasn’t as varied as I’d been hoping, but everything we ate and drank was delicious. Unfortunately, the aesthetic of the restaurant includes lighting so lacking that you can’t even read the menu. I found this to be completely pointless, and annoying. Otherwise, it’s a top notch experience, but eating in the dark is just plain weird. That said, we ate some of the most delicious charcuterie of all time there, so it was worth going to. Still, it was the weak point of meals over our weekend, which likely says more about how well we ate in DC.

    Photos are below, in reverse order for some reason:

    Jazz in Sculpture Garden
    Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
    Me and my dad in the
    Mark Rothko!
    In front of the National Gallery of Art
    Biking up the street!
    Making use of DC’s bike lanes!
    White House!
    Kevin in front of the Federal Reserve
    Walking along the Vietnam War Memorial
    The Vietnam War Memorial
    the Lincoln Memorial
    Lincoln!
    Heyyyy!
    In front of the Lincoln Memorial and
    Biking past the Washington Monument
    Renting a Capital Bixi Bike
    Selfie time!
    A map of the National Mall!
    Good morning from Capitol Hill!
  • Dream, Girl Field Trips: We went to the White House!!

    Dream, Girl Field Trips: We went to the White House!!

    ** Updated to include more photos of people other than just me 🙂

    I’m currently writing this from my gate at Pearson Airport. My computer and phone are both charging because I forgot to plan ahead for battery power while travelling. I also forgot my business cards, once again.

    I’m heading to New York City this morning to join my university gal pals as we watch the world premiere of Dream, Girl, a documentary produced by our very own best friend, Komal Minhas.

    The fun thing about being 26 is that all your friends who were totally floundering at 22 (and we talked about it non. stop.) are coming into their own with amazing achievements and careers, and accomplishing their dreams.

    Of course, I’ve already seen Dream, Girl. I saw it’s first ever public screening on May 26th when my family and I roadtripped to the White House!

    I bought my ticket to the New York premiere the day they went on sale, but with a trip to DC for a screening, I wasn’t sure I’d make it to New York City as well. But after seeing the documentary, and realizing that in NYC I’d be watching this incredible story about female CEOs with some of the most powerful and creative women that I know, the premiere event was no longer optional. I booked my flight to New York just a couple of days after returning home from DC.

    I’ll back up a second here though, to remind you that we went to the White House!!!

    Through the type of creative hard work, charm, and networking that characterizes so many of Komal’s achievements, Dream, Girl was screened at the White House for family, friends, and public. It was a pre-event for the United State of Women Summit being held this week.

    When Komal told me about the screening, and I told Kevin and my parents, we all immediately agreed that we should go. I mean, you don’t say no to an opportunity to go to the White House.

    And so on Thursday May 26th, the four of us piled into my mom’s cushy SUV and drove to DC at 6am. It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful scenic drive. We arrived in DC to check quickly into our hotel, get changed, and then Uber over to the White House!

    Seeing familiar faces in foreign places is one of the great joys of life, and I was so pleased to see that so many of our friends had made the trek to DC to support Komal and her co-producer Erin in their White House debut.

    The documentary, as expected, was excellent in every way. Not only was it beautifully produced, but it shines a light on some of the most incredible business women you could imagine. It’s inspirational, educational, heart warming, and so much more. I am so grateful and so glad that this film exists.

    After dinner, my family and I went for dinner at a great restaurant called Vidalia, and had some truly eye-opening conversations about entrepreneurship, women in business, and the power of helping your network to succeed. We spend a lot of time at our house talking about business, but it’s rare that we have deep conversations about the challenges and achievements of women in business. For me, that alone was worth the drive.

    We didn’t take many photos that day, but those we did are attached below.

    I’m hopping on my flight now, and will be in NYC soon to check out Dream, Girl’s World Premiere and surround myself with the infectious excitement of women accomplishing their dreams.

    The Dwight D Eisenhower Executive Office Building – the building within the White House complex where we saw the film!
    And that’s the White House right behind us!
    Me, Kevin, and my parnets
    At the post-film reception with Noah, Taylor, Komal, me, and Kevin
    The creators of the film, Erin Bagwell & Komal Minhas
    The Q&A panel after the film, which was absolutely the best Q&A I’ve ever attended
    The “Dream Team” – film & distribution crew!
    The stars of the film!
    Mitch showing off an front page article in the Ottawa Citizen highlighting Dream, Girl at the White House
    Komal and her family
    the Q&A