Happy new year to all! As much as I've attempted to embrace odd numbers, and especially prime ones, I still have to say that whatever weird freakish part of my brain it is, feels comfort and ease in the nicely divisible 2008. Not to mention it's my year for 28, a perfect number (thanks, Warren) which is 2008 without the two big fat null placeholders inbetween, as well as the ten year anniversary of my high school graduation, the year I will graduate with my master's degree, the year my sister is getting married, etc etc etc. Really, I postulate that 2008 will be the best year all around.Having said that, I would like to make 2008 the year in which I do all the "DC" things I've always wanted, but have never gotten around to. Suppose that 2008 was your last year in the "DC" area, and that next year you were to move to, say, the west coast, in the which case all the east coast "DC"-esque activities would no longer be as accessible. Suppose that you only had this limited time to take advantage of the relative proximity of everything the east coast has to offer. What would you do? What haven't you done yet that you've 'always wanted to'? Now is the time!!
I realize my blog has gotten quite list-y lately (better than listless though, right?) but I really do want to make this a good one, as 12 months seems to fly by faster and faster with every passing year. With limited years of "no responsibility and relatively stable income", I want to take every advantage I can. All, of course, are invited to any and every excursion I take.
- Spend a day in the National Arboretum
- Visit the Baltimore Aquarium
- Attend a performance in Ford's Theatre
- Bike the national sites at night
- Eat a cupcake from the infamous Magnolia Bakery in NYC
- See the Rockefeller Christmas tree
- Visit North/South Carolina and experience Southern hospitality (it's there, right?)
- Finally attend the Cherry Blossom Parade
- Visit Arlington Cemetery on a national holiday (or at all. Yes, gasp if you must, but I still haven't taken an official tour)
- Find the Darth Vader gargoyle on the National Cathedral
- Go to Boston. I know, I passed up an invitation already. Can we make it NOT in January when it's cold and freezing?
- Eat a real Philly cheesesteak
20 comments:
Take a weekend trip to Great Britain...you know, since it is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from DC.
Good point, Kim. Airfare to Europe has got to be much cheaper from here than from the West Coast. Also, I would like to throw out there that I am getting married on 2/22/2008. I pointed out to Justin how great it is that we have such a divisible wedding date, and how glad I am we aren't getting married on a prime day. He didn't get it. Other things that you should do in DC: Visit the new Mt. Vernon Museum, go to Monticello and Montpilliar (on the theme of presidential homes), hike Old Rag (I haven't done this one yet, so if you're looking for a buddy, count me in!), float the Potomac, and buy a fake Coach purse in Georgetown. That's all I can think of right now.
I can't remember if I've hiked Old Rag... which means I am totally game to do it again, so should we schedule sometime in April or something? After you've settled into your nice new life as Mrs. Scott. :P I definitely need to visit Monticello, and Shenandoah as well.
I took a trip to England already, but if you're game to go Kim... I always am. =D
I say there may be room in 2008 for a summer of Civil War Remembrance. Civil war sites would be a very good thing to tour. Gettysburg and all of those other great places. They're all not that far from DC. A lot of them are day trips.
Definitely float the Potomac. call me when you do that.
Also, Boston in January won't be that bad! We won't be touring sites on foot. We're doing the civilized thing: driving around avoiding all but the artificially controlled climates. Plus we're doing a bakery tour. How bad could that be at any time of year? But true...you do need to go.
I know of a place you can go to kayak on the Potomac. Which I haven't done, but it sounded fun. Also, if you haven't seen The Awakening statue on Haines Point, it's worth the trip. Or there's the ice skating in the Sculpture Garden. Also, there's a museum I've heard of that I really want to visit, but I don't know where it is in DC. It's for kids, and it has very hands-on exhibits. There's a wall you can stand in front of that "takes pictures" of your shadow. As in, move away from the wall after the flash, shadow is still there! Does anyone else think that sounds like a must-see? Anyone?
I found it! It's the Explore and Moore Children's Discovery Museum in Woodbridge. Here's a review:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide/
profile&id=1070945
Have you ever been to Jazz Night on Fridays at Westminster Presbyterian Church? I would put that on the list, along with hanging out at one of any U Street jazz clubs.
If you haven't seen a show at the Black Cat Club, that's also a must.
And while you're doing presidential home visits, go ahead and tour Gunston Hall, home of George Mason. I've heard it's a good site--the people I've talked to says it's comparable in quality to Mt. Vernon. In fact, let me know if you do that one. I want to see it too.
And also you could always, you know, vote. Or even register to vote....
#1 thing that you need to do? Take me along on all of the aforementioned escapades. The end.
Abby, just say when and I'm there!
And Cabeza, I can register to vote anywhere, y'know. :)
Oh and PS Cabeza, you're coming with me to find the Darth Vader gargoyle, right????
Yes, but voting in DC would be so patriotically rewarding! What better way to spend your last year here, and in an election year no less?
And yes. Yes I am definitely searching out the Darth Vader gargoyle with you.
Visit Williamsburg (if you haven't already); take a drive to Skyline Drive to view the spectacular fall foliage found nowhere else in the country(Sept. - early Nov. - best time to go); ask Steve for details; might as well conclude the year of all years at Times Square on New Year's Eve. Nothing quite like it! :) You could hit Magnolia's in the same trip. Oh, and eating a real Philly cheesesteak is an absolute must. Any restaurant/diner on South Street should serve 'em!
p.s. Don't forget ice skating at Rockefeller Center!
Buy an Amish rocking chair. But skip the shoofly pie.
I still can't believe you lived in northern California and never saw the Redwoods! Anyway, one thing you should do before leaving is take advantage of restaurant week. I think it's this month, actually. Also, you need to see a play at the Folger Shakespeare Library. They're amazing productions. And I may be joining you on an excursion to Boston if you don't mind!
First: prime numbers are superior to all others. Divisibilty = overrated. I haven't set my alarm for a non-prime number in years and years.
-I liked Monticello, it was worth the drive.
-The only time I've ever eaten anything from a street vendor was a Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia and it was delicious.
-I had wanted to see a play at Ford's theater and Heather Ferniuk found free tickets there once.
-Harper's Ferry WV is a good little trip.
-Hershey and Amish land in the same day.
-Visit the money printing presses. I went when I was 11 or so, it was fun.
Cabeza--
I played soothing soft ditties on a grand piano in the foyer of some fancy hotel were people were lining up to get their tickets for the presidential inauguration in January of 2005. I then received my own ticket as a reward and got to attend the event myself on the front lawn of the Capitol. That was my patriotically rewarding experience of DC. :)
Becks: did Restaurant Week. Ask my friends from NYC who came to visit, how we trekked about hot, humid DC in August for five hours before finally collapsing in sweaty heaps in The Oval Room. Probably not the best impression we could have made, but one was made nevertheless...
and Jenny, I'm terrified of Times Square on New Year's Eve but will definitely hit up Steve for Skyline Drive directions. BTW, I posted pictures of your adorable babies (yours and JenR) on Picasa, check them out! Betrothed at birth...
I'm going to ditto Christina's comment...I would love to participate in all of the above!
I heard to see that gargoyle you need binoculars.
I haven't read all your comments here. But, something that I wish I had done before leaving town was go on an actual Washington, DC, tour. I bought my parents a day-long ticket when I made them go out there to visit me. They saw so many things and learned so many things that I've not yet experienced. And the ticket price for the day tour wasn't that bad. Not to mention they could get on and off the trolley at the stops as they pleased.
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