I realize that we're nearly halfway through 2011 and I've only just started my first post of the year. It's been quite eventful since last December. The world just watched the royal wedding of the decade and an international terrorist meet his doom in one weekend. We moved houses (to our SECOND abode of our married career), we hosted family, we hit up El Salvador (well, just Matt), Austin, TX and Jamaica, I got yet another eye surgery, took a month-long photo class, was quoted by the President of the United States, and Matt was officially accepted into the Foreign Service. Buuut, that's not what this post is specifically about. This post is about the DC Bucket List, Part II. A few years back I had originally thought I was going to leave DC for sunnier, Westernier climates, so I came up with a list of things I had to do before I left. Happily, I can say I've done almost all of them in the three years hence. The Darth Vader gargoyle was cool, I JUST got back from a wonderful weekend in Charleston, I've finally visited Arlington Cemetery (thrice!), saw Little Shop of Horrors in Ford's Theater (twice), and was carried by the force of the NYC mob past the Rockefeller Christmas tree and caught a brief glimpse.
Now that I have successfully (almost) finished my original Bucket List, I hereby open the floor for The DC Bucket List: The Final Frontier. Given that Matt starts Foreign Service training on July 18th, and possible um, deployment (?) (I really should learn these technical terms) within three months, our temporary departure from this area (and most likely the United States) is imminent and we must take advantage of flushing toilets that allow you to throw your toilet paper inside.
SO. What should we make sure to do before we leave??? The sun is setting on our time here and I have left on my list:
- Visit Boston. We were going to do this for our upcoming anniversary but given the slew of summer weddings and visiting family our next free weekend is sometime in July.
- Eat a Magnolia cupcake from NYC. This was cool back in 2008. Now I eat cupcakes all the time from the 1000 shops in DC. I think I can strike this from the list.
- Bike the sites at night. I have visited the sites in all forms of weather, daylight, nightlight, 98 degrees at 11 pm (that was HORRIBLE), braved sub-zero temperatures for the amazing Obama benefit concert, caught the Lincoln memorial in spring, summer, fall and winter, but never on a bicycle. Maybe I should modify this to "Segway the tours at night". That would be way more entertaining for all the tourists to see.
To this list I will add:
- Eat pizza from Moroni & Brother's Pizza. Dude, it's called Moroni & Brother's pizza and has a trumpet on its sign. Plus it's supposed to be pretty good.
- Check out the National Harbor. I know it's totally touristy but I've never been!
- Find the National Aquarium - no, not the official one in Baltimore, but the one hiding in the "lower level of the Commerce Building". I mean seriously?!?! It's in the basement of the Commerce Building?? For this reason alone it merits a visit.
- Find the WWI memorial. It's tucked away somewhere.
- Visit Rock Creek Park. I don't know how I've missed it all these years.
- If I'm feeling SUPER ambitious, perhaps hike Old Rag. I hear you have to be fit to do it, so this is iffy right now. :P
- Eat a meal in West Virginia. Because I have to say I've been there.
Awight friends, this list is LAAAAAAME. Help me pretty please!! And please come with me on these adventures! I'll be back with updates when we actually find out where we'll be going, and of course you should all start saving money for plane tickets now to come visit. I promise it'll be a good time!
7 comments:
Have you done the Azalea Fest at the National Arboretum? If not, go like this weekend or next for a Sunday picnic!
The National Aquarium is not worth the $10 to get in. Its literally a small horseshoe and the most exciting thing is an alligator.
How sad to know one of my all-time favorite people will not be DC in the near future...sigh. But, I guess that means I will get to visit you in some exotic overseas location. :D
As for your list, you can always try the Capital Bikeshare given you are a true DC-area local.
A couple of items still on my DC bucket list...
1. Lincoln's Cottage (how is it, I only found out about it AFTER I left DC?)
2. Hotel Washington's rooftop at night...the views of the mall and the White House are supposed to be amazing.
Oh and please eat some tasty mini-burgers at Matchbox....and a delicious lemon tart from that amazing bakery in the semi-ghetto, that we love. I don't care how many times I got to to those places, they will NEVER be scratched off of my DC bucket list.
I can show you where the WWI memorial is. I found it on my first trip to the Mall, but I didn't know what it was at the time, so I called it "The Gazeebo of Freedom" because it is really just a gazeebo.
Have you been to the Pope-Leighy house? I haven't yet, but it seems like a good thing to do--We'll come with you!
Justin will go with you to WV...and take you rock climbing. Definitely do Old Rag. It's a really fun hike!
The Bonzai festival at the National Arboretum is also pretty fantastic.
And I can't express the sadness at the thought of you and Matt leaving so soon! Boo!! :(
If you do go to National Harbor, go see the Awakening statue, if you never hot to see it when it was at Haines Point. Also, I agree about the National Aquarium. Very underwhelming. Go if you must, but the only redeeming quality for me when I went was that I took my 2-year-old niece and she loved it.
If you've never done the paddle boats on the Tidal Basin, that's a good one.
And if you do any of these in the next couple weeks, give me a holler. I should be getting my DC fix, too!
I did not realize that my wedding was also helping you realize your dreams of finding 'Southern hospitality!' That makes it even better!! Hope you found the hospitality to your liking. I certainly was SO grateful you and Matt were there, I just think you two are fabulous.
As for what you should add to your final DC bucket list... as a DC native, I cannot believe you haven't been to Rock Creek Park. Growing up, I think we visited the park at least once a week (to feed ducks when I was younger, or for a bike ride if the weather was good). I would suggest taking in some Shakespeare at Carter Barron Theater this summer or plan a bike ride and picnic up along the Chevy Chase/DC border, or even up by the temple. Rock Creek really is one of my favorite places in DC and I hope you are able to cross this trek off your list!!
Yeah, the only reason for going to National Harbor is to see "The Awakening." So sad that they moved it from Hains Point.
And sure, Bethany can show you where the WWI memorial is (actually called the DC War Memorial), but you could also have an OFFICIAL National Parks volunteer in a canary yellow shirt show you where it is and tell you all about it. Put that on your list. Official memorials tour from Jared in his awesome volunteer uniform.
Marcia is right about needing to go to the National Arboretum, though I've never done Azalea Fest. But the whole place is really very beautiful.
Other ideas...
Maybe find a decent Mexican place? You'd be doing the whole area a favor if you did that. You'd go down in history.
I'll try to think of more.
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