Jess and I did something pretty fun this past Saturday. It's something we've both done before, but never like this. We went to DC. I know, I know...I've posted about visiting DC a million times, but this time was different! This time, I was in charge **insert big scary laugh here**.
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that a sense of direction is not among those talents I've been blessed with. You need a simple wall mural painted, I'm your girl. You want some cute cupcakes, I can tackle that. You need directions to get somewhere...move on. I usually have to physically drive somewhere before it becomes ingrained in the "I know where that is" file in my brain. North, South, East and West mean NOTHING to me. I need a "you know where that big tree is on the corner of such and such and so and so...turn left there."
That being said, every time we go somewhere as a family, Paul drives and I daze. I gaze out the window, daydreaming and pondering deep thoughts, totally not paying attention to where we are or how we got there. I trust Paul and his bloodhound like ability to sniff out a trail to our end point.
So, when Paul announced to me last week that he thought a trip to the city was something Jess and I should do together without the girls as a distraction and offered to watch them all day, I panicked a bit. Wait, I have to drive there? And then find parking? And then walk everywhere we want to go and somehow find my way back to the parking garage and then eventually back home?!?!? I. Was. Worried.
And then Paul suggested the Metro. Oh yeah...the Metro! FUN! and easy, I might add...oh and cheap!
Jess and I bought day passes at the Greenbelt station and got on the green line that headed into the city. We felt pretty dern cool and the only concern I had was being able to figure out what metro line went to whichever part of the city we wanted to go to. And it was fairly simple. Not to mention we looked like regular DC-ians who were total pros at riding the Metro! People were impressed. And even if they weren't, Jess and I were pretty impressed with ourselves!
Our first stop was the Freer Art Gallery. And conveniently, it was right across the street from the Smithsonian Metro Station where we got off. Once we had seen all that we intersted in seeing there, we walked through the a small garden (I think it was the National Sculpture Garden, looking back) and headed to Starbucks to grab some lunch and a frappaccino. Once our bellies were full, we walked back over toward the Mall and into the Museum of Natural History.
I love this museum. I don't love all the evolution speak, but I do love the exhibits. The dinosaur fossils are amazing and the mammals look so real.
Once we were done there, we got back on the Metro toward the National Art Gallery in the Reynolds center. We saw some interesting photography and some cool paintings but by this point in our day, we were pretty tired. We had walked quite a bit! But I really wanted to show Jess Georgetown.
Now Georgetown doesn't have a Metro station because the residents there voted against it in order to keep things relatively non-touristy. And I will say that as well known as Georgetown is, it's actually pretty quite. There are many people along the main drag but the residential part is a lovely stroll with no touristy buzz; just the sound of birds chirping and tires making their way over the old cobblestone roads. But I digress...
We got off on the Foggy Bottom GWU stop which seemed to put as close to Georgetown as we could get on the Metro. When we made our way to ground level, I look around and realized that I had no idea where we were. And then I saw the street sign...we were on the corners of I and 24th. Hmmm...
I knew the cupcake place we LOVE was off of M street. And I knew that Paul and I usually park on the corners of O and 34th. So, I thought we would just follow I street until we got to 34th and then I'd know exactly where I was. 10 blocks there and 10 blocks back didnt' seem so bad. But then something strange happened. We got to 26th and it made a loop back to 24th! ?! PLUS, Jess and I both were in desperate need of a potty break.
At that point, I had to admit defeat. I had no idea where we were. So, we walked back toward the Metro station, found a bathroom in the George Washington University Medical center and called it a day.
We got back on the Metro and made our way back to the Greenbelt station laughing and joking the whole way about how "metropolitan" we were. About how the show Gossip Girl was totally inspired by our lives (even though neither of us have actually seen a full episode) and that we were now officially "city girls." Deep down we both know that she's a beach girl and I'm a country girl, but at least for a day...we were genuine city girls!
Cupcakes in a jar. Takes care of the transporting problem and they're much easier to keep cool in a simple styrophome cooler. I'm guessing they're probably easier to ship too, so be patient my friends...I may have something in the works :)
Watermelon Festival Special (which is actually just a vanilla cupcake died pink with chocolate chips as "seeds" and green icing as the rind)
