So I mentioned that both Kristin and I were more excited about a trip to DC than we were the actual race. I think planning a trip and being in a different city added to the excitement of everything. It definitely took my mind of over analyzing and stressing over the actual running part of this trip which was good! We flew in on Thursday night after work and took the metro from Reagan to Metro Center and walked to our cute hotel!
Charming, right? The Henley Park Hotel had nice character, but it also had it's quirks. When we first walked in, we felt an overwhelming wave of heat. Apparently, since it is an old building, the temperature is controlled by one unit, and they hadn't turned the AC on yet.. Neither of us thought to look for "individual air conditioning units" listed as an amenity... So we opened our windows to let in some cool air, but there were no screens which meant we had to watch out for birds! There were a couple close calls where a bird almost flew in... Also, for some reason, we both felt dizzy in the hallway and in our room after first walking in each time. The coffee maker didn't work, and the pillows were enormous and uncomfortable, but all of that just added to the character of the hotel! It was clean, well decorated, and we loved the location.
Friday morning we slept in, got ready and headed out to brunch at Founding Farmers. It was crowded, so we ate at the bar. I highly recommend this place. Great fresh food and a very fun, upbeat atmosphere. We had to stop for pics of the cherry blossoms along the way! I was thrilled they were already in bloom.
On our way to brunch, we just so happened to pass Curbside Cupcakes! This was a no brainer. We had to stop. Isn't this pink truck so fun? We plopped down on the curb and delicately ate our cupcakes as a little appetizer. It was lovely.
Then it was off to the Mall to see the sights! Unfortunately, it was kind of a gloomy day. The temperature was perfect though!
From the Mall, we headed to Arlington Cemetery. The cherry blossoms were unbelievably beautiful!
Then it was off to the Armory where the expo was located to grab our goods for the race. We headed back to our room, rested a bit, and then went to Old Ebbit Grill for crab cakes and calamari! YUM. Neither of us had been to this restaurant before. I didn't take any pictures, but it is classic DC and was festive for St. Patty's Day. We headed back home by 9:30 or so, and were in bed before the race by 11.
Saturday morning, we woke up early, grabbed coffee, and headed to the race. Later that evening, we met up with DOUG AND KAREEM!! This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I miss these friends so much. Doug ran the full marathon and is running a 50 mile race this summer. He's crazy. We ate dinner at Bus Boys (an old favorite) near U St., and then went to American Ice Co. for a local DC brew. Lots of laughs reminiscing about our old days together. So fun!! Here we are all decked out in green for St. Patty's Day. :)
Sunday morning, we took the metro over to the Eastern Market where we enjoyed crepes for breakfast.
This was one of my favorite things to do with Ginna on the weekends when we lived here.. Lots of memories. I especially loved this vendor. I wanted all of these old mirrors!!
And then to Sprinkles! We compared the vanilla/vanilla cupcake from both places. Kristin and I decided that we liked the icing from Georgetown Cupcake best, but the cake from Sprinkles best. It was like our own little mini cupcake tour!
Love this colorful street in Georgetown.
We walked hobbled up to Georgetown University to look at the campus. I had never been up there before. It was beautiful!
Both Kristin and I were feeling a little sore from the race, so walking around all day the day after maybe wasn't the best idea. We took it slow though, and got to see so many areas of DC which was awesome. Both of us felt like we were able to do and see a lot, but also have down time. It was the perfect combination of exploring and relaxing. Good food, pretty scenery, fun company. We had a wonderful time!
Great pics and it was so fun to see you too! Ya'll come back now!
ReplyDeleteCongrats again on the race.