First things first... breakfast. Get up early and head for the Market On The Boulevard in Potomac, MD. Good coffee and bagels. (They've got excellent specialty sandwiches for lunch, too.)
From there you can zip right up the road to the C&O Canal N. H. P. Wildlife viewing, good hikes, peace and quiet. Inspiring.
As the morning begins to give way, grab your things and head back down the boulevard toward the city. This particular day as I made my way to Georgetown, I slipped over to Rosslyn and continued a little further south to Gravely Point near National Airport. Watching jet liners landing just overhead is really quite a rush. After the plane passes the air above continues to swirl from the jet engines creating a weird hissing sound above for a few seconds. Took me a while to figure out what was going on. Very cool!
OK, what's next? Well, what would a trip to DC be like if you didn't visit at least one museum? My favorite is the National Gallery of Art on Constitution Ave. All the greats represented. Rembrandt, Manet, Degas, and more.
By now you're probably getting hungry. Lunch trucks are a big thing in DC these days. At Farragut Square NW there are several to choose from. Tacos, sandwiches, ice cream. Much variety. I picked the Mojo Truck, owned by Damian Dajcz. He makes Uruguayan sandwiches called "chivitos." They're huge and tasty! I had chopped steak topped with a fried egg on a toasted roll. Amazing. It was an unseasonably warm January day, so I found bench in the park and planted my already weary body and enjoyed the meal.
Rest up. More to do.
After lunch I hopped back in the car and headed across the river to Rosslyn, VA. There you'll find the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery right next door. The Lee House, JFK's Eternal Flame and many famous and not so famous men and women lost in war. Pierre Charles L'Enfant is also buried there. And from this vantage point you can take in a spectacular view of his city. In fact, I'd say this is one of the most recognized images of the District of Columbia. You've probably seen it yourself, so many photographers have made it before.
As the sun begins to drop below the horizon, I can think of no better way to wrap up the day then with a pint of Guinness at my favorite DC pub, Ireland's Four Fields (formerly Four Provinces, or "4 Ps", as the locals still call it). Great atmosphere and the best pour in town. A decent selection of Scotch, too! The neighborhood is Cleveland Park. Good restaurants and a great old theatre. Always worth the trip.
(Check out the map below for locations visited. This was actually how I spent the day. All photos were taken the same day in general order of appearance.)
View One Day in the DC Region. in a larger map
Thanks for hangin' with me today.
This is obviously just a small sampling of things to do and see and eat in the Nation's Capital. I'll try to bring you more as the new year rolls on. See you again soon. Happy New Year!
-MK
