Dancin' down them dirty, dusty trails...: Washington DC

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Washington D.C. x 5

I call Masha my little sister-cousin because even though she is the daughter of our close family friends, I feel so much unconditional love and care for this girl that I think of her as some sort of sister-cousin hybrid. Also, it is funny to say "sister-cousin". She's been visiting New York on and off for a month at a time since 2006. We've got a 10 year age difference but it feels much smaller because we talk (or Whatsapp message each other) about life and all of it's twists and turns. Anyway, she'd been to New York 4 times but never outside of it, so this August we went to Philadelphia (and visited Philadelphia's Magic Gardens) for a day and Washington, DC for a weekend. It was the 4th time I went to D.C. in the last 4 years (and 5th time in total) and I got to see a different side because Masha and I stayed with some friends of mine who lived there! I thank them all (J.C., Sean, Crystal) for their kindness and hospitality. Here are some photos:

Nice building situation.

National Gallery of Art

Masha and J.C. looking at busts at National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art

Ladies at National Gallery of Art

Predictably, I love impressionism.

The National Museum of American History is a strange, random collection
of bits of American history.

Essentials at the National Museum of American History

Masha met the Obamas.

Isn't she just so cool!?

Masha and Dasha and Abe

Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.

Facts.

After about 8 hours of walking, I was tired and needed a lap to curl into.

Jefferson monument

Token poses.

Casablanca

Group hang by night.

Group hang by day!

Crystal and Sean <3

Collection of pretty houses.

I really enjoyed walking about these neighborhoods.

We made it to the Capitol Building.

Look at the pretty houses.

Pretty colors for a house.

Crystal right after she had some sort of a heatstroke. Because D.C. in August is HOT.

Bucket o' tater tot farewell.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Cherry Blossom Trees Take Over DC

Washington, D.C. the capital of these United States. Not part of any city, but on land donated by Maryland and Virginia. Where all of these laws get made...or not. But I'm not here to be political...I'm here to be flowery because, see, I have been trying to get to DC and the cherry blossom trees for years! If you know me at all, you know I love me some flowers...

You see, in 1912 the Japanese Mayor Yokio Ozaki of Tokyo City gifted the city of Washington with cherry trees in an attempt to build the budding friendship between the United Stated and Japan. And every spring between 1,700 and 3,000 cherry blossoms line the Tidal Basin in D.C., not to mention all the other cherry trees all over the city.

I failed April 2010 after my SE Asia trip...I have no idea if I was there post-
bloom or pre-bloom.

March 2013 for my mom's birthday was a bust too, the flowers bloomed 2 weeks later.
Oh and lil' brother if you're reading this, can I get the Tidal Basin photos!??

So, this year I had ONE weekend free in between going to South Carolina to meet my sweetheart's family and going to San Francisco to visit my original sweetheart (meaning: the Bay Area). I called up my friend Igor who lives in Arlington, VA, I did my research (There is a livecam of the cherry blossom trees for those of us traveling to them and needing confirmation that they have bloomed. The internet is an amazing place.), and everything seemed to be aligned (although it was a bummer that neither aforementioned sweetheart nor my family could join) and so I took the ol' MegaBus from NYC to DC...

Pretty U.S. Capitol

U.S. Capitol

Our first cherry bloom tree in front of the U. S. Capitol.

I am delighted to have finally reached the U.S. cherry blossom tree MECCA!

That's a pink magnolia tree. Don't be fooled! (Dead give away: the second the petals start to rot they smell like what I imagine rotting human corpses smell like. You're welcome.)