Weekend in DC

Robert and I traveled to Washington DC on the last weekend of April for his cousin Mike's wedding.  Nana and Granddaddy came on Wednesday to stay with the kids, and we left on Thursday.  We stayed at the Hotel Palomar in Dupont Circle.  Mike and Lizzie hosted a happy hour that evening, and we made it right at the end so we were able to say "Hi" before walking to a nearby pizzeria for dinner.  I was excited to find a Starbucks about a block from the hotel, so after waking up Friday morning (on my own, and not to an alarm or crying/babbling toddler!), it was nice to have a short walk to pick up my latte.

Other than the wedding, we were not on a schedule, and the only thing I felt like I had to do was see the Newseum.  I'd heard good things about it, and we were not disappointed.  They had some fantastic exhibits, and it's a great way to get a broad view of American history.

The Capitol from the top of the museum


A rare photo of the two of us!


One of my favorite exhibits was the News History Gallery with a timeline and showcases of some of the Newseum's collection of historical newspapers and magazines.





The 9/11 Gallery with front pages from all over the world the day after.  They also have the antenna from the top of the WTC.


We took advantage of our kid-free time to eat lunch at a not-so-kid-friendly place - Luke's Lobster.  It is a tiny, busy little place, and it was hard to get a seat (I was so glad that I wasn't dealing with a stroller!), and their menu basically consists of lobster, crab, and shrimp rolls.  We each had a lobster roll, and it was delish.

We spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around enjoying the sites, the cooler weather, and some uninterrupted time together before another kid-free meal at Legal Sea Foods (can you tell I was craving seafood?).





We took it easy again on Saturday morning, stopping by Ma & Bob's hotel to see them, Clark, Gayle, and Lee before heading down to the Mall.  We spent a little time in the National Museum of American History and had lunch at Hill Country Barbecue.  I know...you can take the Texans out of Texas...  Seriously, it was some of the best barbecue either of us have ever tasted, and the sides were amazing, too.  Brisket, turkey, "specially shipped from Texas" sausage, mac & cheese, the best green bean casserole we've ever had, and somehow we squeezed in some banana pudding.  SO good!

Soon it was time for the wedding, and we boarded the charter bus to the wedding site in Maryland.  It was a little rainy and chilly, but still so picturesque.



The barn where the ceremony was held




I was glad I packed my wool coat!


Beautiful ceremony officiated by cousin Ashley


The happy couple!


At the reception with Robert's uncle Clark & Gayle


We had a wonderful time at the wedding celebrating Mike and Lizzie, and while it was a little tough to get up  early the next morning for our flight after an atypical late night for us, we were excited to get home to see the little munchkins.  It was a great little getaway!