The weather was fantastic and we would have explored many of the items on our list that involved the great outdoors, except we got tied up bottomless brunching at Scion and by the time we left the zoo and botanical gardens were closed. (And by the way, the food at Scion was outstanding, but that may have been the world’s worst Bloody Mary of all time! If you are looking for better drinks, try the Madhatter or Local 16).

So after brunch, we hopped on the Metro. Turns out today was not just perfect weather, it was also the perfect storm of sports fans riding public transportation. Not only were all the National’s fans on board, there were a ton of Honduras soccer fans draped in sweatsocks, headbands, and flags.

Our fist stop was Union Station (check!) Very loud, under construction, and messy. We moved on to the Library of Congress to apply for library cards.

Feeling an urge to sober up a bit first, we stopped at a coffee shop on capital hill. That little delay cost us our csrds because by the time we arrived it was closed. Still, we got to see a lovely fountain and take some interesting shots of the capital.

Next up was the National Archives. Along the way we stumbled across the Navy Memorial, thanks to Evelyn’s eagle eyes and posed for a few pictures (check!)

Finallywe entered the Archives where they feel VERY STRONGLY about photography of any kind. So although you can creat your own presidential seal, you can’t take a picture of it to share with all your friends and followers. A real disappointment when you worked really hard to pick just ther right prop for the turkey in your seal to carry. Also, the room they keep our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights (check!) is so dim that you can’t even read the damn things. That being said, the delegations from the Carolinas appeared to have lovely handwriting. 

Across the street from the Archives is the National Sculpture Garden (check). The most interesting thing about the garden is the creepy rows of headless “girls” tucked away under the trees and the fantastic fountain. I loved the fountain, but the creepy “girls” reminded me that the zombie apocolypse is nearly upon us! 

We had hoped to finish our day at the Lincoln Montument, picnicking at sunset. But that requires food. Sadly, there aren’t a lot of options on the Mall on a Saturday night. We hiked to the Metro, caught two trains to Chinatown, battled the hordes of soccer and baseball fans who apparently finished their games at the same time, and picked up our meal. When we returned to the Mall we discovered we were in a race against time and it looked like she was going to spank us. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the Mall may not realize that the Lincoln Monument is actually quire a hike from the closest Metro stops. The farthest we got before the sun sank was the back of the Washington Monument. And even though we didn’t get to check off sunset, we enjoyed a lovely meal in a beautiful setting. 

Wish you were here!