Washington D.C.

Day 1: Holocaust Museum and all of the monuments.

A great but very, very full day finished with dinner at Zaytinya, which is a wonderful Greek tapas-style restaurant where you order a bunch of little dishes to make up your meal. Hummus, lamb chops, braised rabbit, lots of pillowy soft pita bread and a wonderful desert of medjool dates with olive oil ice cream (which sounds weird but was just so, so good).

Day 2: The National Zoo and Arlington Cemetary

The truth is the new baby panda was our main reason to inspire us to go to D.C. in the first place. And even though I had been there as a kid and seen a lot of this stuff before, it was still so great to go back. While I am not always the most approving person of the current state of politics in our country (ok major understatement) when you go to Washington you just can't help but feel proud and remember that so much of the culture of D.C. is the fabric of what really makes our country what it is. It's not an old city like Rome or Paris, but it is very, very pretty and has a lot to say about our people and what we've been through and where we are going.

Did I ever mention that the husband and I are major Foodies? Yep, and we were in all our glory Saturday night at Kinkead's. Fresh oysters and crabcake for appetizers. And then maybe the best entree I've had ever- flaky, buttery cod topped with crab imperial, with spinach, sweet potato puree and the cutest little tower of corn and country ham spoonbread all around the side. Desert? I may have consumed an embarrassing amount of creme brulee, however this cannot be confirmed as I'm pretty sure what happens in D.C. stays in D.C.

Day 3: Museum of American History and then the National Gallery of Art

The Museum of American History had great exhibits on the American Presidency, they also had a neat showing of dresses of several first ladies and a very moving installment on Americans at War. I however am chosing to show you a picture of Julia Child's kitchen and the Swedish Chef. Sigh... I know, but honestly that's just the stuff that really had me freaking out and jumping around like a six year old. That and there was also a little exhibit on Ella Fitzgerald, and the husband was nerdy enough to actually wear his Ray Charles T-shirt that day so I could take his picture in front of the Ray Charles Exhibit. (See I'm not the only nerd in the house) After that National Gallery of Art was amazing. While I'm really not that good an art person, I would probably sound really dumb to someone who actually knew what they were talking about, I do really, really love art and art museums. This one was particularly fun because there were just so many classic pieces in it I have grown up seeing all my life, and much like the actual Swedish Chef muppet Jim Henson used to stick his hand up in, there's just something cool about being in the same room with it and seeing it in person.

That night's dinner was at Cafe Atlantico where the Chef Jose Andres serves "contemporary signature cuisine and is inspired by the "Nuevo Latino" style." (See-foodie) It was good, we had guacamole made tableside which will probably never be topped, and I really liked what I had to drink (lush) but I ordered the wrong thing as an entree (its something I didn't like that much before so why would I like it now? who knows?) but the tres leches cake for desert made up for it...

Last thing, today was the day we got out of town but first- we had to partake in a classy, classy breakfast of what else? Chili dogs!!!!

Now while I honestly don't think I have ever had a chili dog in my life, I had to have one today because of course as you can see Ben's Chili Bowl is a Washington landmark! And when it's food made on a griddle, hailed by James Beard and Zagat, well you know I'm just going to be all over that. Of course this was not your ordinary chili dog- they call it a chili half-smoke. It's really a sausage that kind of reminds me of kielbasa, smothered with their dark brown chili (which is all meat, no beans which I think is how they make it west of the Mississippi usually and which I think I like better than the stuff we have here) with onions and mustard. MMM MMM! Breakfast of champions! Anyway, I will just say it was so good, let's just say I had more than one and if I could have it for dinner tonight too I would. Yes, it was that good.

Alas, we are back in Jersey tonight though, getting around for work tomorrow. Ugh. Little to no knitting progress to report. I know, I'm sorry, but tonight I'm back on the needles like a fiend. All that food and walking and fun, I think I went through a little knitting withdrawal...