Another DC Success!

This past (long weekend) I took a trip to one of my favorite US cities: Washington DC. It's a city I could easily see myself living in so always look for an excuse to go and visit. My initial reason for this trip was to run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. This had been a bucket list race for the past couple of years but I never knew when the lottery was so I never had a chance to enter. This year, I randomly found it days before it opened, entered, and got in. I was so pumped to run this race through the streets of DC and see the famous DC cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Not only is Washington DC is an amazing city to site see in, it is probably even cooler to run in. It has bridges and water and monuments and more. It seems everywhere you look there is something awesome to see. I have run there early in the morning before, but never down the main streets during an organized race. Needless to say, I was pumped. I found cheap airfare, but hotels were ridiculously expensive the weekend of the race. Luckily my high school friend that lives there, who I also convinced to enter the race lottery, offered to let me stay at her house.  

Soon after I got into the race, I injured my hamstring again. I figured by the time the race came around, I’d be good to go. Boy, I couldn’t be more wrong. Sigh. My hamstring was (is) still not healed and strong enough to run much at all. The idea of running or even walking the entire 10-miler just wasn’t realistic (and I probably wouldn't have made the time cut-off). My friend suggested we make the change to the 5k and I was down with that because I could do a little walk-run type of deal for that distance and not be too sore to walk the rest of the day and weekend. After all, I had a lot to see and do while I was there so didn't want to overdo it at the race.

Although I’ve seen and done all the touristy stuff in DC that needs to be done over the years, there are still some places that I MUST see everyday (Washington Monument, WWII Memorial and Lincoln Memorial) I’m there and there were others that I need to see at least once even though I’ve seen them a million times. And of course, there were new spots I always wanted to check out too; this time the brand new Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum opened only a couple of months ago and tickets are free but notoriously hard to get. I managed to check the website like two days before April tickets were made available, set an alarm for when I could get them, and luckily snagged one. I had heard only incredible things about the museum and had to see it for myself. I also knew I had to try Ben’s Chili Bowl this time as well. Those were my must-do's for this trip. I made a list on my phone notes about the rest of my itinerary (hello type-A personality) and knew it was going to be another amazing trip. As I’ve done before in past travel posts, I like to recap all I saw and did for future reference for myself, for others to get an idea of what to see and do if they go, and for those people who want to know what I was up while I was gone. So yeah, here ya go...

Saturday: I landed in DC early in the afternoon and took the train to my friend’s house. I always impress myself with my ability to navigate public transportation as if I am a local. My friend lives in the Columbia Heights, neighborhood of DC, which is a super cute neighborhood in the midst of gentrification. I had gone there last summer when I met her for dinner and remembered the neighborhood so it didn’t feel unfamiliar at all when I got off the train. I quickly grabbed food at Cava Grill, which I had been dying to try (it’s like Mediterranean Chipotle) and it was so good and filling. I then dropped my stuff off at my friend’s house and the two of us headed out to the race expo which was downtown. We got our race gear, scoped out some goodies, and then walked around the city a bit. Because she lives there she doesn’t often go to the touristy places, but I obviously wanted to go so she joined me. We walked to the Washington Monument and it was packed with people. I have been to DC a few times now but I have never seen it so crowded. Turns out it was the National Kite Festival so there were not only lots of people, but also lots of people flying kites. There was even a show with choreographed kites to music, which was cool to see. I mean, how do the strings of all the kites not get crossed? We were kind of mesmerized for a bit but had to get out of those crowds so we headed over to the WWII Memorial to take a very standard picture in front of the Illinois column and then made our way over to the Lincoln Memorial to sit and people watch a bit. There were just so many people there that it was a bit overwhelming. I knew I’d go back super early in the morning to have it to myself in the next couple days so I didn’t feel the need to really stay and get pictures there. I did however, want some immediate good views of the Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin so we walked over there. On the way there, we made a detour through the MLK memorial, cause why not? Finally, we made our way along the Tidal Basin but it was beyond crowded to even making walking around it enjoyable. We took some pictures and then headed back to the house to relax, eat pizza, and watch the Final Four.

Sunday: Since we were doing the 5k and not the 10-miler anymore, we had a later start time for the race and didn’t actually have to be at the start until 8:40 which was nice. The start line was right near the Washington Monument, which was obviously super cool. We ubered there and had very little time waiting around before the race began. I knew that I was going to do a run-walk combo throughout the race because even if my hamstring was feeling good, I didn’t want to overdo it and end up in worse shape than when I started. Once we crossed the start line, I started running slow and steady and it felt great. The crowd, the course, the weather, and just running down the streets was perfect. The course was basically and out and back around the back of the Lincoln Memorial, across the bridge to Arlington and back. It went by super quick and my leg was actually feeling pretty good. I so wanted to be able to run the whole thing and probably could have but would have definitely felt the pain afterwards. I did the smart thing but it is beyond frustrating to not be able to do what I love. But I was able to make the best out of the situation. After the race, I had to get my medal (which btw this race charges you extra for!!) but since I was originally signed up for the 10-miler, I had to walk over to their finish line party and get the medal there and bring it back to the 5k tent to trade it in. Being over at the 10-mile race finish gave me some major FOMO. I felt embarrassed for myself for not doing the 10-miler and felt like a fat failure. I know that had I not been injured, it would have been an amazing race, but I was just so bummed I couldn’t do it because the course is supposed to be so cool to run. I got in and out of the 10-mile finish area because it was just too depressing for me. Once I got back to the 5k area, I got my medal, took some pictures, and we headed home. 

After a little relaxing and a shower, I headed back downtown. But first, I had to get some lunch. Duh. Gotta fuel this body. Ever since I visited DC as an adult a couple years back, Ben’s Chili Bowl has been on my must-eat list and I never made it over there. I wasn't about to let that happen this time. Although I am not a huge fan of hotdogs or spicy anything, I had to pay a visit to this iconic place. I walked right in, got a seat at the counter and ordered my chili cheese half-smoke, with no mustard. Even though my lips and tongue were on fire from the spiciness, it was absolutely delicious and I was so glad I stopped I got it. After inhaling the half-smoke and drinking a ton of water to cool down my mouth, I walked down 14^th street to see all the cute stores, restaurants, and bars. I passed Ted’s Bulletin which I had heard of through food accounts on Instagram so I made my way inside and ordered one of their famous homemade poptarts. It was a tough decision between brown sugar cinnamon and strawberry but I went with the strawberry and that did not disappoint. 

Now that I was fed and hydrated, I kept moving and made my way to the White House. I used to get so excited going there and just seeing it. There was always a sense of pride looking at it when Barack Obama was president. Now it’s just depressing and gross to me. And don’t even get me started on the vendors selling the “Make America Great Again” shirts and hats. It took a lot of self control to not scream obscenities at them or the people buying stuff from them. Disgusting. But I digress. Anyway, from there, it was back to the Washington Monument because hey, I had to. The weather was so beautiful that I actually just laid down on the lawn for a half hour to relax and take in the scenery and energy of being there. Once I had rested a bit, I made my way to the US Capital. There was some very bizarre protest on male circumcision that was not only baffling to me, but it also contained quite a lot of misinformation in my opinion. The people protesting here are probably the same people who are anti-vaxers and don't believe in Global Warming; uninformed, ignorant weirdos. I can't even deal with it. After staring at them in disbelief for a few solid minutes, I decided I would hit up the United States Supreme Court and the Library of Congress and then make my way to Eastern Market. My friend had recommended I go check it out because it had lots of food, craft, and art vendors. It was a cool little market, but by the time I got there I was utterly exahausted and my hamstring (and hip) was hurting. I had covered almost 16 miles of ground that day and decided to just head back to the house and call it a day. A very productive, awesome, busy, amazing day.

Monday: Even though I covered a lot of ground on Sunday, I knew I had to get out early to try and run again and to see the sunrise over the Mall. I set my alarm for 5:45 and Ubered over to the monument. The sun was just coming up and the sky was looking beautiful! I couldn’t wipe the in-awe smile off my face.There is something super special about the Mall at sunrise with very few people around. I know I always say it, but one of my favorite things to do on vacation is get up early and get to usually crowded tourist places before anyone else so I can have them all to myself. It's definitely the way to go. I watched the sun rise gorgeously, paid my respects to Abraham Lincoln, then again to MLK, and made my way around the Tidal Basin as the sun was continuing to rise with the Cherry Blossoms surrounding me. It was truly awesome. I am so glad I waited to have it way less crowded. There were some photographers out taking pictures, but it wasn't even close to being as bad as it had been Saturday. I made my way around the Tidal Basin to the FDR Memorial and then to the Jefferson Memorial and still had a perma-smile on my face. I was feeling super grateful for being able to be out and doing what I was doing. It was a fabulous morning.

After covering a lot of early morning ground, I hopped on the train back to the house, showered and rested a bit before heading back downtown again. My first stop was the National Archives. I figured if there was no line I would peep the Declaration of Independence. I hadn't been in there in almost five years, but the downstairs exhibits were all new. Once I got upstairs, the line to see the actual Declaration was too long and I didn't feel like waiting. I had seen it before years ago and didn't feel the need to wait in line to see it again so I left. I decided to pop in the Museum of Natural History and made my way directly to see the Hope Diamond. 32.2 carats of diamond is pretty amazing. I'll take two please. Downstairs in the museum was a cool new-to-me exhibit on Evolution that was pretty incredible. The science teacher (read: nerd) in me found it really interesting. As I was walking through this exhibit, I wondered how there are people out there who don't believe in evolution. With all this evidence, how can you not? I will never understand these people. Again, I digress. Finally, it was time to head over the the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture for my ticketed arrival. In the museum you are led to an elevator downstairs and you make your way back up through the floors in chronological order starting back to slavery and ending with Barack Obama's presidency. The sheer amount of information is overwhelming. It is truly a remarkable museum. There is so much to see, read, and learn. In my opinion, the most touching part of the museum is the memorial to Emmett Till. It was truly powerful and I found myself tearing up in there. This is most definitely a museum that everyone should go to. The importance of all the exhibits in there and remembering the history is crucial to us moving forward as a country with equity and equality. I spent a little over two hours in the museum and was physically and emotionally exhausted afterwards that I just walked around the Smithsonian museum area a little more and just decided to take myself back to the house to relax and get ready to be able to stay awake to watch the NCAA championship game.

Tuesday: On my last day in DC, it was pouring in the morning so I didn't get up early to run. I "slept in" a bit. Since I had basically seen and done everything on my list, I was open to checking out something new. There were places I could visit again but didn’t really deem totally necessary to see this time around (The Pentagon, Georgetown, Museum of American History to see the dresses of the first ladies, the Newseum, the Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery). I decided to head over to the Hirshhorn art museum. There was a special exhibit there by Yayoi Kusama that I had heard a little about but previously didn't really make an effort to get more information on. I actually think he did this exact exhibit or something very similar in NYC a couple of years ago but I refused to wait in line for it. There were day of tickets being given out starting at 10 am (I missed the online option the previous week) so I decided to give it a go. I got there at 9:30 and ended up not getting a ticket in my hand until 11:00. The ticket was for 11:45 so I killed some time outside before heading back over to see it all. I figured once inside I wouldn't have to wait in too many lines to see the special exhibits. Boy could I not have been more wrong. There were a bunch of mirrored rooms with special light shows and art in them that were the big must-sees. You were alloted 30 seconds in each room but the lines were insane. I waited in one for almost 30 minutes and once I got to the front realized it was not even one I had wanted to see. At this point I was so frustrated and annoyed for spending over two hours of my last day waiting in lines that I almost started crying (because that's how I deal with frustration). Instead of letting the tears fall, I decided to take some deep breaths and suck it up because it would really be a waste if I just left at this point. I skipped a few of the rooms and went to the next line that I thought wouldn't be too awful. This time before waiting in it, I went to the front to see what was in the room. I chatted up the security guard and told him how annoyed I was at waiting in the wrong line. I think he felt so bad for me that he allowed me to cut the line since I was by myself. I was beyond grateful to him. It was so nice and the W I needed at that point. I went in the room, took my very cool picture and decided that that was good enough for me and I wasn't going to waste any more times in lines. I already felt so dumb for waiting as much as I did and skipped the rest of the rooms and finished up there with the Obliteration Room. It's a room where everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. was painted white and then everyone who enters gets bright circular stickers to put anywhere they want. This was a fun way to end what had been a super stressful morning for me. Lines and I just don't mix well. I get ansty, agitated, and anxious and feel like waiting is just wasteful. Being in line was not how I wanted to spend my last hours in DC. I got some good photo opps but enough was enough. When I finally got outside I felt instant relief. I made my way to...you guessed it, the Mall again. I had to get my last licks views of the Washington Monument and then I went through the WWII Memorial again and then just sat and relaxed at the Lincoln Memorial for a solid half hour. I soaked up my last moments in DC and just enjoyed being there. Finally, it was time to head back to the house, gather my stuff and get back on the train to the airport. 

Overall, I had yet another amazing trip to DC. I covered a ton of ground and saw so much in my time there. And although I love exploring solo when traveling, it was certainly nice to have people to come home to at my friend's house at the end of a day. As much as love staying in hotels alone on trips, it was not only cost effective to stay with my friend and her family, it was also enjoyable. They were great hosts and let me come and go as I pleased, which made the stay super easy as well. The amount of sheer joy and happiness that traveling gives me is something I certainly don't take for granted. I always feel super grateful to see and do all I do. Even though I didn't get to run the 10-mile race this year, I'm hoping that next year I will be able to run my little heart out along that course!! And if not, I will surely find a way to make my way back to DC.