One of the perks of having five best friends scattered across the nation is having five new cities to visit. Luckily, my Dad is a Southwest Airlines pilot, so flights are free. During Cal Poly's spring break, I hopped a couple planes all the way to Washington DC to visit Mallory for three days, two of those being traveling days. First off: Cal Poly and Georgetown could not be more different schools and San Luis Obispo and DC could not be more different cities. While I love sleepy SLO town, Ubering through DC after getting off the plane was magical: I felt like I was in London (turns out, DC was modeled after London). Georgetown itself is actually Hogwarts (turns out, Mallory is actually a wizard).
Over pizza, I asked Mallory what the game plan for the next day was - after all, I only had one day in DC to see as much as possible. She already had an entire plan that she informed me was a surprise.
The Renwick Gallery is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and it featured intricate and interactive exhibits. It's small enough to cover in thirty minutes, which was perfect for our day in the city.
After getting our art fix for the day, it was time to work those thigh muscles. We biked up the mall, down the mall, across the mall, beside the mall... up the mall, down the mall... feel the burn.
Over pizza, I asked Mallory what the game plan for the next day was - after all, I only had one day in DC to see as much as possible. She already had an entire plan that she informed me was a surprise.
First surprise: 5am wake up call! Second surprise: bikes! Third surprise: 32 DEGREES OUTSIDE!
Best surprise: amazing sunrise over the Washington monument. We even witnessed a marriage proposal. Totally worth my frostbitten fingers.
We got in line at 7am to get tickets up to the top of the Washington Monument . While the hour long wait was very cold, going to the top was surreal and I would strongly recommend for any history buffs out there. The interior of the monument is built with engraved ancient stones donated from each state, and the birds eye view from the top is unsurpassed.
Biking around the city using Capital Bike Share made it possible move through traffic quickly so as to make the most of our time. We biked through the mall towards the Renwick Gallery after a delicious brunch stop at Founding Farmer's.
After getting our art fix for the day, it was time to work those thigh muscles. We biked up the mall, down the mall, across the mall, beside the mall... up the mall, down the mall... feel the burn.
Pit stop for pictures outside Capital Hill. Pro tip: do not wear your pearl earrings on a biking adventure extravaganza. You will lose one. (Guess I have to go back someday!)
Finding my zen at the US Botanical Gardens. First time shedding my Northface in seven hours. Pro tip: LAYER. After the Botanical Gardens, we went to the National Museum of American History. The line looked super long, but we were in the museum within 15 minutes. Our favorite exhibit was the First Ladies collection (we both teared up watching a speech from Michelle Obama, super empowering).
We finished the day posing outside of the White House. Can't wait to be back someday in my new favorite city!
With GCOB love,
Annika
P.S. If you want a cupcake, go to Baked and Wired, because it's way better than Sprinkle's. We know, because we went to both (hey, we biked all day).
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