Day One
We took a "Super Shuttle" to the hotel in a new part of town called National Harbor. There was a ton of construction in the area. The hotel was gorgeous and huge! They had a large atrium in the front and center of the hotel. I couldn't even tell I was inside. It was spacious and all the little shops and restaurants looked like little buildings out in the open.
This is the fountain just between the atrium of the hotel and the Potomac river. The lights in the fountain change colors. It was magical.
This is the fountain that was inside the atrium. I took it at night, so it's a little hard to see. They had water and light shows every night. Not as good as the Bellagio in Las Vegas but still pretty cool.Our hotel room:
I loved their soap.
After we were all settled into our different rooms, Ben, Bill, Tyler and I ate at the Past-time Sports Bar and Grill. Our waiter was really excited. He was pretty funny. I really enjoyed the panini of the day that I ordered until I started tasting the horse-radish. Then I was very turned off. I couldn't finish it. Yuck.Day Two
We slept in since Tyler's conference didn't start until later in the afternoon and I was exhausted from getting up at 3 the morning before. The good thing about being so tired, going to bed early, and sleeping in is that I completely adjusted to the slight time change with no problem. By the time we were up and ready, it was time for lunch. Tyler, Bill, and I ate at "Potbelly's" and it was delicious. If you're ever in National Harbor and need a good place to eat, I suggest that you try Potbelly's.
After our lunch, we went down to the harbor, which was just outside the sandwich shop, and took some pictures with the statue of the buried giant.
After our lunch, we went down to the harbor, which was just outside the sandwich shop, and took some pictures with the statue of the buried giant.
I think that this is the best one. He really looks like he's flailing and being eaten. Haha.
Ewww.
Of course we had to draw our heart in the sand.
I really like this picture.
Ahh! What is coming out of this guy's head?!
The walk from Potbelly's to our hotel was really short and beautiful.
There it is, the Gaylord National Hotel in all it's glory.
Tyler had to go to his conference shortly after that and I decided to go see the temple. I took a bus from National Harbor to the Southern Avenue Metro station then the metro to another bus stop where I wandered around for two hours looking for the route 4 to Kensington. It was the craziest bus stop I have ever seen. I finally had to call Seraph, who called her mom who called Seraph's dad. They were very helpful and I finally got onto the right bus.
So beautiful!
I didn't really have a plan so I ended up just walking in and doing a session. When I got off of the bus I kept thinking, "Ask the bus driver when the last run is at this stop" but I didn't. The session took awhile to get going and I got out around 7:00pm. I walked to the bus stop and called the number that was on the sign, but it was closed. Tyler looked up the web address but it didn't work either. He walked down to the information desk in the hotel and luckily they were able to look up a bus schedule. The last stop was at 6:40. I missed it by twenty minutes. There was another stop about a mile or so away that I walked to with the help of Tyler and Google map. The funny thing, to me, is that the people that I went through the session with drove right by me as I was standing in the rain. I walked by a huge church gathering, asked them for help finding a bus stop, and not one person offered to help me. I was extremely nervous that I wasn't going to be able to find the stop. I guess I looked bewildered and lost by the time I got to the end of one of the streets because two different people stopped and asked if I needed help. By then I had found the stop and didn't need assistance.I waited for the bus in a light drizzle. It was dark by the time the bus came. The bus was late. I got back to the Southern Ave. stop in one piece, but I missed the last bus back to National Harbor. So, the hotel called a taxi service for me. I made it safely back and was really glad to see Tyler.
We ate dinner at the Past-time Sports Bar and Grill. They had a huge screen on one wall that had a big rectangle where they were showing the Laker/Spurs Game 1 and then 6 little rectangle around that showing various other sports programs. We watched Game 1 where the Lakers made that incredible comeback. It was pretty great and the food was good too. Our waitress was horrible. We basically got ignored the whole night. I guess she was really into the game?
I look a little ticked in this picture or something. I don't know why. I wasn't.
I also don't know why we took a picture in front of this restaurant and not the sports bar and grill. We never ate at the Italian restaurant there.I'm also wearing this sweatshirt every night because it was the only one I brought. I also only brought one pair of long pants. I thought it was going to be warmer. It was actually pretty chilly.
Day 3
Tyler was in the conference all day so I wandered around the city. I again took a bus to the metro and the metro to Arlington Cemetery. I was so proud of myself, by the way, for navigating my way on public transportation. The Arlington cemetery was very cool. I just meandered through. It was also very sobering. I couldn't believe I was actually there. I saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I started to feel like I was intruding on something sacred and then a mournful chime sounded. It was the same little melody as the doorbell of the house that I grew up in. That was the last straw for me; it was then creepy. So I hurried on out of there toward the Lincoln Memorial.
This picture was taken from the Arlington House and looks over the Mall.
I walked across the bridge that takes you across the Potomac from Arlington to the D.C. Mall. My feet hurt but i told them to stop complaining and kept going. I was worried about crossing that crosswalk above. There were a lot of cars.
Yay Lincoln! It was a little surreal seeing, in person, all of these monuments and memorials that I have seen in hundreds of pictures. It was really cool.
Proof that I was there. If I look a little windswept it was because of the bridge. Crazy Windy.
The Washington Monument.I really had to use the facilities at this point so didn't dawdle too much. I mostly kept saying to myself, "You just have to make it to the Freer Art Gallery," which I really wanted to see. I stayed at the WWII monument for a little bit. It's brand new and quite beautiful.
I found the Freer Art Gallery on my map and headed over towards Independence Ave. I walked up and down the street and could not find the gallery. I decided to try the National Art Gallery first. So I walked past the Capitol building, which was also quite a treat, and found the west building of the National Art Gallery with no problem.
First order of business there was to eat and find a bathroom. I found a little cafe on the ground floor of the west building, but no one ever came to seat me. So I walked back upstairs to find a bathroom. On my way back to the restaurant, one of the security guards asked if I needed help finding anything. I asked about the different places to eat and he gave me directions to another cafe on the ground floor past the gift shop where there were more food choices. I found it with no problem and even bought some Degas magnets on my way through the gift shop.
Doesn't this look delicious? I couldn't decide between the two desserts and since there was no one there to tell me no, I splurged. I just thought my tray looked so pretty, I had to take a picture. I also wanted to remember the most amazing fruit tart I have ever eaten. I was in love with that fruit tart.
Mmmm, and it was good. I did save a little of the chocolate-hazelnut cake for Tyler. I put it in the yogurt covered raisin cup and put the raisins in the bag from the gift shop and snacked on them the rest of the week.After I finished eating, I wandered around the art gallery for a couple of hours. It was amazing. I was in awe. I was in the presence of greatness. I had a few favorite pieces. There was this painting by Thomas Gainsborough of a little girl in a white dress with a blue-teal colored sash and I decided that if I ever have a little girl, I will have her picture taken in a white dress with a blue-teal colored sash. (http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg59/gg59-45804.0.html) Then there was that Degas sculpture of the dancing girl with the pink tutu. I was in love with that sculpture when I learned about it in my art history class and now I love it even more. It was so cool to see in person. (http://www.nga.gov/collection/sculpture/flash/zone3-1.htm) I also saw a painting by Henri Matisse which was really fascinating. I really like Matisse even though it's very different than what I usually like in art. My very favorite section of the gallery was the French exhibit. There were pieces by Cassat, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas to name just a few. There was also a little section with Cezanne that I really enjoyed. I wrote my term paper on him and his artwork so I felt a little special connection to the paintings. It was all very exciting.
This is a painting by Mary Cassat and it capture exactly what I felt like. I was so tired. I also think this painting would look excellent in my house. I love it.
I also love this painting by Edgar Degas.Unfortunately, I had to leave. It was getting close to when I told Tyler I'd be back at the hotel. I tried one last time to find the Freer Art Gallery but could not. So I got back on the metro right at rush hour. It was crazy. There were no seats and I was squished in between this really large gentleman and a teenager playing solitaire on his iPod. I was really worried I was going to fall over onto one of them. I didn't! I made it back to the hotel right before Tyler got out of his conference. I was, again, very proud of myself.
Tyler and I then took a water taxi from the hotel to Alexandria, VA for dinner. The men and women at the information desk were extremely helpful. Kadija and Don were our favorites. Kadija helped me home from my temple excursion and Don sold us our water taxi tickets, helped us decide where to eat, and even made reservations at the restaurant for us.
Tyler and I then took a water taxi from the hotel to Alexandria, VA for dinner. The men and women at the information desk were extremely helpful. Kadija and Don were our favorites. Kadija helped me home from my temple excursion and Don sold us our water taxi tickets, helped us decide where to eat, and even made reservations at the restaurant for us.
We're waiting for the water taxi on the pier. Fabulous picture, I know.
And here we are on the water taxi. That darn shadow hand is there again. haha.
After dinner we walked around Alexandria for a bit before catching the water taxi back to the hotel. It was our last night there and I was a little sad about it. I had a lot of fun there.
The earliest flight the next day was at 6 am so we had to schedule a Super Shuttle back to the airport at 4am.
Day 4
The Super Shuttle was late. I got about two hours of sleep and was really tired. I didn't get on that first flight. I was fourth on the standby list. By the end of the day I was probably 30th in line. I did get to take an hour nap cuddled up with my backpack. Tyler met up with me in the airport after his conference ended. He even brought me a Potbelly's sandwich. It was nice to have someone there to talk to. We met up with his co-workers when their flight was about to start boarding. We were standing there when Bill said, "Hey Senator." Senator Orrin Hatch came over and talked with us for a few minutes! He was flying on the same flight.
Soon, they were gone and I was left by myself again. I got to know Reagan National Airport pretty well. Bill Bryson's book, "The Mother Tongue" kept me entertained while I was waiting.
I didn't get on a flight that day. I called Seraph's mom, Milli (did I spell her name right, Seraph?), and she came and picked me up. A big thank you to the Goesch family. They are amazing. I now know why Seraph and Bergen are as sweet as they are. They took me to a movie; we saw "Iron Man." Afterward, Greta wanted a burger so we drove through McDonalds. I just love the Goesch family. It was my first night away from Tyler since we were married, so I was extremely grateful that they made my stay there so comfortable and fun.
Soon, they were gone and I was left by myself again. I got to know Reagan National Airport pretty well. Bill Bryson's book, "The Mother Tongue" kept me entertained while I was waiting.
I didn't get on a flight that day. I called Seraph's mom, Milli (did I spell her name right, Seraph?), and she came and picked me up. A big thank you to the Goesch family. They are amazing. I now know why Seraph and Bergen are as sweet as they are. They took me to a movie; we saw "Iron Man." Afterward, Greta wanted a burger so we drove through McDonalds. I just love the Goesch family. It was my first night away from Tyler since we were married, so I was extremely grateful that they made my stay there so comfortable and fun.
Day 5
I felt really bad asking for a ride to the airport at 4:30 in the morning, but it was my best shot at getting on a plane. Millie was kind enough to drive me. Thank you again, Milli! I was, again, extremely tired. Luckily, I got on the first flight to Houston. I was ecstatic. I was only in Houston long enough to grab some breakfast before I got on another flight to SLC. Jeff came and picked me up from the airport. I took him out to lunch to repay him for his drive. We ate at Charley's Subs and Sandwiches in the South Towne Center.
After that I was home! I was very excited. I watched the season finales of "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy" and then took a nap. I woke up when Tyler came home and we went to Christof's birthday party. Shanda made a birthday cake that looked like Sushi that was amazing. It was a busy day. It's nice to be home.
After that I was home! I was very excited. I watched the season finales of "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy" and then took a nap. I woke up when Tyler came home and we went to Christof's birthday party. Shanda made a birthday cake that looked like Sushi that was amazing. It was a busy day. It's nice to be home.
