Washington DC 2015

Yep. I went to Washington DC. This trip included oysters, the metro, and at least one long, well-deserved nap in the middle of the day.

And I'm just like, meh.

My beloved fiance is currently working on a medical rotation in a hospital in the areas, so I sneaked out for a quick visit. In true Kristen fashion, I packed as many activities as possible into four short days. Madness ensued. Fun was had by all parties.

On my first day I settled into Takoma Park, the suburb where my fiance resides. It reminded me SO much of Ann Arbor. Funny sculptures, check. Organic everything, check. More people biking/walking than I had ever seen? Check. I stopped at every store, smiled at every rosy-cheeked baby. I put some serious miles on my tennis shoes. I also tried raw oysters for the first time.

I want more...NOW!

I understand the walking. Driving in the area is complicated; old, twisted, and windy roads make it difficult to go anywhere fast. And with the Metro station not too far away, one could reasonable travel most places in the area without too much of a hassle. We are not big on public transportation here in Michigan. I rather liked the camaraderie of it all. I disliked a few of the cranky faces. And I have to admit the metro shooting down the line at full speed is slightly terrifying. Fun scary!

Oh! I want a bat cave too!

I went into DC by myself for one day, checking out the million museums in the area. My first stop? The DAR museum. I was free to roam around, soaking in the elegance and history. Every corner held some artifact or recreated scene. The museum houses different rooms to represent the states, and of course the Michigan room is a library! I found many artifacts relating to the Revolutionary War, deliciously historic items that I wished for in my own collection...

Next I perused the National Art Gallery. I'm partial to the French and Italian styles, especially pictures of sisters. I picture my sisters and I sitting for the painting, squabbling or some sort of nonsense like that. Awe-inspiring doesn't even describe the atmosphere of this museum. Can I just pull up a cot and sleep here one day? Seeing a Monet and Da Vinci in person was worth the trip.r

The next day we went together to other museums. My fiance is partial to WWII aviation, so we looked at the pile of planes stacked everywhere. According to him, there's a list of movies I still need to watch about the war itself. For me, the rickety planes are a harsh reminder of just how young air travel is. We looked at space stuff, and I nearly bought a kid's NASA spacesuit for Cynthia. My fiance and I agreed that a working doctor's kit would be more appropriate (haha).

If you think about it, the Natural History Museum

is just a big cemetery for animals...

Monuments cover so much of DC. There's a quiet sort of reverence at every marble statue or building. I loved spending the time with my fiance and enjoying history. 

And to wrap up my awesome year of Lincoln...remember my awesome time in Springfield, with Lincoln's somber funeral? The walk through his home? Or looking at the chair that he was shot in? During my visit to DC,  I stopped by Ford's Theatre and the house he died in. We didn't get a chance to tour...another trip mayber?

This is a stack of Lincoln books. All Lincoln.

I really needed this trip. Michigan is starting to fall into that deep autumn slumber; soon we'll be covered in the obligatory winter blanket. This was the last Hurrah! of an excellent summer of travel. I can't wait to see what the Holiday Season holds...Florida maybe?

~Kristen