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Published: March 30th 2010
Rich in history, politics and scandal, the city remains one of the loveliest major cities in America. Tourists around the world flock to the city on the Potomac River. Nearly 600,000 people call this city home. From the West Wing to Watergate the city enchants its guest with bureaucrats, blossoms and a burglary.
This visit we are here to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. In 1996 we were fortunate enough to live in this vibrant city for a very short period of time. Since then we have dreamed of coming back to do more exploration. Our most recent visit was in 2008 and the city continues to beckon our return.
On our arrival to the city, we stood in the courtyard looking at the historical Watergate hotel and pondering the events that occurred in 1972 when a team of third-rate burglars working directly for President Richard M. Nixon and the Committee to Re-elect the President broke into the office of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. That was a wild time in American politics. We would like to sit in the bar at the Watergate Hotel and contemplate all that happened in those years. These events caused chaos
The White House
What goes on in the West Wing?and turmoil in America. It would be great to have drinks with Woodward, Bernstein, Charles Colson, John Dean and all the characters of that era. The Watergate Hotel is currently out of business. It was shut down a few years ago for remodeling. If it re-opens we would like to stay there.
With a harsh winter behind us our senses filled with wonderment and delight as we hoped to experience the fragrant blooms of magnolia trees and cherry blossoms.
But first we were afforded the opportunity to relive history by visiting the venerable Ford Theatre where our 16th president spent part of his last night. A two-man play recounted the events of that faithful day through the words of people who were there. We found ourselves seated directly across from the balcony where Mr. Lincoln sat and we tried to imagine the awful scene which was to play out that evening.
After that it was time to take the pup on parade. Our dog, Miss Lillie loves to travel and we promised her a photo opportunity at the White House. This dog garners more attention than a political wank on CNN. We were stopped no fewer than
An artist at work
Nature provides the beauty a dozen times to let Miss Lillie meet her adoring crowd. The journey around Lafayette Square and the south lawn never fail to impress us with thoughts of the people who have lived there. After our visit, we dropped Miss Lillie off at the hotel and went out in search of cherry blossoms.
On this sunny but cool Saturday we strolled among the monuments of past great presidents and are left to wonder what our founding fathers would think of the current political landscape. Is the current path towards moving us towards a more “perfect union”? Disagreement is healthy but bipartisanship can be destructive. Only time will tell.
But on this day we took in the throng on the National Mall who were reveling on Kite Day. Hundreds of families put forth their best efforts in keeping their kites airborne. We sat on the steps near the top of the Lincoln Monument gazing at the reflection of the Washington Monument. It is always a truly a beautiful site to behold. And then; on to the tidal basin to take in the cherry blossoms, which were a gift from the Japanese government almost a century ago. These ancient trees
Our Miss Lillie
.....and her fans. are well cared for and are a delight to witness. After this sojourn we found ourselves a bit worn and hailed a ride back to the hotel.
Our digs were at the Hotel Monaco because they welcome pets and Miss Lillie wanted to join us on this trip. It is a wonderful location in the city. Located some seven blocks from the White House, it is a great location. We were in our room for about an hour when they delivered a bottle of champagne, a fruit basket and a dish of nuts and crackers. The hotel management was making sure our celebration got off to a wonderful start!
No visit to DC would be complete without spending time with our great friend Andy. He is a pleasantly twisted soul who has lived here for more than thirty years. His humor and insights to the workings of this city are priceless.
Andy joined us for our anniversary dinner at the Neyla Mediterranean Grill in Georgetown. If you are in town we recommend a stop here for the wonderful food, wine and ambiance.
While surfing the net prior to our visit, we found a list of
DC bars where you might run into famous politicians. After dinner we stopped by the Hawk and Dove Pub where we enjoyed a drink. As we walked in we ran into a few young Republicans holding “fire Pelosi” signs. The bar was full of excitement and ambiance but no famous politicians. Our only brush with fame on this trip was seeing Dennis Kucinich sitting in our hotel lobby having a meeting with a friend. He is a Congressman from Ohio who used to be the Mayor of Cleveland when he was in his twenties.
Our last night in town we went to the highly-rated Rasika Indian Restaurant on 7th and D Street. We’ve never been to such a “posh" Indian Restaurant. The food was amazing - it is a must go and please order the fried spinach. You will need to make a reservation!!
Departure is always a bit sad as this is one of those great American cities that everyone should visit. It holds so much with its history, museums, sites and fabulous cuisine. We know we’ll be back….hopefully soon.
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Marie Hirsch
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Fine Trip.......
and Miss Lillie is so photogenic!