Saturday, June 15, 2013

Washington D.C. Trip – June 2013

I asked Marvin what he wanted to do to celebrate his retirement from the United States Postal Service aka "The Post Office" and he decided he wanted to go to Washington D.C.  Now prior to our leaving I had asked friends on facebook for some suggested “must see” spots and contacted my Congressman’s office to schedule some congressional tours.  We were about as prepared as I thought we needed to be so off we went.

Mom and Dad drove us to the airport so we didn’t have to leave our car there and pay for parking.  Thanks Mom & Dad!!  We left out of Dallas Love Field (DAL) and boy it has really changed since the last time that we flew out of there.  It is looking really good!  There was a long line to go through security but it was moving pretty fast.  We were excited to start our adventure.

After we were through security we looked for somewhere to get a bite to eat.

1 breakfast 

Can’t go wrong with Whataburger, right?

This is my OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) that I wore on the way to D.C. 

2 ootd 

Merona black tee (Target)/Apt. 9 green convertible cargo pants (Kohl's)/black Toms (Toms)/cross-body bag (Liz & Co.)

It was a very quick flight to Austin and we were ready to get going!

3 here we go 

Our in-flight snack consisted of a complimentary beverage and some peanuts!  Yummy!

4 snack on the flight to austin 

We landed and since we had some time before our next flight we found a place to get some lunch.

5 layover in austin 

6 lunchtime 

We boarded our next flight which was going to be about a 5 hour trip so I made sure to use the restroom before boarding.  As I got settled in my seat I realized something.  I had to go to the bathroom.  Again.  And I’m on the plane.  For real.  Those bathrooms are so tiny and then you have to stand so close when you flush…ugh!!!  Those that know me well know I really have an issue with public restrooms much less a very cramped small bathroom.  But I went anyway and I survived and my bladder thanked me. 

7 off we go again

The flight attendants served another great in-flight snack. 

8 snack on the flight

Something that I like to do when I am on a flight is to peruse the safety brochure.  Take a look at this pic.

9 pics in the safety brochure

First of all, does anyone still own a transistor radio?  Second of all, who brings a remote control car on a plane?  Does that happen? 

Here’s another pic for y’all.  If we were to be judging this like a contest, who would win?

10 pics in the safety brochure

My vote is for the lady on the right.  Not only is she holding a baby but she also is pointing her toes which earns her extra points for form.  Other than me amusing myself with the safety brochure our flight was uneventful.

We landed and were so glad to make it to DC!  We did rent a car but only because we would be traveling to Fredericksburg, VA the next day but otherwise you truly can get around everywhere riding the Metro

11 we made it!!

We had booked a hotel at The Virginian Suites and the guy at the front desk, Edward, was awesome!  He is actually the first one to ever acknowledge our Gold Level status…not like it really matters but apparently they are supposed to do it and no one has ever done that before.  So Edward, the front desk guy, automatically got brownie points.

Here are some pics from our room.  The price was pretty reasonable and in addition to the nice sized bedroom and bathroom the room had a spacious living room, small dining room and a mini kitchen (fridge, stove/oven, sink, dishwasher) that was stocked with plates, flatware etc. so you could cook some of your meals to save money. 

We dropped off our bags, freshened up a bit and headed back to the front desk.  Since we were new in town and hungry we asked for a dinner recommendation.  Edward, the front desk guy, suggested Quarter Deck Restaurant and said it was “just up the road”.  According to the Quarter Deck Restaurant website, the Quarter Deck is a fixture of the Fort Meyer Heights neighborhood for over 30 years providing a relaxed atmosphere perfect for family dining or just catching up with old friends.  Most notably known for their seasonal Maryland Blue Crab feast and cold bear, they also serve a wide variety of classic American and Seafood fare year round. 

Well we headed that way not knowing that when he said up the road he meant literally up the road because it was up a hill.  The fact that I am out of shape was immediately noted.  ;)  We arrived and now we were not only hungry but hot and tired. 

18 quarter deck

Quarter Deck was crazy busy.  As in beyond crazy busy.  It was so crowded, (how crowded was it??) that they were puling extra tables from some store room in the back and setting up a makeshift dining area next to the patio to seat additional customers.  All that really did was strain the wait staff who were already overwhelmed.  Nevertheless we chose to stay as we didn’t really have any other options in the area that we were aware of and when asked if we minded sharing a table with strangers we agreed.

We sat with Rob, Jackie and Kyle and even though it seemed a little weird to share a table with strangers it ended up being really fun!  We chatted about a lot of different things and laughed a lot.  It was a really fun night.  I didn’t take any pic of my food or our new friends but the trio ordered crabs and despite the fact that I am not a seafood fan the crabs are seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning and they smelled really good!!

20 crabs

Our first evening in DC was a success!!

~lisa


 

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