The Juneteenth long weekend gave me the opportunity to visit friends in DC while Jen headed off to LA for a quick weekender. I flew direct on American Airlines from BNA to Regan for under $400 round trip.
Day 1: The DC trip started off with a Lyft from the airport to meet friends in Chinatown. It surprisingly only took 12 minutes from Regan after a 7pm landing! Tony Cheng’s – 619 H St NW.
Day 2: Smithsonian Zoo: It’s a beautiful zoo and FREE! Just need to book your charge-free tickets on the website. We ate at a “Cajun bbq” food truck that was part a food court at the Zoo. I got the pulled chicken sandwich with Cole slaw. It wasn’t the best, but also wasn’t the worst.
After a long, hot day at the Zoo, we stopped in for al fresco drinks at Duke’s Counter at Woodley Park. The Mexican Mule (Jalepeno infused tequila, ginger-chili syrup, lime) was definitely refreshing.
Day 3: We walked to Union Market and after a walk-around for consider my options, I stopped at Laoban Dumplings for Dan Dan Noodles (with glass noodles substituted for the usual wheat noodles), and we sat at one of the many picnic tables outside to eat.
Mint Chip icecream at Van Leeuwen was a nice, cooling joy after the fiery heat of the Dan Dan, followed by sampling cold beers at Crooked Run Fermentation, a Brewery with lots of interesting choices.
We also walked around the wholesale stores and I ended up buying several cute, floral print maxi dresses for $6/each.
Day 4: We brunched at El Centro and I got the Shrimp Ceviche and Mexican Mixed Green Salad. They offer a Bottomless Brunch for $36.50/pp with bottomless brunch cocktails added for another $9.99/pp, with a 2 hour limit per table. Since the policy is All-or-None must participate, we opted for a la carte. The decor was lively and the food was pretty good. I just wish they had a hotter salsa picante available.
After eating, we walked around Georgetown, stopping to see the controversial Transformers display, the famous Exorcist stairs, and the Georgetown University Campus.
A rest at The Tombs for local beer and milkshakes gave my feet a much needed break.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Washington Canoe Club, sipping on beer waterside. The DC friends I was visiting are members.
Dinner was at Farmers Fishers Bakers. The food was as expected at the Harbour, a touristy area of the Georgetown Warerfront. I had the Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon, served with mashed potatoes and green beans.
On the way back from dinner, we stopped at the National Mall for a stroll, and took in the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
I flew back the next morning. These 4 days were full of great conversations, catching up with wonderful friends, and beautiful new memories.
Looks like a great trip!