Washington D.C. Weekend

Tim had a conference in Washington D.C. and asked if I wanted to come in for the weekend so we could visit our nation's capital together.  I have never been to D.C., so of course we made a weekend out of it!

I flew in early Friday morning and took the subway from the airport to Union Station.  The metro was pretty old and worn down, like, nothing had been updated since the early 70s old.  (I still love public transportation!)  But once I came up the escalators to Union Station, I started to get EXCITED.  Everything was so grand and iconic so far.  Every important building had beautiful marble pillars and a classic stately European look.  It started to dawn on me just how important our capital is; the people who make huge decisions for our country meet and live here.  This is where history happens, and has happened since the infancy of our nation.  I immediately started feeling more patriotic than ever and was aware of a feeling of awe and appreciation for our free country and the history that made us so.

We stayed at the Hyatt, which is near Capital Hill.  Tim was waiting for me, ready to start touring!  We first went to the capital, and WHOA; it is so grand and beautiful.  Nowhere else in our country does this kind of grandeur exist.  I was skipping around with excitement!  And everyone was so friendly, helping us find the best photo op and telling us where to get a free tour.  And everything is FREE!  Well, I guess my taxes were my ticket into these places, but still....

We then went over to where the Supreme Court rules.  Wow.  We were allowed to see everything!  It made me want to get more involved in the decisions that are made in our country.  It made me want to research more into our politicians and the bills that pass through government.  We the People...!!!

Then we carried on down the National Mall.  I told Tim we should go to the Smithsonian.  He wanted to go to the National Museum of the American Indian, which is what we ran into first, but it said Smithsonian on it.  I was thoroughly confused until I discovered that the Smithsonian is not one big museum; it's many many museums divided by theme.  We walked in, and guess what, it was FREE!  What a great idea because there is so much to see.

The National Museum of the American Indian was very powerful.  The history of our country's beginnings is very important.  I would like to say that Americans would never treat people today the way we treated Native Americans in the past, but I think that we would, and I think that we do.  It's awful to know a whole race of people were forced from their homes and their culture was attempted to be erased- that the children were to assimilate, not acculturate.  What an ugly part of human nature.  We need to accept differences in culture and customs and respect every individual's human rights.  Tim and I had some good discussions after a visit here.

After our first Smithsonian museum, I was getting hangry.  We ate lunch and then visited the National Archives, which was so cool!  The Bill of Rights are kept inside.  How amazing to see the documents that are the foundation of our Constitution and everyday way of life.  Visiting Washington D.C. gives a whole new appreciation for what our nation's founders have done to create a country of freedom and justice that we have today.

We continued on to the Natural History Smithsonian Museum and it was amazing!  They had all kinds of taxidermy animals on display.  The museums all had A LOT of information, but it was all arranged so as not to be too overwhelming.  We were able to see the evolution of man, the Hope Diamond, and lots of mammals. 

 

 

We kept moving down the National Mall (after a stop at Starbucks for an energy boost) and found ourselves at the National Monument.  It's pretty cool to be able to see this tall tower from all around the mall. 

 

 

We then carried on to the war memorials: World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War.  Another beautiful thing about D.C. are the honors bestowed upon those who have served and fought for our country.  It is a reminder of what it takes to keep a country (and our world) safe and free.

 

 

At the end of the National Mall is Abraham's Lincoln's memorial.  What an upstanding president who had the integrity and foresight to do what was best for our country and its people by keeping the union together and recognizing human rights.  Very powerful indeed.

 

 

After walking about 10 miles that day, it was time to take a taxi back to the hotel, rest, and get some food!  We ate some Italian for dinner and watched West Virginia win on the tele at our hotel bar.

 

On Saturday we went back to the Capital building to take a guided tour, and we're so glad we did!  We were able to see the rotunda where honors are bestowed upon past presidents and influential people like Rosa Parks and Thomas Edison.

 

 

 

Then we took the secret tunnel to the Library of Congress, which was soooooo cool!  The building reflects an Italian Renaissance style and it is beautiful!  Thomas Jefferson really encouraged the idea of a library for people to gain knowledge on a large variety of topics (don't remain closed off to just what YOU know!).  During the War of 1812 there was a fire, and many books were lost.  Jefferson offered his personal collection to the library, and it continues to grow.  People were in the main room doing research; it was really cool to see that the library is still in use for its original purpose.

 

 

We ate lunch at a great little burger place and decided it was time to rent bikes (our feet were TIRED).  We rode back to the National Mall to check out more Smithsonian Museums.  We stopped at the Air and Space museum to check out the Wright Brothers' plane and lots of other air crafts.

 

 

Then we stopped at the National Museum of American History to see Dorothy Gail's ruby slippers.  There was also a wing on First Ladies, but it was mostly about dresses and dinner china....is that what they were known for?

 

 

Even after another coffee stop, Tim and I were losing steam.  We rode our bikes back to the hotel and watched basketball/Say Yes to the Dress.  After a good break, we walked to a delicious Thai restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together.  We then got the bikes back out and took a lovely (COLD) bike tour of the National Mall at night.  It was very romantic and a lot of fun; I love our bike adventures together!

 

Now it's Sunday and our flight home doesn't leave until 7:30pm.  We got breakfast, packed up, and got back on the bikes to check out the White House!  How cool to see where the presidents have lived and still live.  I didn't get a glimpse of Donald Trump, which did not disappoint me. 

 

 

 

We rode over to see the Thomas Jefferson and MLK Jr. memorials.  Then we had to check our bikes back in, so we walked over the Potomac River to visit Arlington Cemetery.  Also a very powerful reminder of the sacrifices made for this country.

 

 

 

We took the metro back to our hotel and were beat!  It was only 2:00pm, but we were too tired to do or see anything else!  So we headed to the airport and chilled.  Then we almost missed our flight after waiting for it for 3 hours!  There was a gate change that was not announced.  We saw people line up at our supposed gate, we got in line, and then Tim's ticket was denied.  The attendant asked if we were going to Orlando.  NO!!!  Where's our gate?  We had to cross the terminal and just BARELY made it on board.  SHEESH!  But we made it and it was an amazing trip together to Washington D.C.!!!! 



The Snowshoe, WV Tradition Lives On!

The crew got together again to ski and snowboard in beautiful Snowshoe, West Virginia.  The weather was pretty good, except for the last day when it rained, but that meant no crowds and getting creative with some brewski racing down some of the runs.  Tim continues to increase his snowboarding skills and is schralping black diamonds!  It's a fun crew and a great time!

Tim Gets A Taste of Colorado

Tim has never been to Colorado.  Thanks to a long weekend and Frontier airfares, we were able to make a trip that way.  We got in around 7:00pm and stopped by my dad's place to say hi.  My little sister, Kelly, had just gotten out of jaw surgery, so it was nice to visit with her to cheer her up.  Then we headed to Boulder.

In the morning we went to my favorite breakfast place: Turley's Kitchen.  They have amazing juices and I talked Tim into taking a shot of wheat grass.  He asked me what it might taste like, and I said, "Grass."  He said it tasted earthy, but it's healthy...welcome to Boulder!

Then we rented bikes so I could show Tim my alma mater: The University of Colorado at Boulder!  They have a new Buff swimming pool at the Rec Center (awesome! but also why I don't give money to CU).  And Boulder is growing with lots of new off-campus housing and shopping areas. 

 

 

 

Tim of course loved seeing Folsom Field!  Run Ralphie Run!!!

 

We then heading up Boulder Canyon to walk by Boulder Creek for a little while.  Beautiful!

 

We stopped by the Rio Grande because they have the strongest margaritas in town! (Two is the limit!) Then we returned our bikes and stopped by Chautauqua Park to see the Flat Irons.  

 

 

 

After freshening up at the hotel, we headed to the Walnut Brewery where we could sample awesome beers and watch the Mountaineers win against Kansas.  (Let's GO!)  Before we called it a night, we discovered an amazing ice cream place on 11th and Walnut that was packed with students (so we knew it must be good).  We got cookies sandwiches and turned in!

 

 

On Sunday, we headed to Buena Vista, Colorado via I-70 (through the mountains).  It was a beautiful drive and I was pumped to show Tim the BIG mountains.  We stopped at Idaho Springs and saw an old mine (there are many along the way).  Then we stopped at Silverthorne and I got a new pair of pink ski pants (those are hard to find in the 'nati!)  I suggested Tim get some long socks since he didn't bring pants and had yet to discover just how cold it can get in the mountains.

 

 

 

 

We stopped in Leadville and randomly ate Chinese for lunch. 

 

 

Then we finally ended up in Buena Vista where we were staying for the nights.  We headed up over Cottonwood Pass to find some hikes.  At the top, it was windy and cold!!!  I haven't been up over that pass in a long time, and Tim was very impressed at seeing the Continental Divide and some seriously tall mountains.

 

 

We headed down and did a hike up Denny's Creek toward Mt. Yale.  It was a bit steep and we were running out of time (end of daylight savings...whah!)  But we really wanted to get to the lake!  Maybe just ahead...maybe just ahead...2 hours later...maybe just ahead.  Nope.  We didn't make it, but we're pretty sure it was another mile and it was getting dark.  For Tim's first time in the mountains, 6 miles is a pretty great hike!!!  Yeah Tim!

 

 

So we rewarded ourselves with a nice long soak at Cottonwood Hot Springs.  The stars were out in all their glory and the tubs were hot.  It was the most peaceful relaxing spot and we soaked it up.  (But there was a girl who was completely wasted and her boyfriend was looking for her.  Somehow she ended up behind a fence and no one could find her.  Drama.)

 

Since Tim and I could not seem to get off East Coast time, we were awake the next day at 5:30am.  We decided to watch the sunrise over the Collegiate Peaks.  What a beautiful sight!  Strangely, we saw a hunter who picked a scenic viewing area as a choice spot to shoot some game.  Not safe!

 

Then we got coffee and walked along the Arkansas River on a perfectly blue Colorado day.  I love Buena Vista!

 

 

So we headed back to Boulder via Golden.  We decided to eat at a Mexican restaurant in Golden and we both ordered a margarita.  The waitress came back with 4; apparently it was 2 for 1 happy hour!  That got us warmed up to stopping off in El Dorado Canyon with a beer in hand.  Then we decided to pretend we were back in college in Boulder and hit up my favorite bars: LIT at Half Fast Subs, beer at the Boulder Pub, checking out the new Arcade Bar (pumpkin white Russian...brilliant!), and finishing off at Conner O'Neil's!  And thank you to the new bike share stations...you made life much easier!

 

 

 

Paddlefest

So I am a sponsor and board member for Outdoor Adventure Club of Greater Cincinnati and we get urban teens outdoors.  All profits from Paddlefest go to OACGC, so I got involved with Paddlefest this year (which of course means I got Tim and friends involved too)!  Paddlefest is the largest paddle event in the United States!  Thousands of people paddle the Ohio River via kayak, canoe, or even paddleboard.  My job was to get students who participate in OACGC involved in helping at the Covington landing, a halfway mark for the event.  It was a beautiful day for the event and the students had a blast.  I have made some great connections through Paddlefest and OACGC and continue to meet outdoor enthusiasts who support great causes!