A Capital City

Elegant, lively, historic and proud. Washington, DC is a city unlike many other. I only spent 5 days in the city, and I could have spent that 5 times over again! The Mall is a gorgeous landscape of green and white, as the bounty of trees frame the stark, elegant structures of the capitol building and the Washington monument. It seems that, day in and day out, the monuments and memorials stand, keeping and eye on all the tourists gawking at their beauty, tirelessly posing for thousands of photographs, yet never getting bored of sharing their story of hardships, patriotism and triumphs. It’s really mindboggling to stand at Abe Lincolns feet and look up into his massive eyes, feeling so small compared to this larger-than-life statue.

One of my favourite parts of the city was Georgetown! What a beautiful little town with great shopping and great food! We started the day off at Georgetown Cupcakes, home of the TLC show DC Cupcakes...and they did not disappoint! After purchasing 4 cupcakes, and actually being given 7, I had the red velvet...absolutely divine! Not too sweet and just moist enough. Georgetown also wins for one of the best compliments I’ve ever received. Walking down the street, a man stops and says, with great certainty and seriousness, “You look famous. Who are you?” I was quite flattered! We stopped for lunch at a great little French restaurant called La Madeleine Bakery Cafe. I had half turkey bistro sandwich and half a mushroom quiche... délicieux! The rest of the day was happily spent shopping and running for cover from the rain, a great refresher in the sweltering heat.

Of course, being in Washington DC, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go the Smithsonian exhibits. When in Rome, right? We got right down and touristy, seeing an Imax movie as well, about the disappearing coral reefs...actually quite fascinating! The Natural History Museum was interesting...but nothing special. It really showed us how lucky we are to have museums like the ROM in our own backyard, which is just as good, if not better. Disappointingly, the Smithsonian gears it’s information to the lowest common denominator; the general “tourist” who may not have any knowledge in the content they’re looking at. Which, for me, was all information that I have already learned just in highschool...goes to show it’s a little “dumbed down”. Also, my brother and I noticed right away it was a horribly set up museum...no flow or direction, just a bunch of content plopped down in a room. After spending 2 months in London, England roaming museums pretty much every day, we definitely noticed how much easier a good museum can be to navigate! I did get to discover the uncanny resemblance between my brother and Neanderthals, as well as examine injured skeletons up close in the forensic science exhibit.

All in all, Washington DC is a place that I would go back to in a heartbeat. The people are lively, the city is beautiful and the sites are plenty. There is a ton more things I’d like to explore and take pictures of. Maybe find some more little graffiti robots on the road...they are like the little rebellious teens getting up to no good in a city under constant watch by guys in dark shades and black ties. They’re kind of refreshing; edgy I guess...they just give the city, that’s always being watched, the tad bit of mystery that makes it unique.  

Victoria