Week 3 / Weekend 3

The title for this past week and weekend could be titled M&M, Monuments & Museums.

Last week I visited as many monuments as I could as well as the Library of Congress.

The Washington Monument is currently encased in scaffolding that has been decorated with some kind of blue netting. The monument itself is very impressive but I definitely think it probably looked better without the scaffolding.

The Lincoln Memorial is amazing! The sheer size of the Lincoln statue is breathtaking and if you turn around you can see an amazing view of the reflection pool and the Washington Memorial.

The Jefferson is also amazing. It is located in the tidal basin so the surrounding area is beautiful. The monument itself is complete with stunning architecture, a statue of Jefferson himself, and inscriptions on the walls of a few of Jeffersons most famous speeches.

The Library of Congress was designed by a Frenchman and is so ornate and beautiful. The ceilings are inlaid with frescos, golden flowers,  bright colors and crown molding. Also, the main reading room, which is not open to the public but can be viewed from an observatory deck, is gorgeous!

All of these are a must see!  To view pictures follow my the following link to my flicker account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94159959@N07/

This weekend was filled with Museums. I went to three smithsonian museums, The Natural History Museum, American History Museum, and the Air and Space Museum.

The Natural History Museum is really cool! There are a lot of fascinating exhibits and specimens including breathtaking jewelry, dinosaur skeletons, a giant squid, and a butterfly atrium. While this museum is so interesting, it comes with a warning. If you do not believe in evolution you may have some difficulties at this museum because it is heavily evolution based. I personally am a Christian, meaning I have creationist views, so this museum posses some difficulties for me but I just have to look at everything from my personal perspectives and ignore the parts I do not agree with. Definitely doable and definitely worth checking out!  

After the Natural History Museum I visited the American History Museum. This museum holds so many treasures and insight into the past of our country. You might choose not to visit this museum because you think history is boring but be assured, there is something at this museum for you and you will find it fascinating! There is everything from ships to electricity, cars, money, pop culture, the first ladies, presidents, African American culture and the History of the flag. 

Finally I went to the Air and Space Museum. I thought this was going to be the most boring time in my life but I was completely wrong! This museum has some of the coolest things I have ever seen such as drones, satellites, afterburners of a space shuttle, planes, simulators, and a whole section of interactive "games" that teach you about physics. I was a little spoiled though because the person I went with is an engineer so he explained the intricacies of everything to me. This museum is fascinating, a learning experience, and simply fun to go to!

  

   

Finally, Sunday afternoon I went to the Point of View. A restaurant on top of a hotel a block from the White House. From my table I could see the White House, the Washington Monument, and the department of the Treasury. It was also really cool to see the tops of all the building because almost every one was flying an American flag on its roof. Besides an amazing view the food was delicious1 It is tapas style so you get to try a lot of things and share which is just fun!   

 

Second Weekend

My Second Weekend here was not quite as eventful as the first, but nonetheless, it was still exciting.

I am a food network fan so when I found out Iron Chef Bobby Flay owned a restaurant here in D.C. I had to try it out. The place is called Bobby's Burger Palace and specializes in gourmet burgers. I had a dallas burger complete with season crusted patty, monterey jack cheese, pickles, BBQ sauce, and cole slaw.

As excited as I was to sink my teeth into this burger I was a little disappointed. While it was good and I would definitely go back I wasn't overly impressed and I definitely would not go out of my way to eat here again.

That being said, if you are a burger fan or a Bobby Flay fan give it a try.

 







Besides eating at Bobby's Burger Palace I also went to the National Geographic Museum. This was very interesting. It is not free like most museums in D.C. but it is not expensive either. I think it was about $11.00 but you can get discounts for numerous reasons such as subscribing to their magazine or being a student. Their current exhibit is about a pirate ship found off the coast of Cape Cod. If you have some free time definitely make it a point to go to the museum.

My First Weekend

I packed this past weekend full of fun and activities!

Saturday:

Saturday morning I went to the Eastern market and the Capitol Hill Book Store- Both of these are a must see!

The Eastern Market is historic dating back to the 1800's . Here you can find a mix of farmers market, craft fair, and flea market all wrapped in one. There is truly something for everyone here. And even if you just want to look, and not shop, you can sample the freshest fruit in DC while smelling the fresh cut blooming flowers.

The Capitol Hill Book Store is somewhere every book lover needs to go, but be prepared, it could take years to get through every book in that store. From the floor to the ceiling and in every nook, cranny, and corner there are books piled on top of each other. There are two stories in this cozy shop with almost every title you could imagine!

Later that I afternoon I went to Alexandria, Virginia. This is one of America's oldest cities. There are a lot of shops and restaurants in Alexandria as well as the Torpedo Factory and many other historic places to visit. Getting there is easy, you simply take the Yellow metro line towards Huntington and get off at King St. There is a free trolly that will pick you up at the metro station and take you to the waterfront. Be advised: you probably need to spend a whole day here! There is so much to see and do that it is almost impossible to finish it in one afternoon.

While in Alexandria I got cupcakes at Alexandria cupcake. They were divine! Especially the rosewater one! and I had dinner at the Notting Hill. This restaurant was very pricy but the food was delicious and the interior was elegant. I would definitely recommend eating here.

Sunday:

I packed Sunday full with almost as much excitement!

Sunday Morning I went to Capitol Hill Baptist Church. This Church is led by Mark Devers, who is considered one of the top Theologians in the country. He offers direct, biblically based sermons that are both educational and inspirational. This is an amazing church that I think everyone should attend at least once.

After Church I headed to the Smithsonian National Zoo. This zoo was great! it was spacious, had lots of animals, and best of all it was free! If you need to kill three or more hours definitely check out the zoo.  This is a massive park that will take a good three hours to walk if you visit all the exhibits. Also, this parks claim to fame are their Giant Pandas. My favorite though was the Red Panda, it looked like a teddy bear.

Finally for dinner Sunday I went to the 6th Engine. This restaurant is a refurbished firehouse, but not just any firehouse, it is actually D.C.'s oldest firehouse. The food is delicious, especially the complimentary homemade chips and onion dip. My meal was absolutely wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone visiting  the area.

Week 1:

So my first week here has been a little hectic between getting moved in, settled into a new city, and work. Needless to say I haven't gotten to tour much, no thats an overstatement. I haven't gotten to tour at all!

But never fear, I have a trip to Alexandria planned for tomorrow and a trip to the Smithsonian Zoo planned for Sunday.

I'm looking forward to my adventures and I can't wait to describe my experiences here either.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Ashlyn Robinson. I am from Florida and I am a senior at the University of Florida. This summer I have the amazing opportunity to intern in Washington D.C. for eight weeks. I will be working four days a week which will leave me Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to sight see and tour the capitol of our great nation.

I am going to use this blog to document my sight seeing adventures while in D.C. and also give you all advice on the must sees in this historic and lively city. I also hope to learn some of the secret ins and outs of navigating Washington from the locals so I will provide those as well.

I will move to Washington tomorrow so until then hopefully this website can provide some tourist advice until I can start sight seeing myself. Enjoy! http://washington.org/