August 2nd – August 5th, 2018
Key in the ignition we set out for the road at 7 am. Leaving Louisville with great memories we continued East and couldn’t hide our sadness to head back to the East Coast. We looked forward to our stay in Washington D.C. but knew that this 9 hour drive would be leading us to our final stop on our trip before returning to NYC. Our drive would take us through Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland and then finally we would arrive in the District. Listening to some Drake (Kiki do you love me?), taking turns driving, and stopping at rest stops along the way; we had gotten used to being on the road and the freedom the open road gives its travelers. In the car we often discussed what our favorite place we had visited was. Every conversation started and ended in the same way. We would start be shouting out “South Dakota!”, “well, Montana was so fun”, “Milwaukee! What a great nightlife!”, “ugh…what about Jenny Lake in Wyoming” or “the colors of Moab were spectacular” and finally we would agree that there was no use in picking a favorite as it was impossible. The United States is filled with such splendid beauty that it is impossible to choose the paramount moment of natural beauty and experience. Each stop brought its own spectacular landscape, its own vibe, colors, fauna, flora, people and a signature feeling which is not comparable to another.
As we crossed into the rolling hills of West Virginia we encountered this state’s own inspiring landscape. The interstate curved over and through large treelined mountains. Beyond every twist and turn was more open air and acres of tall, green trees. Miles of them. I had been to West Virginia once before for a week that I refer to as ‘Jesus Camp’ in which I joined my two cousins on their church youth group mission to rebuild homes. At the age of 12, West Virginia seemed a different world than the suburbs of Long Island that I knew. Now, as we drove through these rolling mountains I truly appreciated the natural beauty of this state and treasured the beauty of the United States landscape. Continuing through Maryland, we were officially welcomed back to the East Coast with miles of traffic as we followed lines of cars heading towards Washington D.C. Gone were the days of driving on a two lane stretch of asphalt with no other vehicle around for miles. We arrived at The Madison Hotel around 5 pm. I want to take a moment to thank my friend Jason who kindly booked us a room for our stay using his points! The room was perfect. Pet friendly, centrally located and the staff was friendly. Lennon was a big hit, as always.
As we pulled up the car to unload our bags, people glanced into our car with suspicion and wide-eyes. After a long journey, the car had began to mold into a sort of storage space rather than a four-door vehicle. After we checked into our room, all three of us plopped down and rested a bit. A 9 hour drive deserves a decompress on a fluffy bed. For dinner, we would be dining with Sydney Franklin, one of Jess’ all star clients and her family. They had kindly extended an invite to a lovely dinner at Rasika West End, an Indian restaurant with white tablecloths a luxe atmosphere and delicious food. We all had a lot of laughs and swapped stories. It was an excellent welcome to the last stop on our journey. Rasika offered comfort food in the form of makki kofta, paneer mussalam, naan, tandoori chicken tikka and so much more. After dinner we popped into Public Bar for a night cap and then proceeded to go back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
The next morning, we lazed about and decided to order in room service. As our lazy afternoon rolled on we walked Lennon around the streets of the city, casually exploring and tried to beat the heat by avoiding sunny sidewalks in favor of shaded solace. Having lived in D.C. during college, it was nice to be back for a few days to revisit the city. As we readied for the evening, showering off the humidity and sweat from our day, we headed to ‘Historic Bloomingdale’ which was a part of town I was told to avoid ten years ago. Washington D.C. is fascinating in that way. The city is always regenerating itself with new neighborhoods. Since I left school I think there are 10 new neighborhoods that did not exist. Before dinner we met up with friends at Boundary Stone Pub for a cocktail. Boundary Stone Pub is a very nice public house close to The Red Hen, where we would be eating dinner. The Red Hen is a quaint Italian restaurant that serves up some seriously delicious food. The staff was friendly and offered excellent wine and food recommendations. We indulged in delightful pasta and a bottle of wine. As we finished our dinner, full and tired, we headed back to the hotel as we looked forward to our last full day in Washington DC and final days of our trip on the open road.
We woke August 4th ready for a day on the town. As we had enjoyed our time lazing around the hotel most of the afternoon before, we were on a mission to spend the day site seeing. We decided to begin our day with brunch. Why not indulge a bit before returning to reality? We ended up stumbling upon Pennsylvania 6. We were the only ones in the restaurant when we arrived so we had choice of seating! We sat outside and quickly ordered libations and food. Jess indulged on a stack of french toast with fresh berries and a mimosa and I ordered eggs Benedict an iced tea and a Bloody Mary. We decided to split cinnamon and sugar donuts as an extra treat. The food was delicious and our server was friendly, overall a great place to stumble into for brunch. As we continued on, we headed towards the National Mall. As it was August in Washington DC, we decided an afternoon spent in a cold, marbled museum would be best. We trotted across the National Mall and set our sights on the Freer Gallery of Art. The Freer Gallery of Art is a smaller museum but it is rich in asian art. The building is centered around an open courtyard with a large flowing fountain at the epicenter. After strolling throughout the different rooms and enjoying artworks from the antiquities we headed out to the courtyard and placed ourselves on a bench for a moment of pause and reflection. We would be splitting up for the rest of the afternoon. Jess had some work meetings to attend to and I had plans to meet up with an old college roommate. I headed to the Navy Yard.
I met with my friend Veronica at District Winery in the newly developed Navy Yard. As my Uber pulled up I was amazed at this piece of water front that did not seem to exist when I last lived in DC. Veronica and I caught up over a wine tasting in District Winery’s modern and bright interiors. After our tastes we walked around the waterfront and stumbled into a temporary garden lounge called the Rosé Garden. Erected for the summer season, the Rosé Garden offered overpriced drinks and mediocre service, but the vibe was cute with sunny views and bright pink umbrellas guarding every table. Donning a flamingo as part of their logo I was sold. As the sun was setting I continued my day of indulgence and we met up with Jess and friends at All-Purpose, a pizza place in Logan Circle. With a casual vibe and rustic design, we sat down at a booth and began to ponder over the menu. Not actually having an appetite for more food and drink, I stuffed myself with frozen cocktails, pizzas, salumi, cheese and finally dessert. Yum! As the evening rolled into nighttime we all headed back to our hotel to take a pause and decide on next steps. After a lot of laughs a few of the girls decided to head out to a bar while Jess, Veronica, Lennon and myself decided to walk the National Mall.
I have walked the National Mall many times during my time in DC but a nighttime walk of the Mall is so much more magical than any walk during the day. With fewer crowds and illuminated monuments, the Mall truly shines at night. Not to mention, walking for miles in the August sun was happily avoided. We started out our walk at the Washington Monument and worked our way down to the Lincoln Memorial. Lennon strolled jollily on his lead as we gazed over our Nation’s history. Working up a sweat as we walked, we relished in light breezes and mists from the fountains of the World War II Memorial. Jess and I looked upon the Memorial with nostalgia as we peered upon the states that we had just traveled. Letting out whimsical sighs as we pointed out ‘Wyoming’ or ‘South Dakota’. As we strolled onward we took a moment to think about the past, present and future. Gratitude washed over me as we walked the graveled promenades of the Mall. Gratitude for the sacrifice of the past in fighting for the future of the Nation, and gratitude for the lands we had just navigated, the cultures we had encountered and the natural beauty of the United States.
As we silently meandered back toward the city streets and our hotel there was an unspoken appreciation that hung in the air between Jess and I. For this trip was one that would influence us forever and marked a brief moment in time where exploration sparked joy, gratitude and wonder. The next day we would wake up, gather our belongings, and hit the road one last time. Heading home was always inevitable but when we set out on our road trip the return home seemed to far away. The road west seemed unending and steadfast. Now, as we walked together on the sidewalks of DC we paused and both let out a big tumultuous groan. Hoping this groan would pause and rewind time. A groan that was filled with both appreciation for the journey we had taken and despair for the return home which would officially mark the end of our 2018 summer road trip.