Washington DC

In a quest to escape the northern winds, we hit the road and headed south just as the icy rains started. Highlights included lunch with friends at Burdicks, a surprise sunset walk along the Chesapeake Bay, sunny skies (though chilly and windy), the Stickley Museum at Craftman Farms (house closed, grounds open – maybe we’ll get a chance to see the inside next time we are driving through NJ), the Mall in DC, special and regular exhibits at the Renwick, the Hirshhorn, and the National Gallery (mostly the East Wing and the Sculpture Garden – and though fabulous – the multiple pieces by the few established artists represented raised some questions about curating practices at the national level…), the Vietnam Memorial in the dark under an almost full moon, a hot pot of tea at Teaism, good food at the Potenza Bakery and restaurant (espresso, buttery apricot tart for breakfast and homemade pasta for dinner) and Le Bar (great waitress, hot chocolate, and small plates), amazing cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery shop. An uneventful highway trip north, arrived home again as the snows were flying. Hotel room picnics, good chocolate and a food/drink bag in the car helped keep costs low. Surprise stops along the way helped replenish the food bag, like the Providence Divine Cakes and Pastries (yummy mini fruit tartlets) discovered while looking for gas off  highway 83 in PA. Few travelers on the roads meant better hotel rooms for less. And the Yelp App helped guide eating and hotel choices along the way – a great tool for travelers – first discovered on a trip earlier in the fall to Chicago.