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Ms Smith Goes to WashingtonMs Smith Goes to Washington
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Our family travels through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City. Read more
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  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 1

    Early Morning Flights

    July 1, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Early morning flights are cheap for a reason.

    We got up this morning at 3:30. In the morning! Evan was pretty groggy, but we all got up, ate, and dressed just in time for our cab to roll up at 4:15. It’s pretty quiet in Winnipeg at 4:15 am.

    The airport check in and security line was lengthy, but uneventful. We boarded our plane around 6 and arrived in Minneapolis at 7:50. We had about half an hour to grab breakfast and Starbucks before boarding our next plane. Our flight to Ronald Reagan International Airport (in Arlington, VA) was about two hours long.

    When we arrived in Arlington, the pilot asked us to close all the windows and open all the air vents to keep the plane cool... because it was 36c outside! Yikes. We deplaned, grabbed our bag and headed to the metro. We are staying in Arlington, so we only had to ride the metro for a few stops.

    Luckily our hotel room was ready when we arrived, so we checked in and unpacked a bit. We needed a bit of lunch, so we stopped in at The Little Beet and had bowls (Brad and I shared a poke bowl and Evan created his own). Then it was back on the metro to L’Enfant Plaza to pick up our Hop On Hop Off bus passes for tomorrow. It was getting late into the afternoon and we had to get to Columbia Heights to get in line for Bad Saint, a highly reviewed, no reservations, 20 seat Filipino restaurant.

    We waited (in the shade, luckily) for awhile and sure enough a lengthy line formed. We had read about this service where you pay someone to stand in line for you and sure enough, we saw it in action! The guy behind us in line was actually being paid to wait there for these two guys who showed up just before the restaurant opened! I don’t know if it’s insanity or pure genius...

    Nonetheless, we got in when Bad Saint opened at 5. It was family style sharing and so we ordered four dishes. The first dish to come out was the soft shell crab with a rich, earthy sauce. The next plate was beef short ribs that had been cooked in curry and it was served with flash fried beans that had been chilled. Our third dish was crazy! It was trumpet mushrooms with a duck egg and garlic oil. You mixed it all together while it sizzled and added a sour vinegar. It was a funky mix of sweet, sour, and fermented. I’ve never had anything like it! Our last dish was a pancit made of mung beans and squid ink. It was much lighter tasting than it sounds. Needless to say, we were stuffed, but they still brought us rice flour brownies to finish. Brad and I also had mango sour beers with our meal, which was nice to cut out the heat of the dishes.

    After dinner, we took the metro to our home station and then walked to Safeway to grab some breakfast food. We have been awake for 18 hours at this point and are going to bed very soon. It was a sweaty, but enjoyable first day in DC!    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 2

    Melting in DC

    July 2, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We slept for almost 12 hours and woke up ready to hit the town! We ate a quick breakfast and grabbed iced lattes at the corner coffee stop and then took an Uber to the Lincoln Memorial. It was a balmy 35c by 10am, which actually worked in our favour. Hot, sweaty, and worn out tourists barely even looked at Lincoln so it was perfect to get close for some pictures! We also saw this great Lego exhibit where someone had built The Washington Memorial and White House completely out of Lego!

    We walked over to the Reflecting Pool and looked out over the water towards the Washington Memorial before walking over to the Vietnam Memorial. We could not believe how many names were inscribed on the wall.

    We had planned to catch our Hop On bus near the Vietnam Memorial, but because of Independence Day preparations, it wasn’t going to that stop. So, not to be defeated (after all we did overcome our terrible bus experiences in Rome) we walked to the White House. As you can imagine, there are many barricades and protests of all kinds happening. It was still pretty cool to see and bigger than I had imagined.

    Just down the block was Renwick Gallery. It is a small gallery and the entire space was devoted to an exhibit about the art of Burning Man. The sculptures and costumes on display were a sight to behold! There was one room that was a temple constructed out of wood blocks and a man powered tin dragon and interactive trees that grew into different shapes when you stepped on a panel. It was a very cool show!

    It was after lunch time, so we took the metro to E’nfant Plaza and walked down to the wharf. We grabbed a bite at the much talked about Shake Shack and enjoyed burgers and an incredibly thick and rich chocolate shake. There was a Milk Bar close by, so we popped in to get a piece of crack pie to share.

    Refuelled, we waited to get on the Hop On bus, which then took us to see the Capital building (from afar, lots of 4th preparations are happening there at the moment) and then to the National Air and Space Museum, which is the second most visited museum in the world. (The Louvre is first.) There, we were able to see the real Spirit of St. Louis! We also saw a large exhibit about the Apollo missions, including a chance to “look inside” the living quarters of an astronaut in space. We saw another exhibit about the Wright brothers and their process to building their flying machine. Then it was on to the planes used in WWI and WWII, and the evolution of using planes in battle. After a quick tour through the gift shop where Evan bought a Neapolitan ice cream space bar and a magnet, we walked to the Hirschorn Museum of Contemporary Art.

    We only had 30 minutes before the museum closed, so we made our way to the Barbara Krueger floor first and then up to see the Mark Bradford exhibit. We saw Bradford’s work at the Venice Biennale last year as he represented the USA there. We also saw other contemporary pieces including a very realistic looking sculpture of a large man and a condensation cube. Evan wasn’t allowed to go in one room due to mature themes. If only the security guard knew how many “jigglys” Evan had to see last year! Haha!

    Before we knew it, time was up and we had to leave. We took the metro back to Arlington so we could cool down in our hotel before supper.    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 2

    More Monday Pictures

    July 2, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We decided to stay in Virginia for supper, so we took the metro to the neighbourhood of Clarendon and walked to Heritage Brewing Company for a late supper. It should be noted that even at 8 pm, it was still 32c.

    We were seated in the lovely air conditioned brewpub and Brad and I ordered flights of their beer. The brewery is owned by veterans, so many of their beers had apropos names like “Freedom Isn’t Free” and “Civil Rights.” To start, Brad and I had deviled eggs and a platter of smoked fish. The smoked fish was incredible! They had a pastrami salmon that I’m
    sure I’ll dream about! Then Brad and I shared a 1/2 chicken that had been rubbed with adobo and came with three sauces: chimichurri, “yum yum” sauce and gravy. We also had mac ‘n cheese and lime and cilantro corn on the cob. Evan chose to have the heritage burger and fries, which he enjoyed with his craft root beer soda.

    Feeling full, we made our way back to the metro where a fire somewhere down the line had caused delays. Luckily we were able to take a different line and get back safely without too much trouble.    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 3

    Museums and More Museums!

    July 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    After hitting our neighbourhood coffee shop, we were on our way. The first stop of the day was a trip back to the Hirschorn, so Evan could chat with their interactive museum robot and so Brad could check out a few pieces he didn’t see yesterday (and we all needed to see the sculpture garden). The sculpture garden had works by Rodin, Yayoi Kusama (the artist we saw an entire show of in Toronto), and Lichtenstein. We then walked over to the National Gallery of Art where we did a quick tour of the Impressionists. We saw several Monets, Van Goghs, and Cezannes, but we had seen some of these artists’ greatest hits in Paris, so we only stayed for about 45 minutes.

    We took the underground tunnel to the American Art Museum where we spent more time looking at some of my favourite art movement (Abstract Expressionism) pieces. There was “Mural” by Jackson Pollock, which was the piece that got him noticed by Peggy Guggenheim, and an early Rothko, as well as Warhol and Magritte. In the center if the museum was a large Calder sculpture which was pretty incredible!

    Then we walked as close as we could get to the Capitol Building (lots of prep for the concerts happening tomorrow!) before catching our Hop On bus at The Newseum. We rode the bus towards Ford’s Theatre (where Lincoln was assassinated) and then hopped off to walk to our lunch destination. For lunch we visited a Top Chef finalist’s sandwich shop called Smoked and Stacked. Evan had the pulled pork, Brad had pastrami and I had the special BLT. Messy, delicious, and satisfying. After sandwiches, we made a quick stop at Buttercream for a Mexican cookie sandwiched with dulce de leche.

    We walked back towards the National Portrait Gallery. To begin, we looked at some of the new acquisitions including Christy Turlington, and then moved on to the presidential portraits. The highlight was obviously seeing Obama’s portrait that was done by Kehinde Wiley. It was luminescent! It seemed to glow from within - it was that enigmatic! We also went upstairs to see Michelle Obama’s portrait, which is really beautiful.

    Unbeknownst to us, it had stormed something fast and fierce while we were in the gallery. So we ended up taking a cab to the Holocaust Museum.    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 3

    Holocaust Museum and Dinner

    July 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    To get in, you have to reserve times tickets and for good reason. The Holocaust Museum was incredibly busy. We lined up and took the elevator up to the top floor where the exhibit began. I’m not sure how to describe it. The museum was very comprehensive and gave a thorough picture of Hitler’s rise to power and the “final solution.” I didn’t take any pictures because it seemed like the last thing you should be doing, and I was brought to tears many times in the two hours we spent in the exhibit. There were cobblestones from the Warsaw ghetto, a cattle car, replica barracks, and so many stories. The pile of shoes was heartbreaking, but so were the pictures of people whose towns had been wiped out when they were all exterminated. It’s probably something I can’t describe, but everyone should go and witness.

    ...

    Heavy hearted, we left at closing time and walked towards our dinner reservation. A little early, we popped into Pret a Manger for a quick drink and cool down, and then carried on to China Chilcano, which is a Jose Andres restaurant.

    We were lucky to have a reservation because this place was packed! The concept is Asian and Peruvian, and we picked this day to try it out because they have half priced dim sum on Tuesdays! We had pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, cilantro/veggie dumplings, pork wontons, and then two Peruvian dishes. One was a fish soup with fish collar, mushrooms, and rice, and the other was a chicken stew with cheese, pecans, and a rich chicken in sauce with rice. Brad and I sipped on Chilcanos which were basically a lighter version of the pisco sour. Everything was delicious and we left very satisfied!

    We walked back to the metro which took us back home. However, we had to make a pit stop at the Continental Beer Gardens for a quick pint. Luckily, there was a very cute labradoodle for Evan to chum around with while we drank our pints!

    Another busy day in DC complete!    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 4

    Baseball, beer, and the Fourth of July

    July 4, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    There were no museums in our plans today because we were going to begin our Fourth with the great American pastime. A good ‘ol baseball game!

    We walked to the already busy metro and didn’t have to question if we were on the right line because the train was packed with Nats and Sox fans alike! In fact, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it into the second train because it was so full!

    We arrived at the Nationals Stadium around 10:40 and the game was due to start at 11. Brad bought a Nats hat and shirt because, honestly, if you weren’t wearing red, white, and blue you were sticking out like a sore thumb! You may not agree with their gun laws, president, or tariffs, but you kind of had to be in awe of the rampant patriotism today. There was a guy wear a shirt that had the Constitution written on it!

    Anyway, we got our bearings and got our beverages (two beer for $30!) before sitting in our section (109). It was hot (33c) and we were in the sun, but there were a few clouds and a breeze which made it bearable for the first two innings. By then, we were quite sweaty, so we walked the concourse to cool down and scope out lunch options. They had cooling fans stationed around the stadium, which certainly provided relief! Being traditionalists, Evan and I had Nathan’s hot dogs at the game while Brad opted for crab cake tater tots (a delicious choice, btw). We made it back to our seats just as the game got exciting! Our section was full of Sox fans, so we were fortunate that the Sox took the lead because the people around us were very excited about that!

    During the 7th inning stretch, the cast of Hamilton sang God Bless America, we all sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame and two presidential mascots came out and danced. It was pretty great! Unfortunately the Nats could not get it going today and the Sox ultimately triumphed 3-0. However our section didn’t mind a bit and celebrated the victory!

    We thought our ride back might be crazy, but it wasn’t too bad and we managed to get back to our hotel to cool down. The sun has worn us out these past few days, so some AC and water was needed.    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 4

    Food and Fireworks

    July 4, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Brad and I had a quick nap to recharge our batteries and then got dressed for our night out. We took the metro back to the Clarendon neighbourhood to eat at Ambar. Ambar is a Balkan tapas restaurant where you can choose to do the “Balkan Experience” which is unlimited small plates. We like to try many different foods, so this was for us!

    We began with grilled calamari and a tasting of spreads that included an aged cow cheese with chilli flakes, beet tzatziki, and lamb pate served with a variety of breads. Next was the Balkan salad (Greek salad), the kajmak selection (whipped curd that is as light as air and flavoured in a few different ways - this was something that I’d never had before and it was incredible!), and drunken mussels. Our waiter then suggested the rainbow trout and potato salad, a lovely and light dish. This was followed by moussaka, lamb stew, BBQ pork ribs, and a meat and a cheese pie. It should be noted that each dish was small, so only a few bites each. We weren’t done yet! We also ate pork sausage, lamb rotisserie, stuffed peppers, and lastly the short rib beef goulash (one of everyone’s favourites!). Whew.

    Our meal had taken two hours and we needed to get to the Marine Corps park for the fireworks, so we grabbed an Uber. We weren’t interested in camping out all day at the Capitol to see the show, so we found out that you could see the Capitol’s fireworks from this park in Rosslyn. This park has a sculpture of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima and to see it all lit up was quite breathtaking.

    After going through a security check to get into the park (there were police and security everywhere!) we found a place on the grass to set up shop. The fireworks began as promised at 9:09 and lasted 20 minutes. At one point the fireworks spelled out U-S-A! That was pretty impressive to see! As you can imagine, the display was large and stunning! It was hard to get pictures because it was so dark, but Evan took a few videos.

    Once the grand finale happened, we headed out of the park with the thousands of other spectators and walked back to our hotel. It was a pretty perfect way to end our time in DC!    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 5

    Philadelphia or Bust

    July 5, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    We packed up all our stuff and took the metro to Union Station so that we could catch our Amtrak train to Philadelphia. The Amtrak boarding was probably the most chaotic scene I’ve seen in awhile. No real line, just random milling about and then a lot of shoving and jostling. Nonetheless we got our seats and stored our bags and sat back for the almost 2 hour train ride.

    On our ride, we stopped in Baltimore, MD and Wilmington, DE - two more states to add to our list! Although we only got to see these cities through the train windows, it was still neat to be able to see them at all.

    We arrived in Philly just after 1 and walked to our apartment, which is in the Rittenhouse neighbourhood. I’m not sure how old the neighbourhood is, but it’s obviously a historic part of your city. Beautiful old trees and brownstones line the streets and there are these great neighbourhood restaurants and stores all around.

    We got ourselves settled and then went to the Reading Market for lunch (yes, just like a Reading Railroad). This place was packed even at 2:30 pm! There were so many places to eat at that it was hard to choose. Brad and Evan decided to get huge sandwiches at Dinic’s and I had the Melter Skelter at Meltworks (raclette cheese, jalapeños, pickled green tomatoes, bbq chips and watercress). We then took an Uber across downtown to get to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where we saw a Van Gogh sunflower painting, a Duchamp urinal, an excellent Jasper Johns’ wing, and several rooms of armour (request by Evan).

    We stayed there until closing time and then walked to Crime and Punishment brewery, which was about 15 minutes away. It was happy hour, so we tried a few of their appropriately named brews before heading back to Rittenhouse to grab some groceries. Our little corner grocery store has the biggest craft beer section I’ve ever seen in a grocery store! Liquor laws are harsh here and liquor license are expensive, so many restaurants encourage a BYOB approach.    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
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    Day 5

    Laurel

    July 5, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    When we got back to our place, we had to get ready for our fanciest dinner of the trip. We were off to Laurel, which is owned and run by a Top Chef winner. We took an Uber to get there and we went through a lot of different neighbourhoods. It seems that every block has a menagerie of places that are old and worn looking and then a few new places stuck in here and there. It’s obviously an old city, but it has this great charm that we all noticed in the afternoon when we first set out. It’s very different than all the suits wearing lanyards and tourists that abound in DC!

    We arrived at the 20 seat, tasting menu only restaurant for 8:30. We were seated and obviously Evan was the only kid there! They showed him the non-spirit cocktails list and we were on our way through the seven courses.

    Our amuse bouche was a little round sphere of rhubarb soup. You had to take it all at once because it exploded in your mouth! Our first course was cured kampachi with green peaches and sea buckthorn. It was a light and refreshing course. Next was one of my favourites and one of Evan’s least favourites, Burgundy snails with Pennsylvania polenta and a truffle foam. It was delicious! We had a small bite before our next course which was a tart filled with frozen foie gras and a blueberry vinegar.

    The third course was a table favourite: shaved asparagus with confit frog leg and herb butter. The asparagus ate like pasta and tasted hearty even though it was largely vegetables. At first we told Evan the frog was chicken and he loved it! Then we told him it was frog and he was a bit surprised, but said he still loved it! I think the staff was pretty impressed with Evan at this point- even the chef, Nick Elmi, came out to plate something for us and asked if Evan ate the foie gras (which he did).

    Next up was wild striped bass with fava beans and pistachios, another table favourite! Course number five was roasted lamb with daylily kimchi and ground ivy jus. The lamb was perfect! We were getting pretty full by the time course six emerged, and it was probably our least favourite course. It was braised pork cheek with fermented radishes. And finally, dessert was macerated Delaware strawberries with strawberries sorbet and champagne foam. However, we also got petit fours with our bill, so we also got one last sweet treat!

    The dinner was beautifully done and we left feeling quite full and happy!    Read more

  • TravelerMs Smith Goes to Washington
    Day 6

    The Liberty Bell Still Has a Crack

    July 6, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We began our day by doing our laundry and then walked to Independence Hall to see it and the Liberty Bell. There was a fairly long line to get in to see the Bell, but it moved quickly. Before you got to the Bell, there was an exhibit about its history. It was actually really interesting to see all the groups who had used the Bell as a symbol of liberty - the women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and the LGBTQ equality movement to name a few.

    Then we got to actually see the Bell! It sounds not that exciting, but it was pretty cool to see it up close and to see the famous crack in the Bell. It was a bit smaller than I had imagined, but had a presence nonetheless.

    By this time, it had started to pour, so we threw on our rain coats and made a mad dash for the visitor center across the street. We were soaked! We spent a bit of time in the gift shop and then took pictures with Ben Franklin, the Greetings from Philadelphia sign, and the mascot from the Phillies (Phillie Phanatic). We also looked at options for the afternoon.

    Before we knew it, we had to meet our Philly Cheesesteak Tour, so we went outside where the rain had subsided and met Nina, our guide.    Read more

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