A Birthday in DC

Dave was working in Washington DC for a couple of weeks and the weekend in the middle happened to be both his birthday and prime cherry blossom season.

So it was perfect for a weekend exploring the capital city.

I arrived off the megabus bus (which is equally miserable here as in the UK - note to self) at 8pm on Friday night just in time for birthday cocktails and an amazing meal. 

The view above was the first thing you see when you leave the station.

Whilst NY was only just beginning to show signs of life after a never-ending winter in DC it felt like Spring.

Since I'd never been before we had to tick off most of the big tourist sights. 

I loved seeing all the Presidential memorials and so many familiar sights from films and, of course, The West Wing (which I am now even more desperate to re-watch)

{Lincoln Memorial and sight of Martin Luther King's speech at the March on Washington}.

{Obligatory shots with Washington Monument in background, including scaffolding}

We actually just missed peak cherry blossom bloom (and were put off by the huge crowds) but still enjoyed a walk round the famous tidal basin 

{White House! And chocolate milkshake!}

{Library of Congress}

I definitely want to go back. The things we liked most were that all the museums were free (like London and very much unlike NYC). 

We managed to fit in a couple in our quick weekend but we really want to visit in winter and just do museums. 

Also the architecture was so different from New York and definitely felt more southern. 

We loved walking around Georgetown and the Capital District looking at all the amazing houses and old historic streets. 

Easter Sunday day-trip

Easter Sunday, blue skies and what felt like the first day of summer seemed like good enough reasons to get out of the city for a day with Mum and Simon. 

We decided to get the train up the Hudson river (a scenic trip in itself) to Beacon to visit the Dia Art Foundation which everyone in New York seems to be talking about at the moment.

The gallery is housed in a former printing factory right by the river and is a really incredible venue. Absolutely huge and so bright and characterful. 

It was very calming, enjoyable and totally engrossing.

I would definitely recommend a trip.

Dave's favourite pieces included giant metal drums with disorientating maze type paths through them and (of course!) a huge rock.

They also have a beautiful and very well looked after garden filled with blossom trees and a tropical soundscape.

After lunch in the garden we hopped one more stop on the train to Cold Spring village (which I'd previously visited with Susie) for a walk, some big house spying, antique hunting (I found a great vintage tennis racket for $10 which I love!) and most importantly the very first ice-cream of the season.

So excited for a New York summer now!

A park view

We're really loving being so close to Central Park at the moment. 

As we move into Spring and start to see glimpses of our first New York summer it's great to have such a lovely expanse of quiet and green to wander in.

Here are some of my favourite park views taken on my iphone last week on a morning walk to The Met with Mum and Simon and today on a leisurely Friday afternoon off.