D.C. Part 1
America the beautiful.
My boyfriend and I took a trip to D.C. and let me just tell you, it's our new favorite city! I had been there once before (8th grade school trip woot woot), but I didn't really remember much/appreciate it the same way as I do now. The historical aspect of D.C. was inspiring and energizing. You just feel the power in that city. My boyfriend and I have a new found interest in politics, so it made D.C. that much cooler. We are also obsessed with show 'Scandal' so that made the trip even more interesting...hehe. And no we aren't current, so no one spoil it for me!! This post is about some of the places we visited. I'll post some pics in the post to follow :)! We were in D.C. for just a few days, so here are some of the highlights. Can't wait to go back!
•The National Mall
•National Archives
•The White House
•The Capitol
•Captain Cookie & The Milkman
•RPM Italian
•Tilt & The Big Hunt
THE NATIONAL MALL
Most of the monuments and memorials are located on The National Mall. It's def touristy but a must see! Unfortunately, it was really cold when we arrived that night BUT the best time to see the monuments is at night! They were all lit up and majestic looking...so beautiful. It was sweet to see people make it a date night...bottle of wine, take out and sittin' on the stairs of history. You also can do a Segway tour if you don't want to walk it.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
This one is short and sweet. The Constitution is there. The end. (Yes, we pretended we were in National Treasure, lol).
THE WHITE HOUSE
Standing in front of the White House is surreal. It's cool to see it on TV, but it's nothing like seeing it in person. So many presidents. So much history. We were able to see it in the light of day and at night. Both times were equally cool. The streets were pretty empty after dark, so we had a chance to chat with a secret service agent and experience the view without a crowd.
THE CAPITOL
This was by far both of our favorite buildings to visit. We have a friend who lives in D.C. and works for a Congressman, sooo he hooked us up with a private tour. The speaker's balcony, which looks over everything is amazing and pretty breathtaking. I think the second thing, which was the highlight of the trip, was being able to walk onto The House Floor!!! This was an awesome experience. Phones and cameras are prohibited, so I don't have any pics to share, but it was an unbelievable honor. Walking where so many GREATS have walked. Sitting in their seats. Truly an unforgettable memory I will forever cherish.
RPM ITALIAN
Our friends told us that the D.C. restaurants are starting to step it up, and honestly our meals were pretty good. But my favorite was RPM Italian. And if you know me or have followed me on social you know how much I love Giuliana & Bill Rancic!! So naturally we made a point to go to their D.C. restaurant, which literally, was our first stop, hehe. The food was spectacular, like always in Chi town, and the service was ABOVE & BEYOND. Not only was our server amazeballs, but the entire staff was great. They truly treated us like 'celeb status' and made sure we had everything we needed. It was such a great experience and just one example of how nice the people of D.C. are. It's like the Hollywood for politics!
CAPTAIN COOKIE & THE MILKMAN
This little gem of a place is a bit out of the main city area but not too far out (everything in D.C. is fairly close). You can SMELL this place from the street and the name alone made me want to go check it out!!! And you guessed it...they have the BEST, WARM COOKIES! Their signature dessert is two homemade cookies with their homemade ice cream in the middle. Mike got that and loved it. I got 3 different cookies, because, well, I just couldn't decide on one. Straight out of the oven, hot and gooey. My favorite flavor was double chocolate. Beyond yum :)
THE NIGHTLIFE
After a BBQ with our friends, we hit the town! A comedy club idea was thrown out and my friend said he knew just the place. 'D.C. Underground' is located in the basement of a bar called 'The Big Hunt'. This place was another one of my favorite spots. You basically find out about this place because someone else found out about it, and then they tell someone else, and the journey begins. From the outside it seems a bit sketchy, lurking underneath this bar, but it was so awesome! $15 cover, walk down a flight of narrow stairs into a tiny basement. There are some chairs set up and the rest is standing room only. It fits maybe 100 people, maybe. And the best part? On any given night they have locals and well known comics. The night we went the guy had been on Conant and Comedy Central. He was hilarious. Truly. A ton of political jokes, which were really great especially since most people there work on The Hill. Definitely recommend checking this place out! Check out their website to see who's playing that night, or don't, and just show up! The next spot we went to was honestly the COOLEST bar I've ever been to. And no, I'm not just saying that. It was called 'Tilt' and is located inside of 'Black Jack', another hidden gem! When you first walk in you walk upstairs to Black Jack. That bar is pretty sweet as well, but if you walk all the way to the back of the bar you'll find a door with a security guard. That's where you want to go! Behind that door is the most unique, tiny bar. It's filled with comics and pictures and just weirdly cool stuff, even a fish tank!!! The whole vibe and look of the place was enough for me but it was also super fun and the crowd and music was great! It was low key but high end at the same time. Music wasn't clubby music but a mixture of dance songs and songs you know all the words to! If you are in D.C. it's a must see:)!
