Four days in D.C.

Wide open spaces

I am back home after four kid-free days in our nation's Capitol.  Sam was attending the Craft Brewers Conference with guys from Oakshire Brewing, and staying with our friends, Ian and Elizabeth.  I was able to fly and meet them for a few days, but leaving the kids is always good and bad, hard and easy.  I was so ready for a break, but it is so much work to prepare to leave them (and so much guilt) to ask others to watch our children for four days.  It was hard to say that 'yes, I need time away,' but also quite easy not to miss them once I was away.

Unfortunately, I was fighting a bad sore those and cough the whole time, and the weather was chilly and windy.  But fortunately, I still had a great time visiting friends, touring the city and exploring on my own.  Sam and I had some time together to walk (until we both had blisters on our feet!), and I spent one day walking pretty much the entire length of the Mall.  I had been to DC eleven years ago, in brutal August heat and humidity, so I was familiar with how deceiving things look there.  And while it is a pretty compact city, the Mall is long and the buildings are big!  Washington D.C. is such has such a grand presence, compared to most U.S. cities.  But I wanted to make the most of my time there, so the hell with the blisters, sore throat, and chilly wind.

This was for Morgan who wanted to see the White House!

Soccer on the Mall

I was so disappointed the cherry blossoms were not in bloom!

To get a break from the chilly weather, I took advantage of the beautiful and free museums.  I loved visiting the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.  Both were so peaceful and inspiring to explore.  I couldn't remember the last time I was in a museum, so my art-deprived brain was pretty content.  I also spent plenty of time on the Metro, which I loved.  Taking subways in new cities is always fun (and also gave me a chance to rest my tired feet!)

A Warhol at the East Wing of the National Gallery. 

The funky light tunnel connecting the two wings. 

Presidential portraits at the Portrait Gallery

Two tapestries of Obama at the Portrait Gallery

We happened to be in DC the week of the hearings at the Supreme Court on gay marriage, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to walk over there to see the gathering of people out front.  By the time I arrived, the hearings were winding down and there weren't as many people as I expected, but there were quite a few media crews and more young people in support of gay marriage across the street.  How lucky we are to live in a country where not only can people speak and protest freely, but we are constantly evolving as a society to ensure that everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness.

The front of the Supreme Court

Making a stand for marriage equality

One of the best parts of the trip was spending time with Ian and Elizabeth.  They have a beautiful row house and made us feel so at home, as did their giant, lovable dog, Lute (and the kitties tolerated us well!)  It was so great catching up with them, after not being in the same city (we all used to live in Eugene) for nearly four years.  And we had lots of fun talking about Portland, because they will be moving here in a few months. Yay!  

At the Boundary Stone, drinking Oakshire on tap in DC!

Parkman Place

Lute on the lookout

Their cute neighborhood

I am so thankful for the chance to get away and explore another city, while my kids were so well cared for.  I am so so appreciative of Emily, our nanny, and my parents, who all took great care of the girls, had them go on lots of fun adventures, and had them soundly asleep when I got home last Friday.  They even slept in for me too!  I am still solo parenting, because Sam went on to Denmark and Finland to talk even more about beer (the Danish government invited him to talk to brewers there about the business side of the craft beer industry).  But he will be home in a couple days and the girls and I can't wait to have him back!