Memorial Day Weekend Part 1

We got an early start to Memorial Day weekend when we got off at 3pm on Friday. Lauren, Sarah and I took the metro straight to Union Station. As we made reservations at the Capitol Grill, we realized that the Postal Museum was next door (and open for another hour and a half). The museum is probably overlooked by most tourists as it is far from the other museums, but I recommend it for a quick stop. The building used to be the post office for DC, but was replaced by a newer building in the 80s.

Granted, the museum does hype some of the stuff inside (like the section on mail security), but it had plenty of hands-on stuff for small children and a large collection of stamps that are quite beautiful. There is even a post-office attached to the museum~how cool!

The museum evoked some poignant emotions as I contemplated the glorious history of print mail. An industry that once occupied a highly respected place in our nation is now a dying art. While the stamps almost inspired me to become a stamp collector, they did prompt me to send some postcards.

After browsing the museum, we reverted back to our original plan and made our way into Union Station. Among other stops, we checked out ShoeWoo and bought two pieces of Belgium chocolate at Neuhaus Chocolatier. Delicious!! Find out more about Union Station at http://www.unionstationdc.com

The Capitol Grill was a great Friday evening dinner because of the relaxed atmosphere; we could really kick-back after our first week. Instead of bread, they bring soft pretzels before dinner and a bold, horseradish mustard. Sarah tried one of the many beers that they brew on site.

On the walk home from the metro, Lauren and I stopped for coffee at pound, our favorite coffee place by far (so far). We sat in comfy chairs by the window and chatted. We sure will miss that place now that we are in Georgetown, but we made a pact to stop there on weekends when we visit Eastern Market.

The next morning we perused Eastern Market before our cabs arrived for move-out. We had crepes for breakfast at the crepe stand. I ordered ham, apple, maple and muenster and Lauren chose peaches and sweet cream. We also purchased handmade, vintage headbands from a mother-daughter team from South Carolina, Treats for Tresses.

There were so many neat crafts and delicious foods to choose from. It will definitely be a recurring stop for us in the weeks to come!

Then came the terrible, the dreadful, the absolutely awful move-out.

Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. We actually lucked out considering that the all-day rain that they called for, never did show. BUT, trying to cram all of your belongings into a cab on a busy street and then unpacking those same items 15 minutes later, up a large flight of a stairs and through the windings paths of Henle Village is not my idea of a great time. On the bright side, TFAS paid for our cab rides which totaled over $80. (!!)

After move-in, we were too exhausted to even think about cooking dinner, so we ventured to M Street for dinner at Mr. Smith's, know for their burgers which they serve on long buns.

All of that excitement made us very happy to see our beds that night!