Musings of a Capitol City Intern: Saturday in the City

I wish I could say that Saturday dawned sunny and warm - my favorite kind of weather- but alas, rain and clouds greeted me when I rolled out of bed. I am proud to say that I didn't let that keep me inside all day as I've done in the past. Instead, I went out on a day long adventure with fellow WJCers Alaina and Amy to experience the city in all of its slippery glory.

We started out with a trip to a little shop by Eastern Market called "Hill's Kitchen" which -- no surprise-- sells cute accessories for capitol city cooks. Although we didn't buy anything, we were enthralled by all the possibilities. There was a cookie cutter in the shape of the capitol building, a spatula for left-handed people, and even a whisk with a handle that looked like a baby chicken. WIth all their crazy products and practical stuff too, it's definitely the type of place I would like to frequent once I have my own kitchen to furnish.

After that we trooped next door to good 'ole Starbucks to get caffeinated drinks to warm us up and fuel our coming adventures. I, trying to be budget conscious, just got a glass of water and managed to ignore the overwhelmingly delicious aroma of coffee that inevitably surrounds a coffee shop. Amy and Alaina were nice enough to pose for a picture for me to show off their much tastier concoctions.

Drinks in hand, all three of us hopped on the Metro to get to the Smithsonian. Our destination, the American History Museum. This would be my first real trip into a Smithsonian since I went in 5th grade, I'm a little late in starting up considering I've been here two months, but oh well, I'll do what I can to fix that.

When we arrived, the first thing we did was head to the gift shop. I picked out a big pack of postcards which I *cross my fingers* will try to send out this week. If I had the money, I would probably have bought almost the whole store as they have some of the most eclectic items. From recipe books dedicated solely to Twinkies to a book on the history of underclothes, and of course traditional Abraham Lincoln stovepipe hats, there was something for everyone.

After completing our normal and rather bland - considering the selection - purchases, we headed off to the heart of the museum. The exhibit I was most exited to see housed gowns from most of the First Ladies our country has had. It was the first stop we made.

Added recently to the collection was the inauguration ball gown of Michelle Obama (right). But my personal favorites were the classic dresses from Martha Washington and Dolly Madison who have always been my favorites of the first ladies. Unfortunately, most of my pictures of the dresses didn't turn out because the room was dim and the gowns were behind glass which would reflect flash.

I didn't let that failure dampen the rest of my museum adventure though. I ended up splitting from the group and going solo to check out a letter written by George Washington, the actual Star Spangled Banner, an exhibit on American transportation through the ages, and a pop-culture exhibit that showcased the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz as well as the Kermit puppet. My favorite thing I saw on my own though was Julia Child's Kitchen. Replicated exactly from her house it showcased her need for excessive organization while still being homey and conducive to innovation.

From the museum we headed back out on our adventures with the purpose of attending an art event in the heart of Georgetown that Amy could cover in an article for class. Fail! Let me just say, not all artists are created equal and neither are their shows.

This one was supposed to be held in a small french restaurant we had to literally trek to. When we arrived, the artist was not there, and the whole event seemed to be rather hap-hazard in arrangement. Because we know Tmatt's desire for our articles to be newsworthy, we gave up on the event and did what any group of college students would do, and headed down to Georgetown Cupcake instead.

I got the special free secret cupcake, which was Chocolate Chip with Chocolate frosting, and a nice big glass of milk to chase it down. We somehow managed to get a table even though the store was PACKED and it made for a nice little break after a long day of walking. Its also where I took the picture at the top of the post- their windows have these really cool half frosted circles of glass in the shapes of their cupcake decorations, cute!

While walking back to the bus station, we happened upon a National Park Structure called "The Old Stone House" which represented houses typical of the 19th century. We stopped in, took a quick self-guided tour and browsed yet another gift shop full of exciting items I just didn't have the money to purchase, sad life. From there we slowly meandered our way through the rain back to the Metro stop.

Along the way I realized that every time I go to Georgetown it ends up being during some sort of bad weather. Last time I went it was the beginning of the "snowpocalypse," this time, the city was under a flood warning because of the rain. Who knows, maybe next time it will be during a tornado :)

Amy was SUPER pleased (almost scarily so) to be heading off next to a much more affordable shopping area than Georgetown which houses mostly boutiques which sell crazy cute clothes that unfortunately have an insane price tag to match. Amy and Alaina were looking for some clothes for the warmer days that have arrived and I figured Filene's Basement would be a great place to shop.

That is where our adventures closed, we shopped for a bit, and then decided heading back to the apartments for dinner would be the best plan. We did however meet up for a little movie/blogging time at the Greenhouse a couple hours later. It was definitely a Jane Austen kind of night so we decided Sense and Sensibility would be a good fit and I have to say, it was the cherry on top of a beautiful Saturday Sundae.

More pictures of my day can be seen below....