Visiting Washington, DC

It had been a while since I’d spent any time in the Nation’s Capital, and even longer since I’ve visited the attractions, so when my niece, Alea, began college there, I thought it was the perfect time to spend a few days with her in Washington D.C..

I took an early morning flight to Washington Reagan airport. I was picked up at the airport by a friend and colleague I hadn’t seen in a while, Julia Coney.

My first stop in DC was lunch at Brasserie Beck. Julia had been here and raved about it, but it was my first time.

I decided to start with a cocktail and their Pear Ginger Fizz (Ketel One Vodka, Pear Ginger Cinnamon Shrub, Honey Syrup, Soda Water, Lemon) was as good as it sounded.

We shared the Roasted Farm Beet Salad, which included sheep’s milk feta and candied walnuts, and was topped with a maple walnut vinaigrette. It was perfect for the spring-like day.

Julia raved about their burgers and decided to get one with the Belgian Frites, which come with a trio of mayonnaises.

I couldn’t resist the Truffled Potato Gnocchi. The gnocchi was topped with mushrooms, squash blossoms, basil, corn, and chive butter. It was absolutely delicious.

We lingered for a while with French press coffee and the Brasserie Beck Pile of Apple Fritters.

The apple donuts were cooked in Belgian Ale and covered with clove and ginger sugar, then served with apple cider ice cream and warm butterscotch. It was a heavenly treat and more than enough to share.

After lunch, Julia dropped me at my home for the next few days, the Embassy Suites Metro at the Chevy Chase Pavilion.

This hotel. is literally inside a mall, which also happens to lead directly to a metro station. You don’t even have to go outside to go from your room to the train, to nearly anywhere you want in Washington, DC.

The convenience was my main reason for choosing this hotel, but it had lots of other pluses. For one thing, the rooms were huge and very accessible (I had rented a mobility scooter for Washington, DC because I was recovering from ankle surgery).

My room, the Premium Suite, was big enough to be considered an apartment, with a full living room, a dining area, a kitchenette with a microwave, Keurig, and refrigerator, and a separate bedroom.

I had televisions in both rooms and a work desk with a docking station. The Premium Suite comes with daily complimentary snacks and soft drinks, in addition to the evening reception and hot breakfast all Embassy Suites guests get.

I unpacked and got a little work done and went down to the evening reception. They had a nice selection of drinks, wine, and snacks.

Alea met me there when she got out of classes. We were both pretty tired from a long day and decided to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory within the mall.

I don’t have a Cheesecake Factory near Champaign and I’m always happy when I can get my favorite dish, their Sweet Corn Tamales with salsa and avocado. It’s something I really should make someday.

Of course, you can’t leave the Cheesecake Factory without cheesecake and we decided to split a piece of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge.

After dinner, Alea took the elevator down to the metro to go back to American University and I headed to my room.

I went to bed and took a look at all the brochures the tourism board had left me, excited about all the things I would be seeing the next few days in Washington, DC.