Until next time, my kind of town

You probably know by now how in love I am with the US state capital: enough that a few minutes into my first visit I made a decision to live there one of these days (I now understand what people meant by love at first sight!); too much that I can't help but swoon at the mundane sight of the letters D and C being strung together (And it doesn't help that they follow each other in the alphabet!). So I guess it did not come as a surprise to Tita Inds and Tito Chris when they asked me what I wanted to do on my last weekend in the East Coast and all I could do was chant these two letters repeatedly.

Our other options seemed either less interesting (Baltimore area) or too far away (towns in Virginia) that District of Columbia ended up being the best destination for that Saturday. The night before our drive, they gave me the task of making an itinerary and I was caught in a momentary panic as the organization freak in me goes. Aware that there still were dozens of amusing places to see, I eventually got my cool and settled with the pocket-friendly yet worthy ones.


Capitol Hill looked particularly gorgeous on that chilly morning, its sidewalks filled with bright-colored leaves and smiling, winter-clothed strangers. As soon as we found a parking spot, we braved the cold and made our way to the much-admired Ted's Bulletin. As expected, we had a hard time entering the crowded restaurant, what with the swarm of people blocking the door. We got our rather small group listed for reservation and were advised to come back after forty minutes.


We were growing hungry by the minute and were open to eat brunch elsewhere. A bit later, however, we thought of grabbing a quick snack before having our special meal. We ran to the nearest cafe and with hot cups of coffee/chocolate and doughnuts, we kept ourselves warm. After, we spent our remaining waiting time browsing items at the close-by flea market and giving Easton Market a last look. My list of interesting finds that day included, among other things, figurines made out of recycled materials, old book covers turned into Kindle cases and small handbags, and paintings of weirdly-shaped animals.


We hurried back to the restaurant and arrived just in time for our reservation. The waiter ushered us to the dining room and handed us their newspaper-styled menu. I smiled. All it took was one good look of the place to understand why everyone wanted a piece of Ted: their commitment to keep things simple, classic, and reminiscent of the old times is quite adorable. All through out the day, they screen black-and-white movies straight from an antique projector. My childhood favorites, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins, played while we were there, what a treat!

And did I mention their delicious but affordable food? We definitely got our money's worth! While the kids had their chicken tenders, grilled cheese, applesauce, and fresh milk, I had a small bowl of tomato soup and one of their bestsellers, The Sloppiest Joe. (We even had to bring most of it home since I wasn't able to finish the large burger in one sitting.) Tita ordered herself a piece of quiche while Tito had his plate of Gumbo. Their service, what with their friendly and accommodating servers, had been outstanding as well. This place gets two thumbs-up from us.


Disappointingly though, we lost a lot of time due to our long wait for lunch. All that caused my initial plans to backfire: we had to cut back on the sightseeing and I even had to give up my last chance to devour me some Georgetown Cupcake. Though I visited DC a couple of times already, I haven't had a good look and a close shot of/with the White House's exteriors. And what's the state capital without its political roots? We raced to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, driving past other important landmarks along the way. There we were greeted by clusters of locals and tourists alike, all of whom also wanted a photo with Mr. President's residence.


We took a stroll down nearby parks, marveled at monuments and read their plaques. Nighttime was fast-approaching and with it was the cold breeze of the evening. To avoid the risk of freezing to death, we were forced to rush to the last leg of our trip: Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was such a majestic sight to behold, I was glad I saved its spot on our itinerary! While Lincoln's was modeled after the Grecian Parthenon, Jefferson's was inspired by the Roman Pantheon. Its stunning architecture got me weak in the knees and the reference to Greek and Roman literature made the humanities geek in me more than happy.


Our drive back home to Maryland was silent yet overwhelming. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to DC. All these and more are the reasons why it will always have a special place in my heart. After all, what with its richness in history, culture, and politics, it was and still is the heart of the country. I can't wait to go back there and discover more of its beauty! If you know any must-see places, don't forget to drop me a line. Thank you for reading and your kind comments. Light and love!