My boyfriend and I got together just over two years ago. One of our first dates was at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Last year, we decided to go one better and made a flying visit to Germany to explore the Christmas markets in Cologne. This year, we got even more carried away with our pre-Christmas plans and decided on a trip to the States. As we were deciding where to go, my boyfriend received an invitation for an NFL match to see the Washington Redskins take on the New England Patriots. Washington DC it was then.
I'd carefully formulated a plan that should have resulted in maximum time in Washington in the minimum number of days off work. Sadly my plan was foiled when we turned up to Heathrow at 4.30am on Friday to find that our flight had been cancelled. We were, thankfully, rebooked on another flight that left five hours later but it did mean that, rather than have a Friday afternoon in the city, we arrived in time for a quick dinner and then an early bed.
(Excuse the terrible picture - in my defence it was very sunny, very windy and I was very jetlagged)
Still we made the most of our remaining three days. Saturday we set off exploring in a long meandering walk from our hotel on 16th Street to the White House and then to the Capitol taking in museums, restaurants and the odd Starbucks on the way.
On Sunday morning, we ventured out for brunch before hopping on the metro and heading out east to the FedEx Field for the NFL game. We were, thankfully, sitting in a box which meant I got to enjoy the game and the atmosphere without having to leave the warmth of my cosy armchair and with all the macaroni and cheese that I could want being just an arm's length away. We headed back into the city after the game for a spot of shopping and then a trip out to Georgetown for a burger and a chilled out Sunday evening.
Monday was our last day in DC but we made the most of it. We were up early to head to the Pentagon for a guided tour. Although there's not necessarily a lot to see (it's basically just a big office building), I hadn't realised just how big it was and how many people worked there. At my insistence, we followed the Pentagon tour with a couple of hours in a nearby shopping mall before heading back into town to visit the National Archives and some of the other monuments that we hadn't had a chance to see yet. All too soon, it was time to jump into a cab and head back to the airport.
There is so much that we didn't get to see and to experience that we are already planning our next visit. Three days is really not enough to get to know Washington DC properly but it's more than enough to fall in love.
