So yes, I know it has been like 2 weeks since I updated and I haven't even finished the road trip portion of this blog. I know. I suck. But, on the bright side, I haven't updated cause I am having fun in NY. This will be the last post about the road trip. Then I will do my best to try and put my NYC experiences from the last month into one big post (not gonna happen). We woke up early in DC to go be tourists for the day. I had been to DC once before back on the good ol East Coast Trip of 8th grade. We went to Arlington National Cemetery then and I promised myself I would go back some day. And I am so glad I got to this time.
JFK's and Jacqueline Kennedys graves.
I think one of the great things about this place is how beautiful it is. There are so many trees everywhere and with the leaves falling, I don't think such a somber place could be more beautiful.
One of the most interesting things about this whole place is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is quite the spectacle to see the Changing of the Guard every half hour.
After we left the Cemetery, we decided to try and do the National Mall. We started at the Lincoln Memorial which in most cases, you get one of the most iconic views of the Washington Monument. Not this time. They had drained the Reflecting Pool to do maintenance. Sigh....
But we did get to see this guy.
The brand new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is also a sight to see.
We were gonna walk over to the Jefferson Memorial but realized what time it was and we had dinner reservations, so we decided to skip it, but the view from across the Tidal Basin is definitely a good one.
The WWII Memorial is another one of my favorites.
We finished up the National Mall with the Washington Memorial. We went back to the hotel to rest up before heading out to drinks and dinner.
Our reservation time got changed so we went to a hotel called the Tabard Inn, where we heard they had great holiday cocktails. And that they did. Mal got a Cuzco Mass which was Macchu Piso, Apple Cider, Cranberry/Cardamom Syrup, Allspice Dram (which is her new favorite thing), and a dehydrated apple. It was pretty darn good.
I then got their Mulled Cider (which they only serve in temperatures below 55 degrees. Luckily it was 52 outside). It had spiced rum, hot cider, cinnamon, cardamom, clove studded orange & nutmeg. Delicious.
We made reservations at a place called Founding Farmers. And I have to say, was the best meal we had on this whole road trip. Everything was soooo good. Starting with the drink I had, Grandma's Blackberry Sour. Rittenhouse 100, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, blackberries, and an egg white. So flippin good.
We started off with there cornbread. Which could literally be a meal in itself.
Mal got the Southern Pan Fried Chicken. Insanely good. Came with white gravy, waffles, mac ‘n’ cheese, and mashed potatoes.
And I got what was one of the best tasting chickens I have ever had. It was a rotisserie chicken with Lemon-Herb Jus, Pan Drip Potatoes, and a side salad.
We were pretty much in a food coma after that and wanted to get to NY earlier than later so we decided to head home and rest up for our final drive into the city. Let me just preface by saying that the New Jersey Turnpike sucks. So frustrating. And expensive.
We started seeing the signs for home. Still weird to say that by the way.
And then finally. There it was. New York City. We didn't actually arrive in the city till about an hour and a half after this photo was taken. Welcome to NYC I suppose.
I hope these updates were somewhat entertaining. It is draining driving across the country. I don't think I need to do it for a while. So let's hope we last a little longer. At the end of the day, I really don't think I could have done this drive with anyone else besides Mallory. It has brought us closer than I could have ever imagined. I know I am getting all sappy, but it's true. New York City is a big new place. And I don't think I could have done it with anyone but this girl.
Look for a big update in the next day or so when I try and recap the places we have been, eaten at, or run away from.
Happy Holidays.
