In the long summer of my 18th year, a close friend and I decided that it was past time for us to see New York City. Despite the fact that my 1988 Ford Bronco barely worked and that we had little to no capital (sofa change was actually listed as a significant asset in our trip planning), we set out on a road trip to the Big Apple.

We planned a stopover in Washington DC to visit a friend who lived there. By the time we got to Washington several facts hindered further progress. (1) The clutch was going out on the Bronco, (2) we had very little money left, and (3) we knew no one in New York who might put us up (and pay our way besides). Plus, we discovered that we were having a great time in D.C. with our friend, where we had a nice floor to crash on and an abundance of free things to do. Long story short – we never made it to New York.

Since I was already well versed with DC, I’d imagined we wouldn’t even stop there this time around. But the siren call of a free national zoo, among other no cost attractions, lured us into the city as we drew near. Though I’m sure the city hasn’t changed that much in the 8 years since I’d last seen it, it felt fresh and vibrant.

Washington D.C. Highlights:

1. The National Zoo
   It’s a zoo. It’s free. Plus, it’s got Baby Giant Pandas (kind of sounds like jumbo shrimp, doesn’t it). Granted, on the day we went all the cool animals seemed to be either on vacation or sleeping. Of course, when we arrived we found out that the Baby Giant Panda’s birthday celebration had been last week, and had we arrived then we would have seen Giant Baby Pandas out the wazoo. But we did get to see Cheetahs. And let me tell you - I’ll take a Cheetah over a Panda any day. Cheetah’s make 40mph look like a leisurely stroll, and play at speeds that are difficult to see. WARNING: Don’t pay for the overpriced parking - That’s how they get you. Park in the nearby neighborhood instead.
2. Meskarem Ethiopian Restaurant
   I’d always thought of Ethiopian food as an oxymoron. How wrong I was. This stuff is delicous. I’m not sure what I ordered. I’m not sure what Dayna ordered. All I know is that they brought it all out together on a huge peice of Injera (read crepe), that we ate it with our fingers and with broken off peices of Injera

Lots of paintings - no bathrooms
3. The National Gallery
   Lots of famous art. Lots. Free. Although if you are in the IM Pei designed post modern addition, don’t count on finding a bathroom: 20,000 sq. ft, 4 floors, 1 bathroom (in the basement). Talk about ‘forcing you through the space’. WARNING: Don’t park anywhere near the place. We parked out front at a metered spot. When we returned all the cars around us had been towed, and we had a $100 ticket. That’s right - $100 parking ticket - WTF? Apparently, if we had read the very fine print on the sign halfway up the block we would have known that street cleaning started at 2. Bastards.
4. Tryst Coffee Shop
   I think that just walking in this place earned me 50 cool points. Everyone is ever so hip and well dressed, and the desserts are good though overpriced. Plus, it seem to have the only reliable wifi connection in the DC area.

Washington D.C. Pitfalls: