August in DC

Happy Friday! I got back from our short little trip to DC late Wednesday night and I'm so excited to share some cute photos with you all. A month or two ago my grandpa asked my sister and I if we would go with him to DC and show him around since he had never been. So sweet, so of course Victoria and I said yes! 

We drove to DC all the way from Florida (13 hours but we spent the night in North Carolina on the way up) so obviously we had to stop at the cheesy Virginia is for Lovers sign!

Our first half day in DC was Sunday and after checking into our hotel in the Navy Yard, we hopped on the metro and headed to the National Mall. Our grandpa can't walk for too long so I was extremely proud of him for keeping up with us as we walked from the middle of the mall all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is my absolute favorite spot in DC. I'd love to visit one night when it's quiet and there's no one else around because it's always so busy! Also, this candid photo of my grandpa and I was captured by my sister and it's the sweetest thing ever :) We grabbed pizza for dinner near the hotel and hit the hay early that night! 

Monday morning we enjoyed the yummiest fresh bagels ever at Bathesda Bagels in Navy Yard and took the metro to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. My grandpa was a pilot in the Cuban Navy before becoming a U.S. citizen and was a career pilot in the U.S. as well so he was really excited to visit this museum. I kid you not, we went into pretty much every single exhibit except for the IMAX theater haha. I loved seeing how much airplanes have changed over the years and enjoyed seeing how much my grandpa already knew about so many of them!

Had to take a snap of this sweet part of an exhibit on WWII memorabilia. Give me a time machine please so I can go back to the 1940s and have a cute air force boy ask me on a date with that note!

And now, my favorite part of the whole trip: going to my first Major League Baseball game! I was a huge Canes baseball fan in college (still am :P) and was even a bat girl for the Miami Hurricanes, but I had never really been an MLB fan and I'm completely unattached to any team in particular but none the less I was super excited to see my first real game! Monday night we got tickets to see the Nationals play the Marlins at Nationals Park in the Navy Yard and luckily the stadium was right by our hotel. 

It was kind of a slow game until the 6th inning when they were tied but the Nats won and we got to see my number one MLB crush Bryce Harper hit a home run! I think I just may be becoming a Nationals fan, sorry Miami haha.

Tuesday was our last full day and we got tickets for the Big Bus double decker tour. The weather was perfect since it was over cast and not too hot like normal summers in DC are so we loved sitting on the top of the bus! We took all three loops the bus offered but didn't really get off at any stops except one for lunch. I loved getting to see Arlington Cemetery and driving through Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Next time I'm in DC, I'd love to stroll the shops in Georgetown because they literally have everything. Like ALL my favorite stores, everything! 

After our all day bus tour, we hopped over to the white house to take pictures and then back to the hotel! My grandpa needed to rest, so Victoria and I headed out on our own and explored the Navy Yard neighborhood. We had ice dream for dinner at Ice Cream Jubilee and hung out in the parks right along the river while tons of people were out and about for another Nationals game that night. This neighborhood is so cute and seems so young, I could totally see myself living there in another world and I loved having stayed there twice now. It's so quiet compared to the rest of the city but it's so close to capitol hill, I love it. 

And if my description of how cute Navy Yard isn't enough to convince you, here is some cold hard evidence. There is a pop-up bar called the Rosé Garden! I peeped the menu, yes lot's of rosé but more importantly insanely instagrammable pink and tropical decor. Don't worry Rosé Garden, I'll be back for you!!

The next morning we left early and drove all the way back home. We had an amazing trip and I'm so thankful for the quality time I got to spend with my grandpa and sister! Such a nice end of summer adventure :) 

xoxo, Olivia