Washington D.C.

After spending the weekend celebrating the wedding of Abbey and Travis, Keith and I made the trek into D.C. to spend a few days celebrating our own two years as husband and wife.

Keith visited D.C. when he was young, but I had never been, so in true Cronin style, we managed to squeeze in a lot of sightseeing in our short time there. (This is your warning that it's going to be a looong post!)

After getting checked in at our hotel, the historic Omni Shoreham,...

we found our way to Georgetown...and met up with my old high school friend, Laura, and her boyfriend, Brett, for a great lunch topped off by a yummy Georgetown Cupcakes creation. If you look to the right of the building you can see the line to get a cupcake.My pumpkin cupcake with maple icing was worth the wait!For those of you who aren't familiar with Georgetown Cupcakes, there is a television show on TLC about the store, which is owned by two sisters. The day we stopped by, the television crew was filming. Here is one of the stars hard at work: We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city, seeing things like:

The Washington Monument

The Lincoln Memorial

WWII Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial
The White HouseThe Intercontinental Hotel where Julia Ward Howe penned "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and MLK, Jr. wrote his "I Have A Dream" speech.That night we grabbed dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill. Established in 1856, it is the oldest saloon in D.C.

On Monday we visited the Library of Congress

The Capital

It is said if you touch the star above the tomb made for George Washington (he's actually buried at Mt. Vernon) you will have good luck.

The Supreme CourtLunch at the National Museum of the American Indian where the food court has stations from every region (thanks for the suggestion, Laura!)National Archives- The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are kept here.At the American History Museum we saw...
Keith's family's old van

Julia Child's kitchenBelongings of the first ladiesRuby slippers from the Wizard of OzAnd the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner! (no pictures allowed)

Ford's Theatre, where Abe Lincoln was assassinatedand Arlington Cemetery

We were exhausted! But no amount of exhaustion could keep us away from great food. For our anniversary dinner, we made reservations at Nora, the first certified organic restaurant in the country. We sat in a private dining room with a separate entrance. On our way to our table we passed the garden where a lot of the herbs are grown that the chefs use in the food. We both enjoyed our meals, but Keith's duck was especially delicious.Keith told them it was our anniversary and they printed a special message on our menus and served us a scoop of coconut peach sorbet with a candle at the end of our meal.On our last day we checked out the Bureau of Engraving and Printing where our paper money is made. Did you know that the $100 bill is the highest bill produced and in circulation? I didn't until Tuesday.
We also visited the Holocaust Museum, walked by the Jefferson Memorial (which was covered by cranes), and went to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. We had lunch in the Foggy Bottom area, where George Washington University is located. Have you ever seen a grilled cheese this big?! Then, it was time to say bye to our nation's capital. Despite reports of horrible weather, we landed in Nashville only 15 minutes later than scheduled. We had a great trip, but it's good to be home and see this sweet face!