As the Washingtonians Do

I'm not sure if my recent trip to Washington DC with not only my husband, but my parents and brother and girlfriend as well counts as a babymoon, so we'll just call it a quick-but-full weekend getaway. (Note that the weekend was quick...I am decidedly NOT quick since Baby B decided to take up residency where my left lung used to belong.)

EATS (and drinks for the non-pregnant adults)

Dacha Beer Garden

All I wanted were fried pickles and a giant pretzel, and Dacha delivered! Or rather, my brother did as we sent him to get us a few appetizers while we hung out in the air conditioned Airbnb next door. Someday I'd like to return and, you know, try out the beer at the beer garden, but until then, my German food craving has been sated.

Union Market

I went a little overboard here with the variety of food I consumed, but I have zero regrets. A giant Caprese salad (one must eat ALL the fresh tomatoes in Aug-Sep to make up for the rest of the year!), bao sliders (I never pass up bao), Korean tacos (coleslaw makes my heart happy), arepas (with so much green sauce), and crepes (seriously, just put some stuff between dough and I'm there)...I heard there were tiki drinks as well, but I was content with all the street food from around the world.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

There's something about fresh/homemade lemonade that makes me happy to be human. A well-constructed salad and a hamburger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches brings a great amount of joy as well. Did I mention pickled potato salad? I guess I needed another German food fix after all.

ACTIVITIES

This trip was less about doing/seeing things than enjoying each other's company, but there were a few highlights to our itinerary. We stopped by the National Air and Space Museum to see Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 Spacesuit. This librarian also got to check "Become a Library of Congress Reader" and "Visit Library of Congress Reading Rooms" off her bucket list. Continuing the library theme, we checked out (pun intended) the new Apple Carnegie Library. It was bizarre and meta to think about how Carnegie's "Palace for the People" is now a retail store for an exclusive-yet-ubiquitous product. We saw our President, First Lady, the Distinguished Toni Morrison, and a few other Supreme Women at the National Portrait Gallery. A night at The Kennedy Center to see Aladdin, which has become a touchstone of my and my husband's relationship, was the perfect way to end our trip and celebrate being together.