Travel

Union Market review

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged outfits / restaurants / Washington dc by

wearing: gold earrings / stripe knit top / cross body bag / pink nail polish / gold bracelet / jeans / sneakers /

Union Market is a food hall located in Washington DC’s Union Market District just steps away from Gallaudet University at 1309 5th St NE. During our recent trip to Washington DC, we enjoyed two meals at Union Market as well as one a block away, considered part of the district.

The food hall itself is packed with delicious food choices. It’s a great place for grabbing to-go or eating with friends where everyone can choose something different yet sit at the same table. There are a few tables inside, but most of the seating is outside in a cute dining area with picnic tables and lighting. I only had my phone with me, not my camera, so I don’t have any night photos. Apologies for that.

On the day we drove to Washington DC from my daughter’s school, we enjoyed dinner at Union Market. We combined dumplings and crepes for our meal. They were yummy! The weather was mild, so we ate outside. It was an energetic vibe and there were also groups of friends going upstairs to the club. It was such a fun scene!

On another day, we stopped in for brunch. First, we grabbed coffee and then looked around at all the food choices. We decided ramen was perfect. It was! The ramen was very good, and although paired with coffee may seem odd, it was tasty anyway. I highly recommend visiting Union Market on your next trip to DC!

In addition to the food hall, there are several restaurants in the area which had a lively vibe and are popular. Next time we are in DC, we will definitely need to try them! There is free street parking as well as metered. There are also parking lots with the first three hours free; the perfect time for eating. Love that!

What I wore for ramen at the Union Market:

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more spring coverage!

XOXO

Cathy

US Capitol and Gardens

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged lifestyle / outfits / travel style / Washington dc by

wearing: golden earrings / black and white knit top / golden bracelet / jeans / cross body bag / pink nail polish / sneakers /

Follow me to the US Capitol! When in Washington DC, one must do the tourist things; visit the US Capitol! We started our day with a general tour of the capitol building. The tour is shorter than I remember from when I was a kid. Seriously, they only show two rooms. In the 1980s I saw it all! But. . .I digress. . .

During the general tour we spotted both California statues. Former Governor of California and US President Ronald Reagan had his statue in a prominent place. It was fun to see all the different statues from each state. There are two from each state.

After the general tour, we went on a special tour which detailed the history of the suffrage movement. It was really interesting to see how these women battled for the right to vote and their different intentions for doing so. If you visit the capitol, I recommend this additional tour. You won’t see any new rooms or areas of the capitol, but you will learn some in-depth history and tidbits about the suffrage movement.

So, we decided to eat lunch in the capitol cafeteria. They have a white chocolate dessert filled with whipped cream in the shape of the capitol. We had to get it! Of course, we also indulged in hot dogs and french fries. haha

Then, we walked into the museum which details our nation’s history. It was fun to see artifacts from throughout the building of our country. This dress shown above is from our 100-year anniversary. It was made out of scarves with the capitol building depicted on it. Such a cool gown!

Once we saw everything we could see in the capitol building and made a pit-stop in the gift shop (of course!), we walked over to the botanical gardens. Unfortunately, the outside gardens were still dormant from winter, but we were able to see the beautiful plants inside, although one section was closed for the season. I recommend going later in spring. We visited the second week of March.

After the gardens, we were quite tired! So, we hopped in an Uber and went over to Pastis for dinner. It was a French restaurant in the Union Market area. We enjoyed a delicious dinner.

What I wore for a day of walking around the touring the capitol:

You can book tours in person, day of, at the capitol. But this summer will get busy, so I recommend booking tours ahead of time online in order to ensure you get your preferred tour times.

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more spring covderage!

XOXO
Cathy

Visiting the Pandas at the National Zoo

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged outfits / Washington dc by

pictured: Bao Li playing / wearing: earrings / sweater / nail polish / bracelet / handbag / jeans / sneakers /

How cute are the pandas! They are seriously adorable! The National Zoo in Washington DC has two, adorable pandas on loan from China named Bao Li, pictured above, and Qing Bao, who was just chilling in the indoor enclosure, which is why I don’t have photos.

Bao Li was having a fun morning rolling on the hill, climbing a tree, taking a dip in the pool, running around, and entertaining the crowd. Such a cute panda!

I love pandas, so it was a treat being able to see them at the National Zoo. If you are visiting the Washington DC area, I highly recommend visiting them! The morning is the best time to go since that is when the pandas are the most active.

I wore my comfy sneakers and cross body bag for a day of walking! The National Zoo has more than just pandas. They have various types of monkeys, turtles, aquatic life, frogs, elephants, owls, birds, and much, much more. Entrance is free to the zoo, although you will need to pay for parking. I recommend reserving parking and tickets online since the parking fee is less expensive when purchased in advance versus buying it on the spot.

What I wore to visit the zoo:

After we spent the day at the zoo, and purchased some panda merch, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Ted’s Bulletin. The food was really good, and they have yummy key lime pie! Love! Highly recommend.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more from DC!

XOXO

Cathy