Virginia to Washington, D.C.

We slept in a bit today and packed up our Air B&B in Front Royal, Virginia. Kendra’s parents had gotten up much earlier and departed for South Carolina. However, our adventure wasn’t over! We were off to Washington, D.C.! Kendra will be with her students competing at the Educators Rising Conference, and the kids and I will be exploring. We haven’t been to DC since the summer before the pandemic, so we were excited to return!

Historic Main Street Front Royal

Before we headed out of Front Royal, we spent some time walking through the historic downtown, stopping first for lattes and breakfast at the Main Street Daily Grind Cafe. The quaint brick buildings, with their many murals, made for a fun outdoor art walk.

We also stopped in a few stores – everyone’s favorite was the Main Street Geek. It had a little bit of everything – Lego, comic books, stickers, Funko Pops, and much more. I knew we were in a rad place when I noticed LGBTQ+ items sprinkled throughout the store and the owner sporting a “Read Banned Books” shirt. I was pleasantly surprised to see several Pride flags dotting Main Street stores.

After a stop for homemade ice cream and sweet Neil Diamond and Abba tunes blasting from the jukebox at C & C Frozen Treats, we packed up in the car for the ride to D.C. (Well, not before ONE more pitstop at a used bookstore that Kendra had spotted. I needed a new book since I’d finished mine the night before, and I found four on the free books rack!)

National Portrait Gallery & Smithsonian American Art Museum

The drive into D.C. was smooth, and we arrived right on time to check into our hotel. Once our luggage was safely inside our room, we walked a few blocks to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We spent two hours wandering between the two, exploring the exhibits.

My favorite was Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas – I have a thing for abstract art with patterns and bright colors.

And, of course, because we were there, we had to go see the presidential portraits. There was a lot of “Who is That?” from the kids – but they knew Obama. (Where is my crying emoji when I need it?) I found it absolutely hysterical that Norman Rockwell painted Richard Nickson’s portrait.

Dinner at Boqueria and a Stroll!

We barely scratched the museum’s surface, but the kids were hungry, so we went off for dinner at Boqueria. It’s our favorite tapas place in NYC, so we were all delighted when we realized it was only a few blocks from our hotel. We had our usual tabla de quesos, albondigas, and patatas bravas, and tried some new dishes. It was, as always, exactly what we needed.

As we meandered back to the hotel, we came across a side street with a beautiful installation piece strewn above us. Kate and Evan found fountains, so while they splashed, Kendra and Addie window-shopped. It was a magical end to a fantastic day.