Exploring Washington, D.C.

This morning started off with a nice cup of coffee at Kramerbooks.  The unique DC establishment combines a bookstore and a café into one space.  Afterwards, my roommate and I stopped by the fantastic Dupont Circle farmers market.

Fresh apples at the Dupont Circle farmers market

Tents lined the streets with a variety of options.  There were a lot of apple vendors, and I bought one of the biggest apples I had ever seen.  Big seemed to be a trend- one of the vendors was making fresh blueberry pancakes that were so large they were falling off the sides of the plates.

The enormous pancakes were bigger than the plates

There was an abundance of free samples, from cheese to apple butter and everything in between.  It was a beautiful, warm day, so we sat outside to enjoy the delicious fresh food we bought from the market.  I then took the metro over to the National Museum of American History.  There are so many awesome, free museums to take advantage of in DC, and this was no exception.  The museum was a little overwhelming- there were so many artifacts and exhibits to see.  I started on the first floor and worked my way up.  The Star-Spangled Banner and the American Stories exhibits were some of my favorites.  I also loved the First Ladies exhibit, which I remembered from the time I visited Washington when I was a little kid.  The dresses were beautiful, especially Michelle Obama’s 2009 inaugural gown that was on display in the center of the room.  In just over a year there will be a new piece to add to the collection.  After my tour of the museum, I met some family in the city for dinner and then took the metro back to our hotel.  This weekend was full of fun; I loved having the chance to see so much of this exciting city.

-Katie Koontz ’19