Old Ebbits Grill Last Night

Last night was nice - my roommates and I finally were able to eat at Old Ebbitt Grill. It is Washington’s most famous and oldest saloons, and close to the White House.
We were taking our unbelievable and most generous neighbors, affectionately referred to as Uncle Jean and Aunt Sandy, to dinner (more on them later) to show our appreciation for their kindness to us.

The restaurant is a definite must if you are visiting D.C. It is located close to the White House, and is bursting with history. One of the first things I noticed when I walked inside was the antique gas-lit lamps and chandeliers. It was almost as if I were stepping back in time. Additionally, adorning the atmosphere of the main room was the museum-quality collection of decoys – it gave a sense of camaraderie one might experience at a private hunting lodge in the mountains – truly a great sense of home for an outdoorsman like myself.

There were other animal examples throughout the restaurant, and you wouldn’t believe my excitement when I discovered that some (above the old bar) were actually taken by President Teddy Roosevelt himself. President Roosevelt, or as I refer to him, TR ‘The Lion’ is perhaps my most favorite U.S. President because TR did so much for conservation and the outdoors. In fact, TR was a known patron of Old Ebbit and enjoyed dining and entertaining there; I was in stunned amazement to be sitting in the presence of one of my hero’s favorite spots – and its great history therein.

We ate very well to say the least; the service was excellent and the food was fantastic. I totally recommend the crab cakes; fresh and satisfying, with a selection of gourmet sides to compliment.

A good time was had by all! When my Dad comes to visit me up here, I will definitely take him to the Old Ebbit Grill, so we can sit and dine in the presence of great times gone by.

Getting Ready for New York!

This weekend I will be traveling to New York to see a good friend of mine who goes to school at MIT – yeah she is brilliant! We decided New York would be perfect because it is right about halfway between Cambridge, MA and Washington D.C.

Unfortunately, the weather is terrible right now (in D.C.), but I think it might clear up by this evening. I will keep y’all posted!

....................................................................................................................................................................

In NEW YORK OUR FIRST DAY

Okay...back from New York City - and I must say - It was definitely eye-opening for me! So let me begin… First of all, when I arrived in New York, it was later in the evening, but the bus ride up was great – I took the DC2NY bus…a definite must if you are heading to New York from Washington D.C. They only charge $40 bucks roundtrip, it is a luxury bus (huge captain chairs) you get a complimentary bottle of water, and there is free Wi-Fi. It was totally worth the $40 bucks too - I have my own vehicle up here, but limited parking, traffic, tolls, and wear and tear... no no - DC2NY was well worth it.

After arriving, I walked to The Roosevelt Hotel and checked in. This was a very nice hotel, and because it was centrally located – it wasn’t a bad walk to visit the sites around the city.

The next day, we headed out to visit the Empire State Building – the weather was nice outside, but when we reached the top of the building, the icy wind bit at our faces and hands…it was cold up there. We walked around the observation deck and checked out the great panoramic views of New York City. We could see so so much –

After that, we headed by Rockefeller Center on our way to get some lunch. Rockefeller Center was nice, but I actually wasn’t too impressed – so we moved on. We decided to eat at Tom’s Restaurant – (the Seinfeld restaurant), and caught a cab to 112th street. It was a tight fit because there were so many people inside, but it didn’t take too long to get a seat. The food was fabulous. I had a Lumberjack Breakfast meal, and Rach had the Banana Pancakes…all very tasty!

Next, we took a short walk to the Cathedral of St. John Devine. It reminded me of being back in Köln, and walking through the Kölner Dom. It definitely took your breath away…

We saw that Central Park was close by, so we headed off in that direction. It truly was an amazing park. We took it all in – the sites, sounds, and serenity was such a nice touch to such a huge urban city setting. When we walked through the park, we were able to visit in a quiet comfortable place…it was soothing for me. I thought back to Texas A&M, and the classes I took where we studied Olmsted and his contribution as the Founder of Landscape Architecture.

After the great meal and the nice walk, we were a little tired – so we headed back to The Roosevelt and rested.

That evening, we set out for Times Squares for a little shopping, sightseeing, and eating! We hit up Hard Rock Café, the M&M Store, the Hershy’s Store, and many others – we ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday. It was a great conclusion to a great day.

OUR LAST DAY in NEW YORK

Sunday was our last day…It was sad to say goodbye, but Rachel had to catch her bus that morning, and my bus wasn’t going to leave until 2 p.m. So after we said goodbye, I set out for my last stop on this New York Trip - Ground Zero. When I arrived, the mood in the area was that of sadness…a quiet place…a place of respect…a place of mourning. There were many people there – some were taking photos, some where crying, some said nothing, while others talked amongst themselves. When I looked through the fencing where the Twin Towers stood, all I could see was a huge gaping hole. Fitting perhaps…and reminiscent to the hole of emptiness and loss that so many people share.

It was definitely a sobering place…and a time for reflection.

I headed back to Penn Station where the bus would pick me up, and on the way back home, I prayed and reflected on many things in my life –