Washington DC get-together?

[Marge_Simpson]

You just can't keep me away from your fabulous city. I had such a blast 2 years ago I've decided to return.
I'll be there from Wed the 22nd till Sunday the 27th.
I have plans for Saturday evening, and I will most likely be useless on Wednesday. But I am free on any other day or evening for lunch/dinner/voids. If anyone would like to meet up, just say the word.
And, as last time, I welcome any and all suggestions for places to buy yummy chocolates or cakes. And a good place for afternoon tea.
My coworker recommended a place called the Mansion on O for brunch, and said they had offbeat events like treasure hunts. When I looked at their website, the whole place looked bizarre to me. Is this a place I should check out, or is it only for gullible tourists?

BTW, I was originally planning to arrive on Monday, but when I looked for a hotel room, it seemed the whole city was booked solid. I couldn't figure out why DC would be booked up that week in January. I figured it out eventually.

[Rob]

I can do dinner Friday. I stuck with my Thursday night tickets for Alice.

[Rob]

I went to the Mansion on O Street years ago when it was called the HH Leonard Club. My friends got married there. It is very bizarre, but fun. You can tour all kinds of rooms, nearly everything in it is for sale except some museum pieces. It was kind of odd because when we were touring around, we walked through rooms where people were staying and they were like "oh hi!" Most of the rooms had the doors open. I guess you can stay in a room with a secret door if you don't want tourists walking through your room.

[PRlady]

Sorry to miss you. Not sorry to be at Euros, though, during that time.

[Marge_Simpson]

Dinner on Friday? Just tell me when and where.
I am very easily persuaded, so I have reserved breakfast (brunch was sold out) and a treasure hunt for Sunday morning.
Is there any chance of a Not Going To Nationals get-together, DC style? The NYC contingent has arranged something, but obviously I won't be in NYC for it!
If there's something going, I can bring the Tiffed banner along.

[acraven]

Sorry to miss you, but I'll be in balmy Omaha that week.

[Marge_Simpson]

I told my brother I was going to DC again and he was shocked that I haven't been to the Bureau of Engraving, aka the mint. It sounds boring to me, but should I check it out?

[PRlady]

I told my brother I was going to DC again and he was shocked that I haven't been to the Bureau of Engraving, aka the mint. It sounds boring to me, but should I check it out?

If you like looking at how money is made, sure. It's next door to the Holocaust Museum on 14th Street right before you get to the bridge.

[Debbie S]

Sorry, Marge, would love to see you again, but I'm afraid on Fri night I will be at home an hour away glued to IN. Nats and Worlds weeks are the 2 weeks each year that I hibernate.

[Marge_Simpson]

Well, if anyone wants to meet up, post here. I'm at the Hotel Rouge again and will have internet acess. I'll check back here on Thursday.
Rob, are we still on for dinner? Just say when and where and I will meet you there. And please post a review of "Alice".

[Rob]

Well, if anyone wants to meet up, post here. I'm at the Hotel Rouge again and will have internet acess. I'll check back here on Thursday.
Rob, are we still on for dinner? Just say when and where and I will meet you there. And please post a review of "Alice".

How about 6:30 -- somewhere in Dupont Circle? Circa? Have you been there before?

Seeing Alice tonight!

[Marge_Simpson]

I ate lunch there 2 years ago because I was assured it was Michelle Kwan's favorite place.
I will let you pick the place, 6:30 is fine.
I ate dinner at Kramerbooks and overheard one of those "only in DC" conversations. I was next to 2 embassy employees who were drinking quite a bot of wine. Apparently the Czech ambassador is a horrid boss, the Algerian ambassador is a total hottie, and the Phillipine embassy throws the best parties.
Earlier in the day I took a long stroll past all the embassies (Mass ave? I forget what street) and felt like I was at the Epcot center. I walked very carefully here and obeyed all the traffic signs. From what I've noticed, street lights here seem to be a suggestion rather than a rule. But all the cars on Embassy row seemed to have diplomatic plates; probably they are free to run over unsuspecting tourists at will, so I paid attention to all the lights.
Went to the Newseum in the afternoon, this place is so cool. And I bought the most fabulous pendleton blanket at the Museum of the American Indian.
My train yesterday was really late so by the time I got in there wasn't much time to do any tourist things. I ate at Paradiso Pizza (yum, yum) and contributed to the GNP, ie I went shopping.
There is a fabulous bead shop at Dupont Circle and I went wild.

[emason]

Well, Marge, you made the right decision to go to DC. While you were having fun playing tourist yesterday, I went to the most insipid and dispiriting evening at NYCB. It was so meh I don't even want to bring it up in the ballet thread. I hope Alice is fantastic.

[Marge_Simpson]

Alice was a delight. Have you seen the DVD? If not, you can borrow it from me.
The Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts' "Rose Adagio" parody and the pdd in Act II got huge rounds of applause. The sets and costumes are fab - Chris Wheeldon is a demented genius to come up with these things.
DC is fab, too. I was at the zoo earlier today to visit the fierce tiger, who is the most gorgeous animal I have ever seen, and the lions. The last time I was here, there was Luke, his 2 female companions, and their 7 cubs. Now it just seems to be Luke and one of his ladies. Where did their offspring go? Luke was making quite a bit of noise while strutting around self-importantly. Typical male! The lioness just ignored him.
Yesterday I was at in the National Gallery of Art, I went in there origianally to escape the masses of loons out on the Mall. Most were clanking with crosses as if on a vampire hunt; they seemed to be demanding that all funding for Planned Parenthood be cut. Bozos.
Anyway, after stuffing myself at the buffet lunch (and snagging the pecan pie recipe from my waiter ) I went to look at the furniture exhibit next to the cafe and fell into converstaion with a guy from Phillie. He was very nice and invited me to come visit, he claims to be an excellent cook. Alas, he was old enough to be my dad.
There are joggers all over here, I don't understand this. Jogging is no fun at all, and it's been snowing here.
If you live here, please, please, go see the "Birds of Paradise" thing at the National Geographic Hall. I meant to take just a quick peek and was there over an hour.
Rob took me to a fantastic restaurant yesterday, the Dirty Martini. A man who we guessed was the owner kept coming over to chat; he looked like he was on his way to audition for "The Sporanos"
Tomorrow morning I have my breakfast at the Mansion on O, plus a treasure hunt (whatever that entails)
I had a most divine dessert at Kramerbooks, a salty caramel cake w/ a scoop of cinnamon ice cream
Rob is coming to NYC in the spring and I have assured her that the NYC ballet fans will join her for dinner, plus buy her a drink at the Campbell Apartment.
That is all.

[emason]

Haven't seen Alice; would love to. Definitely would love to meet Rob in the spring. Washington sounds fab.

[Rob]

I liked Alice too. The company is so well trained and well rehearsed.

[Marge_Simpson]

Ok, if you're in DC you MUST go have breakfast or brunch at the Mansion on O. If I hadn't left this until my last day, I would have gone back for another event, that's what a blast I had there.
I did breakfast on Sunday morning, because the brunch was sold out. Piles of yummy southern breakfast things. They had bananas Foster, which I had never tried before. I heartily approve; they made a most excellent topping for my cooked-to-order buttermilk waffles.
I'd signed up for the 4-floor treasure hunt, which included the hidden door search. My breakfast reservation was for 10 AM and I figured on getting out of there by noon, because there were still a few things I wanted to see on my last day.
Bwahaha, the joke was on me. I got so involved with the whole thing, I didn't make it out of there until 2 PM. The place is fantastic, it looks like a cross between the Addams family mansion and a consignment shop that was decorated by an insane person. But it all kind of works. I'd guess there were about 20 other people looking for the hidden doors while I was there. It was hard to tell because the place is so large and we kept passing each other and then meeting up again in different places. Everyone was helping each other out and pointing out doors.
The guest rooms in this place are completely demented. One suite is an actual log cabin.
There were only a handful of people doing the treasure hunt besides me. I teamed up temporarily with a 7 year old boy whose mom had gone MIA. She'd gone down a secret stairway and disappeared,we caught up to her in the basement. What a hoot!
For my last dinner in DC, I went to Jaleo. Everything there is fabulous, but I must tell you about the divine dessert I ordered - chocolate hazelnut cake with praline ice cream. This was a very rich, very delicious chocolate cake topped with hazelnut mousse, with a dark chocolate glaze on top, and some salty caramel sauce on the side. With a scoop of crunchy praline ice cream. OMG!
As a New Yorker, it was a bit unnerving to me how helpful and friendly everyone is in DC.
I have a question about the subway. I kept forgetting that you need to put your ticket in the machine to exit the system, and would have to stop on my way out and dig for it in my bag. What happens if you try to exit but you don't have money on your ticket or in your pocket? Do they force you to stay in the station and panhandle until you have enough money to get out?
Incidentally, I am peeved at the National Ballet of Canada. Why are they not bringing "Alice" to NYC? And why didn't they make their wonderful poster available for sale?

[NinjaTurtles]

Re: the Metro. If you're using a fare card, they have fare machines inside the gate so you can increase the value before exiting. If using a Smartrip, you'll end up with a negative balance and not be allowed back in without adding enough value to the card. Otherwise, beg the Station Manager for forgiveness and get through the side or jump the gate and risk a fair evasion ticket. You can always piggyback" too.