Monday - April 9

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y,  

AN N E T T E  

Wishing our sweet "daughter", Annette a very

Happy Birthday!!!

 

Today was the big day - finally time to see the cherry blossoms.    It was only 39 and very cloudy with grey skies.    We may have looked dorky with 4 layers + pants, sox, tennies,  scarf, gloves and ear muffs, but it was all about being warm and comfy.

Fortunately we didn't have the strong winds like yesterday, but it was cold!

 

So after a stop at Starbucks, we boarded the bus here at National Harbor and took it to Alexandria and then got on the metro.    Walked several blocks to the Tidal Basin and there they were...

 

White...

 

to pale pink

to deep pink... 

 

Looking across the Tidal Basin at the Jefferson Memorial

 

a selfie with the blossoms

 

We walked to The Wharf which is where Capital Yacht Club is located (been here on Catrina - Ryan, too, after he and Mark arrived in January one year ago on Terraphobic when it was sooo bitter cold).   

They were doing a multi-billion $ renovation in 3 phases of shops, restaurants and condos.    A big part of it is complete and it is quite something   Would've liked to walk around more but we were cold and wanted to catch the water taxi to take us back to National Harbor.

 

We had lunch at "Kith and Kin" - very trendy and enjoyed a lobster slider and Jamaican beef patties.

 

We were the only passengers on the water taxi from the wharf to National Harbor - it was nice 'n warm (40-minute trip) and Mark had a good chat with one of the workers who is attending graduate school here but from the Thousand Islands in NY

(hope to go back to that beautiful area this summer).

 

National Harbor is such a neat place, but pretty deserted today with the cold.   Yesterday, it was a happening place.

 

Mark and I walked to McCormick and Schmick's for happy hour and some delicious bruschetta.    Ryan met us after work and later, we walked to Grace's Mandarin for some awesome Chinese.

 

Lots of good eating today for sure.....as we were walking back to Terraphobic after dinner, it was spittin' rain!    UGH...so ready for the sunshine to return tomorrow.    It is to be 81 on Friday/Saturday!

 

So it's been a very good day and can now check the box for "Viewing the cherry blossoms".    Although the weather wasn't the best, it was all worth it!

We are planning to stay over another day....