1st Anniversary, Cousins, and Bike Rides

Choosing our destination for our 1st Anniversary was sooooooo difficult! We wanted to choose a place where we could get the most bang for our buck, be active, and have a good time. Plus, we were trying to find a city that had restaurants open.

We were supposed to go visit my cousin Kiem in Florida, but that was a 13 hour drive. We wanted to go to the mountains, and we also wanted to go to New York. But, we settled on Washington, DC because I love that place so much… I was EXCITED!!! This is one of the places I wanted Mateusz to fall in love with, so hopefully he would be open to it being the place we move to once we finally go back to the USA.

We arrived in DC on July 3, 2020 after experiencing A LOT of traffic on the way there. Praise God Mateusz agreed to drive the 2^nd half of the trip, which was most of the distance. LOL! I am one of those people who always start getting sleepy on boring drives, and the drive to DC down I-95 is BORING.

The hotel we stayed at was Asian themed and had recently been bought by Hilton. Motto by Hilton in Washington, DC is such a cute hotel that sits in the city center. We were in walking distance to many restaurants and a bike ride from most of the monuments and all the sightseeing you could historically dream of. Minus the museums, they were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Mateusz and I walked from our hotel on H Street to see the Black Lives Matter Plaza. Then back to the hotel to find someplace to eat. We did not do much on this day because we had plans of waking up early on July 4^th for our anniversary to enjoy the day.

On the 4^th of July we woke up early enough to get some brunchy treats. I love brunch, nice sunny weather, and an amazing atmosphere. It makes for a great start to any day. Mateusz found Busboys and Poets; this location was only a short walk from our hotel. Let me tell you honey… They did not disappoint! The food was good, the service was good, and the outside seating was good. We only waited maybe 5 minutes before we were seated.

Once we finished our food we went in search of bicycles to make touring DC easier. In DC they have Capital Bikeshare. The catch is to make sure you remount your bike and select it again before 30 minutes is up to get the best value for your adventures. I learned the hard way and paid $23 for a 2 hour trip. Let’s just say that did not happen again. LoL… But, we were on a mission. Mateusz wanted to bike to the pentagon and that is what we did. That whole day we biked approximately 23 miles all over DC.

Did you know that DC closes all of its streets on the 4^th of July for the fireworks event at the Washington monument?!?! I did not know this either. So, when Mateusz and I were riding in the streets and we saw roads blocked off, we were confused. But, there were other people riding and walking behind the road blocks. Pedestrians, bikers, skateboarders, and people on scooters all had the streets to themselves without the worry of getting hit by a car. It was beautiful!

I had to explain to Mateusz that DC was only empty at this time due to COVID-19. Otherwise, the city is packed and busy. So, I think we need to revisit this city again. But, it would be nice to do an east coast tour. Start at the top and work our way down. Ooo!!! I am excited.

After all of our bike adventures throughout DC we headed back to the hotel to change and go to our reservations. The hotel is equipped with a rooftop bar that gives you a front row seat to the 4^th of July fireworks and air show. Mateusz was in hog heaven!

The air show covered 4 cities, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. It started in Boston and ended at the capital. The air show included bomber jets, fighter jets, helicopters, and cargo and tanker aircrafts. Remember when I said Mateusz is an engineer for airplanes? I think I saw him drool one time. LMAO

Guess what?!?! I got to meet one of my favorite people/cousin’s son Malcolm! He is the sweetest and was absolutely hilarious! We met for brunch at Sequoia and it was absolutely delicious! The outside area was spacious and the restaurant sat along the river. The inside was so chic. It was hands down a beautiful place. I would even recommend it for a nice date night, dress up and go by car.

Mateusz and I went to Sequoia by bike and we got caught in the rain on the way to the Lincoln Memorial. LoL! I loved all of the memories made and the faces Mateusz and I got to meet. Always cherish the people in your life.

Now it is time for us to get ready for Detra’s wedding. *wink*