Saturdays in DC: National Portrait Gallery and Coffee

Saturdays have turned into our exploration days in DC. We tend to start each one in our neighborhood: NoMa, just meandering while walking Kona. We always end up at the National Mall. We have really tried to spend these long walks getting used to the National Mall so when people visit us we seem super knowledgeable. (The reality is we know very little…Seem is the optimal word.)

Tip: The different Memorials on the National Mall are a must visit if you only have a day.

We finally were able to take a walk from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial with Kona. (We learned with Kona, that she needed to be built up to that kind of walk. If not she will literally just stop, lay down, roll onto her back and flail around. True Story). The different memorials on the National Mall are really amazing, but the war memorials are really the best ones in my opinion. They are moving, so beautiful, and well done monuments to the sacrifice of those who have fought.

Once Kona is dropped off at home to sleep, Dustin and I head out to explore. We have been to the National Portrait Gallery now a couple times. While it has well know collections of portraits of Presidents and First Lady’s; our favorites are the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver (it is AMAZING in person!!!), and a photo of Abe Lincoln. There is also a part of the building that is the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We really enjoyed the visit this last time, as there was an exhibit from an artist Do Ho Such (Almost Home) who used only thin mesh fabric and thread to create architectural items. The detail of this work was insane and a must visit if in town!!!

About a block away from the National Portrait Gallery, a coffee & cupcake pit stop is a must. Bakers & Baristas is a really cute local coffee shop, and very well placed for an after museum pit stop. We have heard that there are some amazing cupcakes in D.C. This particular excursion we decided to start trying some, so we went next to Bakers & Baristas, Red Velvet Cupcakery. Dustin was torn between a couple options, but he chose the one that had a small bead of 24K gold so he could “say he has eaten gold.”