Me and my honey at the top of the famous steps from Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece “The Exorcist”
Every year the little lady and I celebrate our anniversary by getting away for a few days. Last year we went to Oz. This year we decided to be a little more tame. We went to DC.
Have we been there a gazillion times? Sure. Without the kids and/or grandkids? Never.
Here are the highlights of our four-day trip in no particular order. Pics and details below.
- We had dinner at St. Anselm in Union Market. Best steak I ever ate — full stop. Named after St. Anselm of Canterbury.
- We went to Sunday worship services at the National Cathedral. Breathtaking! Episcopal service was lovely and everyone was welcoming. Parking is free on Sundays.
- I went for a 3.5 mile walk/run from the hotel down to the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. Ran down with the phone stowed away so I could experience everything fully, then got out the phone and took pics on the job/walk back.
- Toured the National Archive — saw the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. If you don’t get chills your American is broke.
- Had lunch at 2 Sisters Deli. A Chinese family culturally appropriating traditional NY-style Jewish deli sandwiches — fast, cheap and A+. I love America.
- Toured the Smithsonian Air & Space museum. I was a model rocket nerd as a kid (Richmond Vikings NAR #25374) and I am a lifelong Trekkie. We saw the original Starship Enterprise and lots of cool rockets — including the Aerobee and the WAC Corporal (all three of which I’ve modeled in scale but never seen up close).
- Had Ben & Jerry’s ice cream down at the wharf.
- Drove Embassy Row at night looking at the buildings all lit up.
- Shopped our brains out at Potomac Mills.
- Ate breakfast at Firehook Bakery. Coffee, bagels and baked goods that were dead bang on the bulls-eye.
- On the way home we stopped at Squash-a-Penny Junction in Doswell. Really interesting and quirky general store converted into an antique joint that’s so packed you can barely walk through it sideways. Limited hours.
- Didn’t have time to get down to Souk on Capitol Hill. Too bad — I love everything about this place. There’s always next time.
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- Best steak I’ve ever had, hands down. Ridiculously good.
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- The National Cathedral at dusk.
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- Arch above the entry to the National Cathedral
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- Statue of Abraham Lincoln in the N.C.
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- The altar in St. Mary’s Chapel in the National Cathedral
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- National Cathedral, exterior view from the elevator up from the parking deck.
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- Squash-a-Penny Junction. A very unique antique shop in Doswell, VA — no pictures allowed inside!
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- Tin Man on a Bike outside Squash-a-Penny
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- Bank across the street from Squash-a-Penny. Pretty sure this is where the owner of Squash-a-Penny lives.
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- Giant hand sculpture outside Squash-a-Penny Junction. It’s not a Hand of Mysteries, but wouldn’t it be cool if it was?
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- The Lincoln Memorial
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- Lincoln Memorial up close
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- The Washington Monument
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- Washington Monument
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- Emblem on the floor of the World War II Memorial
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- The Virginia pillar at the World War II Memorial
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- Quote on the World War II Memorial
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- Another quote on the World War II Memorial
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- The Atlantic side of the World War II Memorial
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- World War II Memorial
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- Smithsonian Visitor Center
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- Smithsonian Visitor Center
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- Smithsonian Visitor Center
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- 3600 Prospect Ave. NW, the house from “The Exorcist” (1973). An addition was added for the film which is now gone, plus there’s a privacy fence up that wasn’t there in ’73. Basically, the iconic movie poster picture cannot be recreated. Rats.
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- The stairs from “The Exorcist” (1973)
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- The stairs from “The Exorcist” (1973)
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- That’s my wife at the top of the steps…
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- Me and my honey at the top of the famous steps from Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece “The Exorcist”
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- from “The Exorcist” (1973)
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- The original Starship Enterprise
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- The original Starship Enterprise
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- Mercury capsule
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- Skylab exhibit
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- Inside the Skylab exhibit
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- The original 1903 Wright Bros. flyer
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- WAC Corporal in foreground, behind it the V2
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- V2 rocket
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- Jupiter-C rocket
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- Aerobee rocket
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- Base of Jupiter-C in background
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- Space shuttle mockup
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- Elevator doors from the National Archives. No pictures are allowed inside the building. I’m such a bad boy — I snapped a photo of the elevator doors. Yes, the Declaration of Independence is etched into them. Awesome.
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- Capitol buidling
Robert Mitchell Jr. 
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