The Northwesterners Versus The Mid-Atlantic Weather

We have been in the Washington DC area for over a week and the heat and humid weather have not let up. We have managed to visit everywhere we planned, but it has taken a toll. Nearly everyday around 3 or 4pm we lose our ability to walk, stay motivated, and most of all stay awake. We find ourselves packed in mass transportation (the Metro) like little sweaty sardines. Actually, we have walked great distances each day, as there is something neat to see wherever you are. No matter your location, when you look up, you see either monuments, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Pentagon, and so much more. Also, we have never seen so many men and women in military uniform just casually walking about the city. It is strange to think that we are around the most powerful people in the world, in the most powerful place in the world, as we run around in flip flops and t-shirts!

We arrived at BWI (Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport) on Wednesday evening (July 23rd.) We were picked up by Nicole's cousin, Andy and his friend Victoria. He took us on a short tour of downtown Baltimore before taking us on a tour of his very cool, old, brick townhouse.

We were starving so we elected to walk to a famous (on Wednesday nights only) baked potato place called Birches. At around the halfway point Andy made it quite clear that we were not only going to get poured on...but a huge storm was coming in fast.

Not less than two blocks later the sky slammed us with lightning bolt after lightning bolt and the interval between them was no more than 30 seconds at the most. Our walk turned into a hurried scamper as the rain started to come down.

Two blocks away a cab pulled up at the intersection and Andy had the quick mind to stop him and we all jumped in. As soon as everyone was in the cab it POURED. Even though it was a two block trip, it was the best 3 bucks we ever spent for a taxi.

Despite being dropped off at the restaurant doorstep, we still ended up getting soaked from the rain. From the inside we could see the wind blowing on the restaurant's outdoor umbrellas and the sky flashed electric constantly for over an hour.

After riding a lightning bolt to the front door, we found ourselves in a quaint, candle-lit, very cozy little brick restaurant. Birches offers a baked potato bar every Wednesday night-with a menu of about 50 different potato toppings. If you are a regular, they keep track of which toppings you've tried, and when you've tried all 50, you join the famous "Baked Potato Club" and get a t-shirt. It was a very neat, old place and it seemed like the servers knew all the people eating there. It was Cheers-esque.

As for the rest of our time in Washington we have visited several of the Smithsonian Museums, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and all the suburbs near Arlington. I don't have time to write about everything that we have done so far, but I hope to add to this when we are on the road.

Next stop Cleveland?