I thought I'd better blog and capture all the travelling I've been doing lately before I forget all the interesting (and unusual) things I've seen and done in my past month of globetrotting (well - not really globetrotting, since I haven't crossed any borders, but close enough).
Just coincidentally, I've been to Chicago, Washington D.C., and Dallas in the past 3 weeks for both work and play. Chicago, of course, is fabulous and even more so, when a 40 mph ass-bitingly cold wind ISN'T blowing off of Lake Michigan in mid-January, which is when I usually seem to be there. It's much more enjoyable in June when the weather cooperates. Highlights of this enjoyable girlie weekend included a great Asian-fusion meal at the Red Light on RAndolph Street (complete with several big buddhas for good luck!); that funky custom handbag store on Halstead (Lill); draft beer and popcorn on the 3rd baseline at the White Sox game (in spite of the cloning fraternity boys in front of us); the particularly strong martinis (and particularly annoying bartender) at the China Grill; and the Chicago night skyline from the John Hancock building.
Washington was totally different and a big hit of American-ism at its finest - you know you've arrived in the nation's capital from the minute you're warned against moving out of your seat 30 minutes before landing or takeoff.
It was extremely hot and muggy while I was there, but fortunately, this time (unlike my first visit) I realized that the distance between the White House and the Lincoln Memorial was unwalkable in flip flops in 97 degree heat. THe highlight this trip was definitely the Holocaust Memorial Museum, in the Smithsonian - I spent about 3 hours there on the weekend and it was extremely well done, but very unsettling. When you first enter you're given an identification card of a real person who lived during the Holocaust - and their biographical profile- which really hits home. I got the ID of a girl named Flora Mendelovicz, who was 7 at the time of the Holocaust. Fortunately she was one of the survivors, hidden in a convent in Belgium and then immigrated to the US. There were many ID cards that were not so positive though. The inside of the museum is designed to look like a concentration camp yard, with brick and metal everywhere.. it's very ominous. The most impacting part of the entire museum is the final video, which concludes with eyewitness testimonies from survivors about their rescue, resistance and experiences in the camps. It's unbelievable, but very powerful.
Also got to the Kennedy Center one evening for a swanky cocktail party, the Lincoln Memorial at night, Vietnam War Memorial and Georgetown. We also had a reception at the Mansion on O street, this very eclectic group of old brownstones that line "O" Street and have been joined together - it's a dining room, restaurant, B&B, and antique store/flea market - you can buy anything in entire house, which is filled to the rafters with stuff, plus there are 25 B&B suites available. It's the most interesting and unusual spot - definitely worth a second look. More later..
