Connecticut Avenue, Washington D.C.

I get to Washington D.C. about four times a year.

When I visit, I tend to hang around Connecticut Avenue.  A stretch of bars, restaurants, shops, and hotels a little northwest of the White House.  

It is a pretty easy ride on the Metro, but you do need to switch trains.

You take the Blue Line (Largo Town Center) from Reagan National Airport to Metro Center and then the Red Line (Shady Grove) to Dupont Circle.  Once surfaced, you are there.

At the top of the station, chiseled into the granite, is a portion of Walt Whiman's poem, The Wound Dresser:

    Thus in silence in dreams’ projections,
    Returning, resuming, I thread my way through the hospitals;
    The hurt and wounded I pacify with soothing hand,
    I sit by the restless all the dark night – some are so young;
    Some suffer so much – I recall the experience sweet and sad…

Whitman volunteered in Washington's hospitals during the civil war and according to this post, city leaders were looking to honor those who nursed the sick during the early days of the HIV crisis.

Once in the vicinity, my rituals include strolling through Embassy Row west of Dupont Circle, reflecting at the statue of the Goddess Saraswati, and Bistrot Du Coin.


I was introduced to this French Gem by my friend Brian.  It is now a non-negotiable destination for me.

My routine is always the same.  I squeeze past the people waiting on a table and find a spot at the bar. I order Le Steak Maison and relax.

When I can, as sometimes I am priced out, I stay at The Fairfax.

In addition to just being a fantastic hotel, it has one of the most resplendent back-room bars I have found.

The warm light from the fireplace creates the perfect atmosphere for weary travelers to talk and plan.

Minneapolis

The Mississippi River.

I Love Minneapolis.  

I land at the airport, stroll past the cabs and rental cars, and head directly for the light rail.


Once on board, the blue line takes me to one of the most scenic downtowns in America.

Downtown is where you find the McKnight Foundation a supporter of a former employer, and many other conservation organizations.  So, I have had plenty of opportunities to visit them and the city.

My favorite place?  Mill Ruins Park on the west bank of the Mississippi River by St. Anthony Falls.  

Mill Ruins Park.

From the park literature, "In its 19th-century heyday, this area of mills, canals, tailraces and other historic resources comprised the largest direct-drive water-powered facility in the world."   The ruins look much older than they are and remind you of a castle more than a mill. 



The juxtaposition of the old ruins and the modern buildings in this area is really cool.  Not to mention the miles of connected trails on both sides of the scenic Mississippi River.

On the way back to the airport I always stop at the 50th Street/Minnehaha Park Station. 

Minnehaha Falls.

Minnehaha Park is almost 200 acres, full of trails, events, and a surprisingly good food vendor ( Sea Salt ). 

I grab a drink, a fish taco, and head to the main event in the park, a 50 foot waterfall that seems to appear out of nowhere.  The huge chasm and waterfall remind me of the impossible landscapes my son (3) and daughter (5) create with Minecraft.  I soak up what I can of the peace of this place and then start the 668 mile journey back to them.

#minnehaha_park , #minneapolis , #mill_ruins_park