Rum and Me – we had a bad time together on Spring Break in Cancun, Mexico many years ago. So I’ve avoided rum in its various forms and flavors around the world for decades.  Even the pina colada was off limits which was a shame because it’s a tasty rum drink on the beach or in the city on a hot day.  So rum was off limits until I put on my big girl pants to suck it up and get over my college years which are (sadly) a memory in the rear view mirror of life.  It was visiting Cotton & Reed Rum Bar & Distillery in Washington, D.C. that got me back in the friend zone with Rum.  Unlike the rum of my youth, they are producing artisanal small batch rums in a few flavors and through a visit of the distillery with a tasting did they reintroduce me to rum and the iconic Pina Colada.

Located along the warehouses and across from Union Market in Washington, D.C., Cotton & Reed have brought rum into the forefront with their bespoke distillery and tasting room.  Think farm to table but with rum.

Our blog group was in town for the whirlwind weekend in D.C. which included a jam packed art itinerary that, of course, had us running late but no one wanted to skip the rum tastings. As we approached their outpost, there is a window serving Pina coladas in case you can’t find a seat inside the small bar which has high top table, bar seats and a counter to stand and enjoy drinks with friends.  The menu says it all “no beer, no wine….only rum”.

Cotton & Reed Rum Tour & Tasting in D.C.

We wandered to the back of the house where the Saturday tour & tasting would take place in front of the large vats where the rum is created. The Cotton & Reed rum tour and tasting is held at various times on the weekend in the back room.  Set up on the table were shots of water, sugar water (yuck!) and three flavors of rum (White, Dry Spice and All Spice Dram). One of the owners told us the story of the brand, their awards and how their rums are found in prestigious bars throughout the city of D.C.  As if working for NASA wasn’t cool enough, they left their jobs there to create rum!  That’s a true passion!

Now for someone who had a bad beginning with rum, the straight shots were a bit tough for me to handle right after lunch, however, hearing about how the flavors were created and what I should be tasting, it was close to a wine tasting just much stronger.  Our group was quite receptive to learn more, share shots not taken and take photos along the way.

Bottles of Cotton & Reed Rum are sold on-site and at a few locations in D.C. The special release flavors are limited and sold on site.   They are open Wednesday – Sunday and available to host tours with tastings and events.  Tours (30 minutes) are held on Saturday at 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm and the price ($22 subject to change) includes the tasting flight, distillery tour, ingredients tastings and a cocktail from the bar.  Must be 21 to sign up for the tour & tasting.

Rum Bar D.C. – Pina Colada

Once the tasting was done, we reentered the bar area which was crowded for a sunny summer Saturday afternoon.  We shared Pina coladas as we all sang verses of the Pina Colada song (really who doesn’t have this in their head…..”If you like Pina coladas and getting caught in the rain…..: by Rupert Holmes).  As kids, it was a catchy song, as an adult I now know it was about more than pina coladas.  The Cotton & Reed rum is, to me, quite strong.  It might just be that I’ve been drinking wine too long and rarely drink liquor, but that said, make sure you take an Uber or Lyft back to your hotel.

Rum Volunteers at the Distillery

They also have bottling parties for VOLUNTEERS which sounds dangerous – how much will really make it into the bottle?  How straight will those labels be (look at the photos and you’ll see a few folks are a bit misaligned)?  And who gets the shrink wrapping machine?  I’m guessing there’s no drinking on the job until all the work is done.   Sounds like a fantastic volunteer event to help the small business continue hand producing the small batches of high quality artisan rum in D.C.

Final Thoughts – Cotton & Reed Rum

After visiting Cotton & Reed Rum Distillery in Washington, D.C., I have a new found appreciation for rum again. Likewise, I was quite impressed with the passion to produce such a high quality liquor.  So many more folks are going local with craft beers, whiskey and gin that I would recommend you support these local businesses in your area and when you travel.  Its a wonderful way to get a (literal) taste of the city.  So now I can go back to the beach and order my pina colada in pineapple with the little umbrella or order a fancy rum cocktail in the swanky (posh) craft cocktail bars in the city.

With my Art Weekend in D.C., I decided to extend by a day so I could do my own tour of D.C. in a short time.  I had never visited the iconic buildings of Washington, D.C. – the Capitol, Supreme Court or the White House.  For this trip, the White House was under construction and tours need to be requested months in advance.   I only had a week’s notice to work with so I took a chance on the U.S. Capitol tour.

Requesting a Tour of the U.S. Capitol Building

If you are a U.S. resident, you can request tour tickets through a member of Congress or the House of Representatives.  I went online with my local representative, Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania, and filled out the tour request form.  A staff member emailed me the next day to confirm that he reserved my space on the U.S. Capitol tour for 10:10 a.m. as he saw on the form that my train home was at 3:30 p.m. Attached to the email was my ticket to present at the tour desk when I arrived at the U.S. Capitol.

Note: There are often same day passes if you want to try your luck (not recommended during summer or school holidays).  International visitors can book US Capitol tour requests online.

Arriving at the U.S. Capitol tour

The entrance is behind the U.S. Capitol building as noted on the ticket.  I put the U.S. Capitol Tour in my Uber request so that the driver dropped me off in the closest location to the entrance as it was raining the day of my visit.  I walked toward the building down the ramp to the entrance.  Lucky for me with the rain, there was no line outside waiting.  I walked into the building to the airport security type screening and breezed through.  I walked toward the stairs to walk down to the tour desk to trade my ticket in for a tour pass.  As I was early, there was space on the 9:40 a.m. tour so the staff member asked if I wanted to join that tour, I said yes and she printed out my tour sticker to wear and directed me to my line.

The U.S. Capitol Tour – Movie Theatre Introduction

I waited only a few minutes as the doors to the theatre opened and our group entered.  I would guess we had about 40 people in our group and we were told to walk to the top of the theatre and fill in the last rows first and all seats across.  We were then presented a movie “Out of One, Many” about America and the work of the U.S. Capitol – the Senate and House of Representatives. In that theatre, it was easy to forget about the politics and drama that are currently ongoing and see what the original intent was, how the U.S. should work together for the people.  In that theatre, there was hope, a renewed sense of American spirit. Then the lights came up and we were directed to leave at the top of the theatre to get our headsets and line up.  Our guide, Mike, walked the line to make sure we could all hear him narrate the tour.

The Guided Tour of the US Capitol

As the group walked forward toward the small set of escalators, Mike provided background of the building and the tour.  We would visit three rooms on the tour – the Crypt, the Rotunda and Statuary Hall.

The U.S. Capitol Tour –  Crypt

When we arrived in the crypt, a small room underneath the Rotunda above, which connects the Senate and the House, we were one of four groups to fill the small space, leaving the center open for employee traffic.  The many columns are base points for the Rotunda above.

The compass stone on the floor is surrounded by ropes is said to be the center of Washington, D.C.  In the circular room, there are thirteen statues representing the original colonies.  From Pennsylvania, my home state, a statue of Muhlenberg is represented.

The U.S. Capitol Rotunda

Wow!  As you walked into the Rotunda, it’s hard not to be impressed by the soaring domed ceiling, the impressive paintings and the statues in the room. The U.S. Capitol building was more interesting with each room and corridor.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTx43PJ99P0[/embedyt]

It was like being in a large museum on a tour.  The groups were now larger, about eight large groups and a good number of smaller private tours led by Senate and House staff for special guests.  If you look closely at the top of the dome, you realize that a select few (7 people per tour, 8 tours a day = 56 special guests) get to go up there!  Need to contact your local rep to see what you need to do to get on that tour. On this day, I wasn’t special, just a normal tourist.

The paintings nearest to our group were one of the earliest founders of the United States of America – the marriage of Pocahontas to John Smith.  Many statues encircled the Rotunda, some which are gifts and will remain (i.e. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), others are chosen by each states.  Each state can choose two statues to represent them and are located throughout the U.S. Capitol – the Rotunda, National Statuary Hall, the Crypt, Hall of Columns (not visited on tour) and the Visitor Center area.

The sheer vastness of the Capitol Rotunda is said to fit the Statue of Liberty and still not touch the top (I couldn’t confirm this but trust the guide when he said it).  It’s quite a surprising room full of paintings, statues, architectural wonder (curved sandstone walls) and unique details that a good zoom can capture. What I thought was carvings of the Wright Brothers is actually a painting!  What a surprise.  The Rotunda was built in many parts over many years and you can see the architectural differences throughout.

National Statuary Hall Visit on the U.S. Capitol Tour

We would leave the Capitol Rotunda and move to a smaller room with many state statues. This room has a special acoustic feature – our guide went to the far end to whisper and without our headsets on we could hear him. The sound feature was reminiscent of amphitheaters I’ve visited in Greece.  This room felt crowded and a bit hot with the tour groups but we weren’t here too long. The Greek revival architecture was interesting to see in the building.

While a few statues you have heard of representing your state or from your study of U.S. history, one statue was of a man we hadn’t heard of but really all should know.  This man, John Gorrie, was a physician, scientist and inventor.  He represents the state of Florida as he invented air conditioning.  In Philly, we have awful heat & humidity with summer days exceeding 100 degrees so “thank you” to Florida for honoring this resident who has helped so many folks stay cool.  Also in the hall are a few women – Illinois has Frances Lord who championed women’s rights and is the first woman statue while Rosa Parks was commissioned.

Common Areas of the U.S. Capitol Tour

When we left Statuary Hall, our last room to visit on the Capitol Tour, we were led back down the escalator to return our headsets and exit past (not through) the gift shop.

Back on the ground floor, there is a large cafeteria open to the public and a special exhibit (that didn’t allow photos – boo!).  The special exhibit “Out of One, Many” was quite interesting to tour and could take at least an hour to view and interact with the exhibits.  As I was on a time crunch, I did a quick spin through before I left to walk the inner corridor through to the Library of Congress.  I was fascinated by the unique sculptures in the U.S. Capitol Tour Visitor Center area representing the various states.

Final Thoughts – Touring the U.S. Capitol

The free tour of the U.S. Capitol was really interesting and only an hour so easy to do.  If you want to visit either chamber of the Senate or House, you need an additional pass to do that.  I didn’t have time to walk across the street to my Senator/Reps office for a pass that day.  The new tour area of the U.S. Capitol is very nice experience and set up to minimize stress and waits. I’d definitely recommend the tour to give you a bit of hope for our future as you see the greats of our past who helped shape our country and the sheer willpower of the people to create and fight for our democracy (as crazy as it may be somedays).

Knowing that my Art Weekend in D.C. was planned out, I stayed an extra day to explore on my own.  I asked a few D.C. based twitter friends for restaurant suggestions, along the lines of “what’s a must eat food experience in D.C.”  A few replies were “the best burger in D.C. is at Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Georgetown”, I searched online and was instantly hooked by the description and the accolades as one of the best burgers in D.C. I decided to book a lunch reservation at 12:30 p.m. which gave me enough time to enjoy lunch before my Amtrak home. I started my day early to ensure that I would be hungry at lunch time.

Before I would arrive at the boutique Four Seasons Georgetown with 164 rooms and 58 suites, I had a tour of the Capitol, a quick spin in the Library of Congress and a drive by inside the Supreme Court in my attempt to build up an appetite worthy of the best burger in D.C. I would then order an Uber in the rain for the twenty minute ride to the hotel.  As the car arrived in the Four Seasons Georgetown driveway, the door was opened by the bellman and I was welcomed to the hotel. As I had no luggage, I mentioned I was there for lunch and he told me to walk through the lobby direct to the restaurant.

The Four Seasons Georgetown

As you enter the hotel, you are met with a lobby seating area that is modern luxury in design and feel – very luxe and private.  In the middle of the long entranceway there are two desks on either side of the hall (front desk & concierge).  Further afield is another seating area and a door to the large private garden patio.  The lobby was full of art, so much art that I asked about it and found out that their art collection is over 1500+ pieces throughout the hotel.  That’s impressive for this six story building that has more of a boutique hotel feel to it than an other urban Four Seasons hotels I’ve stayed at.

Bourbon Steak – First Class Service

As I approached the hostess desk, I was welcomed and taken to my table by the window.  I observed a large restaurant in different sections – private dining, a lounge, bar and dining rooms.  I also saw a few solo diners, a young family and business lunches taking place. I was instantly greeted by name and provided a menu.  Another staff member filled my glass with water (I would never get to the bottle of my water glass as it was constantly filled throughout lunch).  My server came back for my order and I mentioned I was there for the burger & duck fat fries. She said it was a popular choice.  I added bacon because well it’s bacon and why not.  I also ordered a glass of wine because I thought it would complement the meat well and I wasn’t driving – Amtrak was.

The first bit of fun to arrive was the cast iron pan of rolls.  I said yes to a roll thinking I was getting one buttery ball of goodness but the pan was placed on my table and well, that wasn’t a good thing as I was hungry and instantly off my gluten free weekend.  The roll had salt on top but was croissant like inside and the butter required me to cut the roll with a fork and knife because I was covered in butter and thought licking my fingers wasn’t a good thing at the Four Seasons.  Because I was hungry, I ate two rolls which I knew would spoil my lunch but when you go off the gluten free train, you go over the cliff into gluttony (in my case anyway).

The Best Burger in D.C. at Bourbon Steak

My burger arrived and did not disappoint.  It was presented with a pickle and pepper on top held with a wooden stick through the burger. A+ for presentation and when the fries arrived, well A++++.  I told the server I ordered the side of fries and she smiled and said “that is the side order of duck fat fries”. No one warned me of this – there were three tasting containers of duck fat fries each with a different seasoning and dipping sauce.  I could have made a meal of the fries and this was a case of needing to “phone a friend” to help me. But I took on the herculean task of this lunch knowing that I could be defeated.  The first bite of the burger had me, it was one bite and I knew why this was a best burger in D.C.  I then sampled each fry type and sauce, also award winning in their French fry category.  I had rosemary herb fries with spicy ketchup, onion seasoned fries with chive onion crème fraiche and smoked paprika fries with Chef Michael Mina’s bbq sauce.  I wasn’t a fan of the smoke paprika and bbq (in the middle one) which makes sense because I’m not fond of bbq flavors.

As I slowly ate my lunch to savor each flavorful bite, I knew that the burger would defeat me.  Even after I removed the flaky bun to eat the burger, I couldn’t finish it.  It was the buttery rolls that disadvantaged me.  Burger 1, Sue 0.  I waved the white flag and looked out the window at the outdoor patio space and view below.

The staff removed my plates and the server returned and asked about dessert.  My head wanted to see the menu while my stomach was definitely saying “no space at the inn”.  I looked at the dessert menu and laughed at the last entry “No Space for Dessert?  Get our Signature Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies to Go”.  I thought train ride home, cookies might be good if I’m ever hungry again and said I’ll take the cookies to go.  The cookies arrived a few minutes later in their brown bag with restaurant sticker and cookie recipe attached.  I could feel the warmth and gooeyness of the cookies in the bag and looked forward to ending my day of gluten in chocolate happiness.

Bourbon Steak Signature Cookies

When I arrived home after 6 p.m. I was slightly hungry and managed to find a glass of milk and eat only two of the three cookies for dinner.  That was all I could manage as I was still so fully satisfied from lunch.

Final Thoughts – Bourbon Steak D.C. in the Four Seasons Georgetown

If my lunch service and fantastic burger/fries combo is any indication, I can only imagine a steak dinner must be heavenly at any of the Bourbon Steak locations in the U.S. For now, I’m a fan of the best burger in D.C. at Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Georgetown and you will be too if you go visit. I don’t even think I want to try any others in the city…afraid of disappointment now that I’ve had this burger. So go hungry and bring a friend!  Share the bread and fries but don’t share the burger or the cookies – keep them all for yourself!  It was an indulgence lunch that was worth every calorie, worth every penny, worth the extra gym time and worthy of a return visit.

Best Burger in D.C. – The Details

The burger cost $22, side of fries $8, glass of wine $14, cookies to go $8 and tip.  My lunch was definitely indulgent but totally worth the splurge.

Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons D.C. Georgetown is owned by Michael Mina, award winning chef and restauranteur.  He has other Bourbon Steak locations in Los Angeles, Miami, Scottsdale, Santa Clara and Nashville in addition to the Washington D.C. location. Michael Mina also has other restaurants throughout the U.S.

Art Museums often have the “permanent collection” which you see the same pieces with each visit and it’s the temporary exhibits that draw you back to discover or re-discover an artist and their work. For my Art Weekend in Washington, D.C.  I would discover many new (to me) American artists in the Decorative Arts.  My brain actually got a work out trying to take it all in and process because The Renwick Gallery, one museum of many in the Smithsonian collection, had three temporary exhibits and one small permanent collection to experience.

The Renwick Gallery is located diagonal from the White House at 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue (Pennsylvania at 17^th Street N.W.) in a stunning historic building built in 1858 to be an art museum, the first of its kind.  So if you are in D.C. to visit the White House, you have no excuses not to pop into The Renwick as it’s not only free admission but a small footprint so unlike many other museums, it is not overwhelming to the art lover and your family & friends who are not into art or museums.  You can convince them to explore with you.

Expecting crafts works in ceramics, glass, basket weaving, I was pleasantly surprised by the additional temporary exhibits and the unique and varied permanent collection.

The Renwick Gallery – Arrival

The Renwick Gallery is located over two floors and is easy to navigate (they have an elevator too).  If you choose to visit both floors, I would allow about two hours.  If you are a drive by art fan then you can do it in under an hour but you will be deprived of getting to know more about the artist and their works (just saying….stay longer).

When you arrive, the guard will do a bag check before you can explore but then you are free to wander about.  The displays are nicely set up to allow for people to move around and on the day of my visit, a women in a wheelchair was easily able to navigate in the rooms.   The main stairs welcomed visitors with unexpected art to walk all over – the red carpet shaped in a wavy form and part of the lighting exhibit at the top of stairs hanging from the ceiling.  An LED lighting display that never shows the same pattern twice. It was sparkling and momentarily cool.

Parallax Gap at the Renwick Gallery

I was at the Renwick Gallery for the first time to view the Parallax Gap installation (on display until February 11, 2018 so you have time to go) in the Grand Salon on the 2^nd floor. The installation was commissioned for the large ceiling space and is a collection of nine iconic ceilings around the U.S. imagined and intertwined in a visual art display. The vantage points of the space seem fixed but as you move about the room, the perspective seems to change.  The layers of color and materials make each point of view unique in my opinion. The design was created by an architecture firm, FreelandBuck, and installed in layers based on the time lapse video.  The fact that designs are displayed on different shelves and heights adds to the depth and experience – what do you see?  Do you see a shape or design you know or is it all new?  You and I could take millions of photos and video and see the art differently.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KLzJUTVZ6I[/embedyt]

People were walking around the space to photo the Parallax Gap at different angles with a few choosing to lay on the floor to experience one or more of the iconic ceilings. Two of those ceilings are from Philadelphia City Hall, which itself is an iconic building full of unique architecture in my hometown.  I’ve seen both ceilings that inspired the designers and it’s interesting to see how the architects see the ceiling vs. what I see.

June Schwarcz – Invention & Variation

I’ve never heard of American Artist, June Schwarcz, who is known for her enamel work.   Her exhibit, Invention & Variation, was a retrospective of her life’s work including some pieces from her personal collection never seen before (sadly the show ended on August 20^th).

Her career was fascinating as it spanned over sixty years and she was a trailblazer in her craft.  Shown on the 1^st floor in two rooms, the strong colors and unique talent were on display in over fifty pieces.  In addition to enamel work, she utilized electroplating and other metal works, which for her time, was significant achievement in the art world.  This was the first time in over 15 years her work was on display.  It was beautiful.

Peter Voulkos – The Breakthrough Years

Another artist I wasn’t aware of, this time in the ceramics field.  His early career, 1953-1968, is curated in over thirty pieces in the exhibit, again many not seen in years (over 40 years!).  I was drawn to the shapes to the abstracts to the uniqueness of it all. How lovely to discover an artist whose work seems so contemporary and find out when he conceived and created it was before you were born.  So the art world gets to re-discover his works while I get a fresh perspective and discover the work.

Connections: Contemporary Crafts at the Renwick Gallery

The Renwick Gallery permanent collection of over eighty works including new acquisitions and old favorites arrived back at the gallery in the summer.  The works are set to stay indefinitely on the second level when the space is free. The collection is called “Connections” as the curators have set up the art in ways that they may be connected over time. Each piece tells a story. Just like the arts & crafts in your home which each have their own unique stories and are blended into the rooms as you create a unique look and feel to your home.  The look and feel in Connections was openness in space and art with a bit of latitude for the artwork.

Rather than travel through time in a linear way, you can see a modern Chihuly glass chandelier in the same room with mixed media and historic works. For me, it made for an interesting visit and at times as with all modern art a few “seriously, how is that museum worthy art?” I’m still waiting on a museum to call me about my Sony Walkman after my V&A visit in London. But alas, I digress into my love/hate relationship with modern art that was re-ignited at the Chicago Art Institute, years ago.  There were a few pieces were I didn’t use my inside voice and you heard a “seriously?” (sorry). But that’s the fun with art – to spark a conversation about your experience.

At the Renwick Gallery, I had a few favorite pieces –

This was my favorite, Vase with Landscape and Dinosaur, 2014, by Steven Young Lee. At first with the lighting casting a shadow it appeared to be a creature and I thought that was the dinosaur part of the piece until I looked on the back to see the landscape and dinosaur.  The beauty of the broken-ness of the piece is haunting.  I know that it is deconstruction and meant to be this way but its imperfections make it gorgeous to me.

That shovels on the wall “The Craftsman Series: Shovels” by Stacey Lee Webber are another story and definitely in my “seriously?” bucket. I have the shovel on the right in my shed now and no musuem is after to me to acquire it thus the conundrum of art.

The intricate detail and patience to create this forest out of a McDonalds Happy Meal bag was unique.  Imagine trying to turn your slices of paper into this and having such a small work space.  Notice – Forest (Autumn), 2002, was created by Yuken Teruya. He definitely knows how to make the most of his happy meal and recycling materials.  (sorry about the glare, this delicate work was under glass)

Overall Impression of The Renwick Gallery

I’m pretty glad we kicked off the D.C. Art Weekend at The Renwick Gallery as it set a high bar for the other art galleries and installations. The gallery is easy to visit and should be added to your next D.C. itinerary.  It’s free!  We all love free and we all love discovering something new.

Upcoming Art Exhibit at The Renwick Gallery

Next Year’s anticipated exhibit is “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” will take over the entire gallery from March 30, 2018 – September 16, 2018. It will bring the maker culture of the Burning Man event to D.C. and showcase the spirit of the festival in jewelry, art, clothes and more. That’s a bold choice to shake up what you think of the American Decorative Arts and that’s pretty awesome to make the art accessible to everyone without waiting for decades to put it in glass as a piece of history – history is being made now in all that we do, see, wear and experience.

My art skills are limited to badly drawn stick figures and flowers.  I’ve attempted mosaics, pottery and a few other creative endeavors but am keeping my day job in accounting/finance.  Even as a child, my Lego creations showed no imagination.  That’s why I leave the Lego art to the professionals – the master builders/artists like Nathan Sawaya (Art of the Brick) and Ai Weiwei who has created “Trace at Hirshhorn” in Washington, D.C.  I was able to experience this powerful, thought-provoking exhibit as part of my Art Weekend in D.C.

Art at the Hirshhorn – Lobby Exhibits

After making my wish at the Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree for Washington, DC in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, I walked toward the gallery entrance and was pleasantly surprised by the Kusama pumpkin outside.  Kusama created the Infinity Mirrors exhibit which is currently touring North America courtesy of the Hirshhorn which first showed the works earlier this year.

While our destination was “Trace at Hirshhorn, by Ai Weiwei”, when we entered the Hirshhorn (free admission)  Yoko Ono’s interactive “My Mommy is Beautiful” was on display on the lobby wall, inviting visitors to add to the exhibit their memories of why their mother is beautiful.  As we rode the escalator up one level, I could see the exhibit “Belief and Doubt” by Barbara Kruger displayed on the lower level. The words were challenging thought.  Art was all around forcing my brain to think today.

Trace at Hirshhorn – The Outer Ring Galleries

Silly me, I had no idea or background about “Trace at Hirshhorn” which is often the best way to see art – without expectation. I read the summary on the wall about how Weiwei was portraying political dissidents around the world using Legos.  I had no idea how vast the art was until I walked inside to see the floors covered in Lego portraits in six different sections.

The walls, usually where much art is hung, was absent pictures and covered in wallpaper that definitely deserved a second (or third) look closer.  The “wallpaper” was oddly titled “The Plain Version of the Animal That Looks Like a Llama but is really an Alpaca” contained no animals that I could see (there is an alpaca somewhere).

The gold patterned paper contained many objects that sought to restrain people (handcuffs), restrict their movement (video surveillance) and silence their voice via social media (twitter bird).  The wallpaper was a jail to the folks already imprisoned in the portraits on the floor.  The artist, himself, was detained in China subjected to interrogation, imprisonment in 2011 and denied travel until 2015. Trace was commissioned in 2014 as an art installation for the infamous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco. The portraits, in Lego bricks, were put together by hand by the artist and many volunteers following the artist’s vision/direction.

Trace at Hirshhorn by Ai Weiwei – The Portraits

The portraits on the floor were haunting.  From up close they were colorful Legos pieced together to create a tapestry of art.  Step back a bit or use your camera “to see differently” and you’ll see the person come into clear view along with their name. To me, this perspective was quite fascinating because how do you see and know people today – up close or from far away?  Do you really see the person and let them exist in your world or do you only see what you want to see in their views and opinions?  I was probably over thinking the art but it was quite a thought-provoking exhibit for me.  While Dr. Martin Luther King seemed a logical choice, I think the jury is out on Chelsea Manning (recently released from prison) and Edward Snowden (in exile in Russia) – the U.S. had six portraits featured in the work.

Yes, you can marvel at Weiwei’s use of over 1.2+ million Legos (thought to represent freedom and how easily it can be constructed and deconstructed) and the 176 realistic portraits shown on the floor but then you need to think about who he chose to feature (his research, input by Amnesty International and other human rights groups), how he grouped them together and what prison he created for them on the floor for us to look down upon.

How many times to we look down on others that disagree with us, do things we disagree with or say something we don’t like? Are they brave, crazy or criminal? Would the art resonated differently if he made each portrait separately and framed it on the wall?  If he gave a voice to each person by naming them, their cause and their outcome, would he be elevating them to prominence in our conversation (in our googling of their lives)? For many, in their countries, they can be seen as criminals or heroes depending on their crime. For example, In the U.S., where do you fall with Edward Snowden – criminal or hero?

It’s an interesting conversation that merges politics, culture, personal belief with freedom and what we think that is.  Freedom of Speech is a hallmark of the U.S. but for many around the world they don’t have this freedom and in Weiwei’s “Trace at Hirshhorn” we have the freedom to view his work and to make our own decisions.  Art? Politics? Freedoms? – All heady conversations sparked by Legos.  Powerful thoughts, interesting conversations and interior monologues to be had at Trace at Hirshhorn by Ai Weiwei.

To learn more about the individuals shown in portrait, visit For-Site.Org   The exhibit, Trace at Hirshhorn, runs through January 1, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

Have you seen this exhibit either in San Francisco at Alcatraz or at the Hirshhorn in D.C.?  What are your thoughts?

If you’ve never considered staying on the concierge (club) level of a hotel you should.  The individual attention, privacy and access to the lounge can elevate your hotel stay and make it less stressful plus there are free cookies (ok, maybe something only I value)!   When I stayed at the newly renovated, modern luxury,  Fairmont Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to receive an upgrade to my standard reservation to the Gold Experience with Gold Lounge access. It is a hotel within a hotel and like that upgrade to first class, its hard to go back to coach because now you know what you are missing. So I’ll share so you are in the know when it comes to the Gold Level at the Fairmont, D.C. because first class luxury is awesome!

Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Arrival In Georgetown

When you arrive, you only need tell the bellman as he greets you that you are staying on the Gold level and he will escort you to the elevators and/or lounge on the 9^th floor. If, like me, you had a carryon bag and just walked into the hotel as you normally do to check-in, the front desk will welcome you and have someone escort you to the elevator/lounge for check in.  For security access you need to tap your keycard to access the 9^th & 10^th Gold level rooms.

When you arrive on the 9^th floor and exit the elevators the Fairmont D.C. Gold Level lounge is in front of you.  The front desk is on the left and is generally staffed by two people throughout the day.  They also serve as your concierge team to assist you throughout your stay with whatever you need. While a newspaper is delivered to your door, the lounge has a plethora of other newspapers and current magazines to read.

Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Rooms

The gold level King Room is the same size as the standard King room at 400 sq. ft. which is already a good sized room in my opinion.  Staying on the gold level will also provide you with complimentary Wi-Fi during your stay as well as Gold Lounge access and amenities. The rooms have a nice sized table (in lieu of a fixed desk) to work on and if you need more space you can camp out in the gold lounge in a variety of seating (and working) options.

Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Lounge Tour

The Gold Lounge design is in step with the rest of the modern luxury sophistication throughout the hotel with touches of art mixed in.  There is one television monitor that can be changed by the staff if you are keen to watch the game or other channel.  During my visit it was tuned to CNN and thankfully the volume was low because honestly, I wanted to get away from any and all political news for just a weekend.

Video Tour

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5KdPg7vaFA[/embedyt]

The lounge offers food & drink throughout the day – breakfast, mid-day treats and evening canapes.There is an honor bar for alcohol and cocktails. The Nespresso machine was a bit hit with lounge guests.

Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Lounge Seating

The large lounge offers various seating options from the group table that can seat 10-12 to intimate tables for two.  The mood is relaxation and comfort. There is a small area with a computer and printer if you need a business center.  The three rooms are spread out and even when busy on the weekend, it didn’t seem too crowded.

Fairmont Gold Level Lounge Food

If you want more than is offered by the gold level lounge, you are welcome to order room service and have it delivered to you in the lounge (great idea for those that have that friend or family member that is an issue –usually me!).  As I’m dairy and gluten free, I had considered using room service but was happy to find enough choice for me during the day, especially at breakfast.

While I couldn’t eat the tempting breads and pastries, I was able to make a meal of hard boiled eggs, a plethora of crispy bacon and a bowl of fresh fruit (don’t judge, it’s a balanced meal – healthy + unhealthy).  If I could, I would have stacked my plate with pancakes one morning and waffles the next day.

Mid day snacks were cookies and candy jars full of gummy bears, starbursts, jelly belly jellybeans and M&Ms with bags and ties provided to fill up to your heart’s content.

Evening canapes varied and on Saturday night had an Asian theme with dumplings and sushi. I missed out on the other nights as I was out and about in D.C.

Final Thoughts – Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Experience

Staying on the Gold level at the Fairmont, D.C. added another layer of security (keycard access on the elevators) which is great for solo travelers, extra attention by the lounge staff who greeted me by name each day and the feeling of special luxury because this was an exclusive part of the hotel. Who doesn’t love to feel special and recognized? I definitely ate/drank my share of bacon, bottled water, cookies and candy.  The Fairmont D.C. Gold Level experience was definitely a great add-on to my stay in Georgetown for the Art Weekend in D.C. and should be a great add-on for you too on your next stay in D.C. Don’t worry I left you some cookies and jellybeans!

Thank you to the Fairmont Washington, D.C. in Georgetown for my complimentary upgrade to Gold, it was a pleasant surprise at check-in.  As always, all opinions (long winded as they are) about my stay and experience are uniquely mine.

Washington, D.C. is a three-hour train ride from Philly and yet I’ve only visited three times over the years –in high school, when a friend lived in the city and last time for my trip to South Africa (the award ticket from IAD-JNB ).  D.C. really is a wonderful city with so many great FREE things to do. So when I read about the travel blogger meet up called #BloggersTakeTheCity, I thought it was time to go back to D.C. and see what’s new.  There’s a lot going on in the arts and culture scene that reminded me that D.C. is so much more than crazy politics we hear every day.

My weekend in D.C. would begin Friday night and end Sunday at lunch and in between that time, I was busy, so busy exploring the city’s art and culture scene, well only scratching the surface.  Just like the Louvre with eight miles of art that you can never really fully see in one visit, let alone five visits, my D.C. art experience was just the appetizer to remind me to come back and visit more.

Special Thanks to our fearless leader, Nicki of EatLiveTravelDrink for deciding we should meet up in real life and have fun exploring her city.  She, along with Kate @washingtondc,  curated a wonderful Art, Food and Fun weekend for our group of twelve travel bloggers from around the U.S. (New Hampshire, Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Philly (me), Chicago, New York and California).

The short version art weekend in D.C. itinerary was created for travel industry professionals (writers, travel agents, meeting planners, etc.) to give them a familiarization (FAM) of the current art attractions in the city. Read more below for summary and a photo from each stop.  Look for posts in the upcoming weeks with more detail and photos.

Friday

• Fairmont D.C. Hotel Gold Welcome
• Silent Disco D.C. at the Embassy Row Hotel Rooftop

Saturday

• Art Exhibits at The Renwick Gallery (Parallax Gap ceiling installation plus temporary exhibits and permanent collection)
• National Gallery Sculpture Garden
• Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
  • “Trace” by Ai Wei Wei
  • “Wish Tree for Washington, DC” by Yoko Ono
• Lunch at Hill Country BBQ (a taste of Texas in D.C.)
• National Building Museum (“The Hive”)
• Union Market
• Rum Tasting at Cotton & Reed
• Dinner at Carmine’s NYC in D.C.
• Moonlight Monument Trolley Tour

Sunday

• Artechouse (XYZT exhibit)
• Food Tour of Georgetown with CarpeDC

Now if you are exhausted by the above itinerary (who wouldn’t be) for the Art Weekend in D.C., don’t think I went back to the hotel after the Food Tour – I kept up the busy pace until the last-minute I had to go home on Amtrak on Monday with a visit to the Capitol, Library of Congress and a quick pop into the Supreme Court building (sadly court was not in session).  I finished the amazing D.C. visit with the best burger in D.C. (seriously it was amazing!).  I didn’t have a chance to bring back D.C. Souvenirs but now I have a reason to return!

I hope you find something new to discover on your next trip to Washington, D.C.

Now for the Long Version……of the Art Weekend in D.C.

Itinerary for an Art Weekend in Washington, D.C.

Travel Tip: When you have large group, Uber XL is your friend.  Assign one/two people to order all of the cars and pay, then collect money from everyone to reimburse them at the end of the weekend.

Friday – Art Weekend in D.C. – Luxury Hotel and Rooftop Dancing

5 p.m.  – Fairmont D.C. Hotel Welcome

For a weekend of art, it seemed fitting to be staying at the newly renovated Fairmont D.C. in Georgetown.  As you enter the lobby you are struck by the ceiling art and the mixed material designs plus that table!  The bright and airy lobby space led to a sunken lobby bar and out to the patio space that would host a jazz trio on Sunday night. Art, Music and Luxury all before I’ve seen the rooms!  It was a great start to the weekend.

8 p.m. – Silent Dance Society’s Friday Night Silent Disco at the Embassy Row Hotel

Friday night lights were courtesy of our rooftop Silent Disco visit.  Set on the rooftop of the Embassy Row Hotel, the Silent Dance Society hosts a Friday night Silent Disco with views of the city from above.  A bit skeptical to the event, thinking I was too old, I ended up surprised at how much I loved it.  With all ages dancing and mingling, the disco of my past (screaming to talk, one DJ with good and bad songs, etc.) was upgraded to three DJs, a headset of my own and the ability to dance when and where I wanted.  Bonus points for singing out loud.  The biggest obstacle after my preconceived notion was trying not to fall into the pool whilst dancing.

Saturday – Art Weekend in D.C. – Art, Walk, Eat, Repeat

8 a.m. – Breakfast in the Gold Lounge at the Fairmont, D.C. in Georgetown

Waking up early to make the 8 am breakfast in the lounge was a bit tough because we not only had a late night at the Silent Disco but the King bed was so comfortable I could have stayed in it all day happily living off room service and using the spa.  The lounge breakfast buffet offering is quite varied to satisfy most appetites.  I could have survived on the crispy bacon and fruit alone!

10 a.m. – The Renwick Gallery, a Smithsonian Museum

Our first stop of the day was the Renwick Gallery near the White House.  The highlighted installation, Parallax Gap was on display in the Salon on the 2^nd floor.  We would first need to experience the red carpet up the stairs and the LED installation overhead.  With time to explore the other rooms of the decorative arts gallery, I was of course drawn to the Chihuly as well as other pieces on display.  The gallery entry is free and I would schedule at least an hour if you want to do an art drive by of the rooms.  Two hours if you want to leisurely explore.

Noon – National Gallery Sculpture Garden

Walking past the White House crowds we were on a trek to the Hirshhorn via the National Gallery Sculpture Garden which has a large fountain and is surrounded by sculptures, benches and performance spaces. You can easily spend an hour just strolling the garden taking in the sculptures.

1 p.m. – Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

Arriving first at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden we all made a wish at Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree for Washington, DC

After wishing for world peace, lottery wins and some candy (a lot of walking, we were hungry), we entered the Hirshhorn and rode the escalator up one floor to begin our journey through “Trace”.  The walls were adorned with a special wallpaper that had symbols of imprisonment when you looked closer.  On the floor over a few areas were portraits of political dissidents around the world created with Legos.  Yes, Legos, over one million Legos to create the 176 portraits.  Up close to the edge you couldn’t see the portraits as well as you did with a step back.  This powerful art lends itself to deep conversations about passion, conviction and politics and how far are you willing to go.  It’s no coincidence that you are looking down at the floor, down at the portraits – it’s meant to be that way as society looks down on prisoners.

2 p.m. – A Bit of Texas in D.C. at Hill Country BBQ

With a thought-provoking visit ending, it was now time to decompress the mornings’ art with a lunch at Hill Country BBQ.  An odd place for me as I’m not a fan of BBQ, however, it’s a great place for groups and families to eat as the prices are reasonable and the portions easily shared. They have happy hour specials, live music and you definitely should make a reservation as it’s a popular place. With my gluten-free diet, I was happy to see they have a GF menu.  I chose chicken, cornbread and lemonade.  It’s on tours like this that I discover places I probably would have overlooked normally.  With my meal ticket of options, I got a taste of Texas in D.C.

3 p.m. – “The Hive” at the National Building Museum

But the art wasn’t over yet!  Our next stop was the National Building Museum (our feet decided it was time to call an Uber) which was hosting “The Hive”, a building block of paper rolls that was more than I could ever think to do.  My art skill ends at stick figures and pyramids of Legos. Walking through the giant structure in the lobby of the museum, the colors were highlighted from the sunlight pouring in above.  A smaller hive inside invited kids of all ages to make music.

4 p.m. – Happy Hour Rum Tastings at Cotton & Reed

Happy Hour featured a highlight of locally made Rum tastings in D.C. We needed Uber to transport us to the Union Market area where we would walk a few steps past the market to Cotton & Reed, a Rum distillery.  The rum shots were lined up waiting for us as we would learn from one of the founders all about their rum, its history and how they are shaking up the D.C. cocktail scene.  After our shots of 90 proof white rum and the others, we did a quick spin in Union Market walking past the stalls of local vendors selling foods, drinks and treats.  Sadly, the donuts were all sold out.

5 p.m. – Back to the Hotel to get ready for our 6 p.m. dinner reservation (Uber called for the twenty-minute ride from Union Market to the Fairmont, D.C.).

6 p.m. – Carmine’s NYC in D.C.

We had a reservation at Carmine’s D.C., a long time NYC Italian restaurant outpost in D.C., a favorite of large groups, family styled Italian dining and for those needing a secret service entrance.

As I’m now 90% gluten and dairy free (I keep hitting a pizza or cupcake wall), I wouldn’t think to go for pasta but was happy to see Carmine’s NYC offered a gluten-free menu (as well as garlic free, dairy free, vegan and vegetarian menus).  I chose a simple gluten-free pasta Pomodoro and they brought a family sharing portion which I hated to waste but seriously it was massive.  The group had a tomato/mozzarella appetizer, a bread basket, Caesar salad, pasta dish and chicken Marsala served family style.

The famous dessert “the Titanic” consisted of a gluten-free chocolate torte (I could eat that), with a plethora of vanilla and chocolate ice cream scoops plus whipped crème.  Finishing touches were the banana on either side of the torte with strawberries, chocolate sauce and cookie straws.  In a word – WOW!

9 p.m. – We Missed the Evening Trolley Tour of the Monuments

As our dinner went long (group of 12 can’t eat in an hour) we missed our 7:30 p.m. Moonlight Monument Tour (3 hours) with Old Town Trolley (I was bummed because I was looking forward to a break from walking and, of course, wore the cute, not walking shoes).  So we did our own DIY (do it yourself) Evening Monuments tour.

I opted to go to the Lincoln Memorial and then walk to the MLK and FDR monuments, while the other group chose the Lincoln Memorial, Reflection Pool and National Monument (see the photos at #BloggersTakeTheCity and #myDCcool).  We had to Uber to the Lincoln Memorial and then could easily to walk to all of those other monuments until we could walk no more (my Uber app was on fire).  In the cab, exhausted, my friend said we walked over 17,000 steps today which probably didn’t negate any of those “Titanic” calories.

10:30 p.m. – Back at the Fairmont D.C.

Falling into bed and sleep was very easy after a long day of art and food with a side of monuments.  Waking up before 7 a.m. to do it all again wasn’t easy.

Sunday – Art Weekend in D.C. – Tech and Food

8 a.m. – Breakfast and Discussions in the Gold Lounge of the luxury hotel in D.C. – The Fairmont Georgetown

10 a.m. – Artechouse

The group would visit an interesting art installation at Artechouse near the Mandarin Oriental hotel (need Uber) for the XYZT installation.  The groups were limited in number and time in the exhibit.  I had no clue what to expect so was surprised by the futuristic interactive exhibits that changed with my movement, my whispers, my snapping fingers and my jumps. Blending art and technology, I was immersed childlike into a new world to discover and experience art differently.

Noon – Candy Jars and Goodbyes to our Art Weekend in D.C.

With the last of the art for the weekend, we headed back to the hotel just as the snacks were being put out in the lounge.  Jars of candy favorites with bags to fill plus cookies were easy to takeaway (yes, we ate breakfast and were on the way to lunch or a food tour but it’s free candy!).

1:00 p.m. – Georgetown Food Tour or Ritz Carlton Brunch

The groups then split into those attending the Ritz Carlton Brunch and those off on a food tour of Georgetown with CarpeDC food tours.  I chose the food tour despite the fact that I knew gluten/dairy free would have no food to eat (advance notice can cater to vegetarians).  The walking tour was a history of Georgetown though it’s churches and homes with five food stops.  My friends at the Ritz Carlton met the chefs and learned about the farm to table approach as they dined on special menu items like steak frites (I should have been at the air-conditioned Ritz Carlton instead of outside in the 90+ degree sunny day).

Final Thoughts – Art Weekend in D.C.

The jam-packed Art & Food weekend in D.C. was thoughtfully crafted and so much fun.  I loved learning about new art, dancing on rooftops, tasting both Texas and NYC in D.C., and sleeping in luxury.  So many things I probably wouldn’t have done if I wasn’t with the group.

Now since it’s meant to be an Art & Food Weekend in D.C. for you, I’d suggest

• Pick and choose from the above two-day itinerary to craft your D.C. experience – you can’t do it all in one trip plus you need time to discover on your own
• Agree a leisurely pace as it’s a vacation (holiday).
• Sleep late and order room service to fully enjoy the luxurious surroundings at the Fairmont D.C.
• Bring good walking shoes for the days and the cute shoes for the nighttime Ubers.
• Definitely find that 90 proof run at Cotton & Reed for a Pina Colada (or two)

As you know, I rarely do press trips or sponsored tours unless I think there is great content for me to discover and share with you.  As I love luxury hotels, art and walking, this was a perfect weekend to participate in.  It was a mix of my money (i.e. – hotel media rate, taxi, Ubers, Amtrak and extras), free admission (Smithsonian museums) and complimentary visits/tours/food. As always, my opinions are uniquely mine.

A Note of Thanks – Art & Food Weekend in D.C.

Thanks to the various sponsors for a fun Art & Food weekend in D.C.– check them out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

• Washington, D.C. Tourism Board for organizing our weekend @washingtondc
• The Fairmont D.C. to Diana and her fantastic team for a warm welcome cocktail party, fabulous Gold lounge service and for providing a Gold upgrade with our media rates @FairmontDC #Fairmontmoments
• Silent Dance Society (@silentDsociety) and The Embassy Row Hotel (@embassyrowhotel) for Silent Disco on the Rooftop
• Hill Country BBQ for My Meal Ticket to a Taste of Texas (@hillcountrybbq)
• Carmine’s NYC for the Gluten Free Pasta and the Titanic of a dessert (@carminesnyc)
• Artechouse – Art meets Technology – XYZT Exhibit (@artechouse)
• The National Building Museum –“The Hive” Special Exhibit (@buildingmusuem) #HiveDC
• Cotton & Reed – I do like Pina Coladas and at 90 proof I’m sure to be singing in the rain after! (@cottonandreed, #BornToRum)
• Old Town Trolley – Sorry to have missed the Moonlight Monuments Tour – next time? (@oldtowntrolley)
• The Ritz Carlton – I didn’t attend the Brunch but thanks for wowing my friends with the food tastings (@ritzcarlton) Next time?
• CarpeDC Food Tour (@CarpeDCfood) for showing me Georgetown through its churches, homes and food

The following are FREE admission for all guests for your Art Weekend in D.C.:

• Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden (@hirshhorn) – “Wish Tree for Washington, DC” and “Trace”
• The Renwick Gallery (@americanart) –  “Parallax Gap”, new (to me) artist exhibits and the wonderful permanent collection
• National Gallery Sculpture Garden

Modern art and I have a love/hate relationship since my visit to the Chicago Art Institute which threw me over the edge.  Yoko Ono’s art over the years has been controversial for me so when I heard about the Wish Tree for Washington, DC, I was curious. How is a living tree a work of art?  I have a yard full of trees and no one has deemed them art or offered to move them to a museum. But frankly, I let that go as I wanted to believe that the art and the tree were magic and that wishes could come true.  I had a wish to make!

Located outside the Hirshhorn Museum in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, the Wish Tree for Washington DC,  is a dogwood tree installed in 2007 as part of Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree series that began in 1996.   Visitors are invited from July 1^st through Labor Day to write their wishes down on a tag provided in the blue box next to the tree and gently tie it to a branch.  The Hirshhorn museum staff will then collect the wishes from the Wish Tree for Washington, DC during the summer and send them to the larger art installation by Yoko Ono “Imagine Peace Tower” in Reykjavik, Iceland.  Imagine Peace Tower shines light into the sky each year from October 9th (John Lennon’s birthday) until December 8^th (the date of his death) and various other days.  I’m not sure how I missed that beam of light and art installation on my Reykjavik visit but sadly I did.  I’d love to read the wishes from the world as I’m sure despite our differences, the wishes are the same – peace, love, happiness and the ability to provide for our families (plus a few lotto wins).

The Wish Tree for Washington, DC was filled with serious, silly and lots of children’s wishes (on lower branches).  Pick a branch and read the wishes, every branch tells a unique story.  A child’s story on the lower branches and more adult (and political) wishes on the upper branches.

Wishes of world peace, of sibling peace and political peace.  Wishes for pots of gold and lottery wins.  Wishes for stuffed animals and candy and for her little brother to stop being annoying. Wishes for happy marriages, graduations, new jobs, new relationships and new lives.  Wishes for love, happiness and smiles.  Wishes for good health and vacations that never end. Everyone that walked by the tree stopped to write down a wish.

Walking under the tree reading the branches of wishes felt like an invasion of privacy into the lives of others like me.  Those who stop to visit a tree (interactive artwork) and wish on it, hoping it has magical powers to grant wishes and change their lives and the lives of those around them.  The best feeling was being alone under the tree staring at the potential of the wishes tied to the tree – the hopes, dreams and fantasies of people.

Every person has a unique story to tell and despite our differences in the world today, we all have hopes for the future.    Sounds simple but sometimes a few wishes and dreams need to be expressed in order to get there.  While we all want to wish for the larger good in the world, for the most part the wishes I read were very individual because really if a genie appeared to you now and gave you one wish, most likely you’d skip “world peace” and make a wish that is personal to you and your family.

After Labor Day in the U.S., the blue box goes away but not your ability to wish.  You can whisper your wish at The Wish Tree for Washington, DC and other locations.  You can wish aloud at home, dream your wish or work toward your wish.

You can also send your wish to the Imagine Peace Tower

• via Twitter @IPTower
• email to Wish@ImaginePeaceTower.com
• mail your wish on a post card to Imagine Peace Tower, P.O. Box 1009, 121 Reykjavik, Iceland

The world is full of people, full of stories and full of wishes.  We all have wishes we speak and those we hold close to our hearts.  The question is “What one wish would you write down and put out into the world on a branch tied to the Wish Tree for Washington, DC?

Growing up, I danced all the time.  Now I only dance (and sing) in the car as the commute requires it to preserve my sanity and provide other drivers a smile. So when I saw that the Silent Dance Society and the Embassy Row Hotel had invited our #BloggersTakeTheCity group to the Friday Night Rooftop Silent Disco Dance Party, I thought this old dog had no room for new tricks.  I’m glad to say that I was wrong as there’s no age limit on fun.

I’ll admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about the Silent Disco events that have popped up over the years in London and the U.S.  Growing up in the 80’s, my friends and I would frequent many teenage clubs in Northeast Philly.  The DJs were spinning dance music, MTV pop music (high school) and alternative music (college days).  We left the clubs with sore throats from all the screaming over the music to talk and traveled en masse back to our neighborhood diner to recap the night’s events.

Get Your Angel Wings First

Before you enter the Embassy Row Hotel, you need to pose with the famous angel wings (great #streetart) outside the parking garage in the corner. There is a metal box to stand on if needed.  The Angel Wings are the creation of artist Colette Miller as part of her Global Angel Wings Project and you can find your wings around the world (no Red Bull necessary).  Check out her website for city (but not exact addresses) locations.

The Embassy Row Hotel

The Embassy Row Hotel is a 4 star boutique hotel and a member of the Destination Hotels.  Located in the DuPont Circle area with a rooftop pool, its a fantastic location Silent Disco on Friday Night. The lobby décor and hotel vibe reminded me of a many great stylish boutique hotels that I like (making notes for my future D.C. lodging needs). You can reserve your Silent Disco spot online for $15 or pay $20 at the door for the Friday night dance at the Embassy Row Hotel Rooftop until the end of September, weather permitting.

Silent Disco on the Rooftop

Riding the elevator to the top floor, it was then a flights of stairs to the roof. When asked for my I.D. which hasn’t happened in a long time, I was told it was to hold the headset and get a wristband if I wanted alcohol from the bar since this is an all ages event.  The next table was filled with colorful blinking wireless headsets. We were given a headset, shown how to operate them and told to have a good time.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oykBz_aziFU[/embedyt]

With my headsets in hand, they reminded me of my Bose headsets that I travel with in size and weight.  To operate the headsets, use the button on the bottom to press to a new DJ and color, volume control was on the side.  There are three DJs and three corresponding colors – red, blue and green – located on the pool deck.

As we descended the few stairs there was a bar to the right, a table with self-service water (great idea) on the left and people dancing everywhere and yet never felt too crowded.  I was a bit afraid someone might dance themselves into the pool or trip over someone dancing but that never happened.  I walked around to take in the glorious views of D.C. and watch the planes on their descent to the airport.  Unlike the dance clubs of my youth which were steam baths of people sweating with strobe lights, fog machines and a dancing robot (don’t ask), dancing outside with a breeze was perfect.  Before I was ready to put the headsets on and escape, I watched the other dancers and everyone seemed to be having fun.  I wanted to have fun too!

Silent Disco – Time to Dance

So I forgot about everyone around me, put my headsets on, listened to all three channels and settled on green.  I looked around and the majority of people were green with only a few reds and blues.  Everyone was dancing to their own beat quite literally and no one cared about anyone else as they were lost in their own world of music.  It was a unique experience to be dancing to the beat in my headset while others were keeping in step with their own music.

View the video and take a listen at the Silent Disco by the Silent Dance Society –

Note: No neighbors were harmed by loud music

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzeRMBtrcC8[/embedyt]

The fun part was seeing the changes of the headset colors as the DJs varied their musical choices.  There was a mix of dance, house, EDM, Latin, rap and throwback songs of the 70’s and 80’s.  At one point, Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” song came on – how did I know?  People were singing as they danced and the dancefloor had a plethora or people singing with no music in the background that we could hear.  I took off my headsets to hear them singing and took a break wandering off to the corner railing.  There was an older couple (in their late 60’s) sitting on the lounge furniture without headsets.  We got into a conversation – they were guests at the hotel visiting their grandson in the city for the week and came up to the roof for drinks.  The Silent Disco D.C. event was fascinating to them so they stayed to people watch.  They were having fun since they don’t have this type of event in their Missouri town, to their knowledge.  Overlooking the railing, there was another part of the rooftop below for private space (no water hazards but also no bar) – the headsets still worked there.

There were many groups of people that night in all age ranges, including our small group, but it was the guys that stole the show.  A group of eight twenty somethings found a station and were dancing at each other in a dance competition, it was hilarious and they were all so good as if they had practiced the routines.  Even funnier was their friend, in an arm cast and sling, who was keeping up on his turn.  Unlike my youth, they weren’t staying at the bar trying to talk to girls or going up to a girl group to try to infiltrate, they were dancing together having fun.  That was so much fun to watch.  When one guy changed to a channel, they all did and tried to choreograph a new routine.  At one point, the DJ came over to join the group and dance because they was too much fun to miss out on.

The Silent Disco at the Embassy Row Hotel was more fun than I anticipated and made me a fan.  As the event is held from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., we left a bit early to ensure we didn’t get stuck in the line to retrieve our I.D. and avoid the bathroom downstairs (three stalls – apparently some things never change).

Bring the Silent Disco to your next Event

As I danced and looked around at the guests, my inner event planner had so many thoughts of how awesome this might be at a birthday party, fundraising event, corporate event or even a wedding! Everyone seemed to be having fun with or without their headphones on.  Silent Disco seems a great way to disrupt the old school thought of one band/DJ and an empty dance floor waiting on a good song. The Silent Dance Society will bring the music and headsets to you!  I’d prefer to have a better choice of music at events rather than wait for the song that a friend likes.  The silent disco setup does spark curiosity and causes you to dance outside the box; rethinking what the “club scene” can be.

Final Thoughts – Silent Disco in D.C.

I danced to a variety of songs and genres that night and was an equal opportunity dancer as I chose each DJ at some point.  I didn’t feel weird dancing against the crowd or in my own way.  Of course when my group was all on the same color we danced together. Overall, green was a winner for me that night but that’s the fun as you may have stayed on blue or red longer in your music zone.   Unlike the dance clubs of my youth, I left with my voice intact and despite dancing all night was not gross and sweaty.  While there isn’t a local diner in the neighborhood, we found the next best thing, the pizza place (Pizzeria Paradiso for wood fired pizza) to enjoy an after dance snack and girl talk because some things never change with age.

To learn more about Silent Disco in Washington, D.C., visit the Silent Dance Society and The Embassy Row Hotel. I attended the Silent Disco on the Embassy Row Hotel Rooftop as a guest of the Silent Dance Society for the #BloggersTakeTheCity weekend.  As always, all opinions and dance moves are uniquely mine.

 So are you game to have fun at the Silent Disco?