Playing with Photoshop

I took some shots from our recent trip to DC and decided to enhance them a bit, make them pop a little more. It's been a while since I played with PS, so it was a good refresher for me. Click on the pics for larger versions

Washington DC Trip - Day 3: History of Earthly Creatures and Stones

Time to hit more museums, namely the Natural History and American History Museums. Fossils and creatures of all sorts occupied the first floor of the Natural History Museum.

Theresa was very excited to see one of her favorite animals, the walrus, represented in the seas and oceans exhibit.

The precious stones collection was stunning. All sorts of stones from all over the world, including the Hope Diamond. Minerals were also plentiful, but we particularly liked the gold, sliver, and platinum exhibits

The American History Museum contained all sorts of displays from American Life, arranged by technology, transportation, entertainment, and various other subjects. One of the exhibits was on the American Presidency. Theresa even got to give an inaugural address to the crowd gathered at the exhibit

We were very undecided about where to have dinner, but finally decided to check out a bistro type place off Dupont Circle. We did not particualry like the menu and it was virtually empty. Theresa then noticed there was a Pizza Paradiso down the street. She had noticed when walking around in Georgetown the day before, there was a line to get into a Pizza Paradiso even before it opened. Long lines mean that it must be good. The small place was packed, and we had to wait about 40 minutes to get a table for two. Some of the folks waited over an hour to get in. Turns out there are only two locations, Georgetown and DuPont Circle.

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Washington DC Trip - Day 2: Crepes and Monuments

After sleeping in a little, we decided to hit the charming Georgetown section of DC. We got a tip from Theresa's cousin Marla that the best crepes can be found at Cafe Bonaparte on Wisconsin Ave. Cafe Bonaparte is pretty small, with only about 10 tables, so expect a wait during the normal meal hours, and perhaps a little after that as well. It was worth the wait, as the crepes delivered.

The forecast called for thunderstorms in the afternoon, so we were going to hit more museums, but the skies opened up. So we decided to hit the National Mall and then the Tidal Basin to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival.

We walked past the new FDR Memorial, which is actually a series of 4 stone fountain structures nestled behind the trees lining the Tidal Basin. After reaching the Jefferson Memorial, we sat on steps for a while to enjoy the stage music.

The wind started to pick up in a fierce way, so we high tailed it to the Capitol, hoping to get into the National Botanical Gardens, but it was already too late. We ran into a nice Spanish speaking couple who helped us take a picture.

After a long day of walking all around DC, we were famished and decided to go to an East Coast institution... Boston's Legal Seafood, whose motto is "If it ain't fresh, it ain't Legal". We can both attest that the seafood was very fresh. Of course you gotta have Boston Cream Pie for dessert!

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Washington DC Trip - Day 1: Spies, Planes, and Oysters

Theresa and I decided to go see the National Cherry Blossom festival in Washington DC and we got a really good deal on airline tix and hotel. Our first full day was all about museums though

The International Spy Museum was way cool, but unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside, so we only have an exterior shot. All sorts of real spy gear was on display and you got to practice some spy skills yourself in the interactive exhibits.

We stopped for late lunch at Zaytinya, a Jose Andres restaurant specializing in Greek and Mediterranean tapas. We devoured the dishes as we were really hungry at that point.

We then headed to my favorite museum, The National Air and Space Museum. Large planes and rockets everywhere.... Definitely a museum geared toward boys and men. What is not to love about that?

Night soon fell and we headed towards Hank's Oyster Bar where Theresa tried raw oysters for the first time, and afterward wanted to order a dozen more. While we had to wait a bit, it was well worth it as we filled our bellies with fresh seafood. Yum...

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