WANDERLUST: Ragnar Relay

Last week, my Facebook feed started populating itself with pictures of tutus and custom signets, motivational running quotes, last-minute pleas for a runner, and the back-and-forth typical of any large group traveling to a new city.  Who's in town?  When and where should we meet for dinner?  What are you guys doing anyway?

The Ragnar Relay.  200 miles (more or less), 4-12 friends, 2 vans, 2 days, 1 night.  My lovely, insane friends were about to run from the Rocky Gap State Park in Flintstone, MD (think Western Maryland, beyond the narrowest part) through Hagerstown, Frederick, Rockville, Bethesda, DC's Rock Creek Park, Virginia's Arlington and Alexandria, and across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to National Harbor, MD.  And because this is the type of event that encourages fun, and because the team name was "Red, White, and Tutu," they were going to do so in red, white, and blue tulle.

Fun on a Furloughed Budget

I live in DC. This morning, the U.S. federal government shut down. My military friends went to work as usual. My federal employee friends went in to work to sign furlough paperwork. Battered by sequestration furloughs all summer long, they took yet another hit to their salary. Some of them are deemed essential personnel, meaning they are now working for free. Some are being turned loose on the streets. This sucks.

But hey - where there are lemons, make lemonade. (Or limoncello, if you’re attending one of the many government shutdown day-drinking parties my Facebook feed is telling me about.) And in that spirit, let’s recap the free or nearly-free things to do in the DC region this week. No longer tied to the office during daylight hours, but definitely on a budget, the furloughed can finally explore the city!

FREE

Visit Congress
The Capitol is affected by the shutdown like everything else – there are no official tours and the visitor center is closed. However, the House and Senate Galleries are open. Call ahead to your senator or representative, arrange to pick up a gallery pass (you’ll likely get a pass to each gallery), and enter the galleries via the Capitol Visitor Center. Prepare for long lines, be ready to leave your bags outside the gallery, and expect to be encouraged to leave after about 15 minutes. Sitting in the Gallery is rarely participatory, but you’ve already made your views known when you picked up the passes, right?
UPDATE: Given the shooting at the Capitol and the reduction in a lot of staffs, you MAY not be able to get passes to the galleries.  Call ahead.

Six Tips to Beat the Crowds at the Cherry Blossom Festival

A few years ago, I posted an open invitation to join me at the Cherry Blossom Festival on my Facebook page.  My friend Jess came, with husband and baby in tow.  We were so excited...until we hit the crowds.  All of a sudden, instead of letting our thoughts drift away with the blossoms on the breeze, most of our attention was focused on simply not losing each other.  As a lovely afternoon in the sun became a chore, we lost our enthusiasm, cut our losses, and vowed to be better prepared next year.

Fast forward, and another friend, Kelly, and I decided to meet at sunrise and commute into the District for an impromptu cherry blossom date.  And it was magical.

Who knew Wednesday morning under the cherry blossoms could be so magical?  Obviously, this well-prepared fairy.

Lesson learned.  Actually, six lessons learned...