Marathons, Museums, Food, and Poetry: Tourism with Sister2

If you?ve been following, you know that Sister2 and her boyfriend have been my houseguests this week. Houseguests get such a bad rap ? the term alone makes people shudder!

But I have only had good experiences with houseguests. (Probably because anyone who comes all the way to DC to stay with me is most likely a close friend, or member of my family.)

I get to take break from my normal routine, and show them around this fair city that I call home.

So what have we been up to?

Saturday:

Well, there was that whole running the marathon thing.

Followed by The Front Page Brunch Buffet and the National Zoo.

Sunday:

Dupont Circle Farmers? Market

Washington Monument (did that before with the mama)

The Freer-Sackler Gallery (you know how I love an art museum!)

Arlington National Cemetery (see this post for more info)

Pie/Tart Baking (you read about it yesterday and saw the GORGEOUS pictures!)

Ethiopian Food at Meskerem (AMAZING!!! Don't do the "Special" sampler plate, it's a rip-off. We got Lamb Yebeg Kay Watt, Beef Bozena Shurro, and Vegetables Misir Azifa. All were delicious!)

The Monuments at night (see this post for more info on those. And this post about night-specific monuments.)

Monday:

While I was at work, they hit up the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and the Botanic Gardens.

Then I tortured them with Bikram Yoga (actually they really liked it!).

Which was followed by a nice healthy post-yoga meal (i.e. Five Guys. Don?t judge.)

Tuesday:

I sent them on a run to the FDR Memorial (which was one of their faves) and the Jefferson. While they were down there, they also hit up the Holocaust Museum.

In the evening, I met them after work to see the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum (the only Smithsonian that stays open until 7pm).

Then we went to Burmese food at Burma Restaurant. I?ve wanted to try this place since I went through my Burma reading phase, and it totally delivered. It?s inexpensive and you get a ton of food! Order the Tea Leaf Salad. We also got a noodle dish, and the fish curry (salmon ? yum).

After dinner we metro-ed up to U St. to attend Open Mic Poetry at Busboys and Poets. THIS WAS SO COOL!

It happens every Tuesday - tickets are $4 and go on sale at 10:30 am the day of the performance. The show starts at 9pm and every person who signs up gets 5 minutes. And they were GOOD. My words can?t do justice to theirs (I?m no poet, just a lowly blogger), so I will leave it at that ? I HIGHLY recommend attending one of these.

Check out this video to get an idea of the scene. And this one.

My houseguests leave today, and though my apartment will be cleaner and my bed emptier (love her, but Sister2 snores), I am sad to see them go!

We have a TON of pictures. I will upload a few shortly, I promise!