7
Oasis in the Heatwave
We stayed at the Executive Suites, a refreshing hotel halfway between Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom, with a huge interior atrium, complementary buffet breakfast and (even better) a complimentary cocktail hour in the late afternoon. We took full advantage of both, and especially enjoyed the indoor fountains and plants as well as a suite with living room, separate bedroom, a microwave, coffee-maker and personal refrigerator (!).
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The atrium was a welcome relief after even a little time spent in the heat outside. It was a full-fledged heatwave while we were there, temperatures in the high 90s with humidity to match, and red alert warnings for anyone with health issues to stay inside and avoid unnecessary exertion. We ended up taking cabs or driving, rather than exploring the subway and public transit systems as I had imagined we would. It was more expensive, but well worth it.
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The center room with the open door in the right hand picture is our room -- Mother is just entering, while I'm lingeering behind to get the picture (next time we might want to specify a room on the side closer to the elevators -- not only was it something of a trek to tthe elevators, but the ice machine was there too. It's nicer when the ice machine is close. (The ice machine on our floor in the Harrisburg Hilton was broken, so an expedition -- this time to the floor above or below --- was required there too.)
The evening of our arrival in DC we ate at the Italian restaurant in the hotel. Friday evening we ate at a posh prime rib restaurant in town (called, cleverly enough, the Prime Rib). Leather chairs and booths, wood paneling, live jazz piano -- all a carnivore could want. And the next day we set out for another full day of sight-seeing: Arlington Cemetary, the monuments, the museums. We couldn't begin to get it all in, but we gave it a great try.
