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Monday, March 7, 2011

Postal, or, what to do in DC on a rainy day

A few years ago I got a tip about a great place to go with kids in DC. And I guess I sort of half forgot about it, half stored it way in the recesses of my mind. So Sunday morning, as Ben and I were drinking our coffee and wondering what to do with two lovely little girls and a rainy day, it came to me, and I felt so clever as I casually responded, "The Postal museum is supposed to be great for kids."

Okay, anyone with kids who comes to DC should go to this place. There are mailboxes, stamps, airplanes, wagons, and trucks. You can play with most of them, and you can climb into a train, a truck, and a wagon.

I actually noticed that it was my husband who lingered in the truck when it was time to move on. Although it was Lily who commandeered the steering wheel, swirving like a maniac as she yelled "Poland! Poland!" I guess that girl has her sights set on places far and wide.

I think my favorite part might have been buying each girl a stamp and a postcard in the stamp shop to mail back home to ourselves. There's actually a real post office right there, so it's perfect.

No, scratch that. My favorite part was stumbling upon Capitol City Brewing company, located just upstairs, where they serve not only complimentary soft pretzels (Ben's favorite), but sweet potato fries (my favorite). And Ben informs me that their beer is quite delicious, too. And as a woman who has dined on the Smithsonian multiple times, let me tell you that this place actually feels like a place adults might consider dining and is not in the least bit touristy. Quite a nice breath of fresh air.

And if you're REALLY trying to make a day of it, the museum is right next door to Union Station, where I imagine you could do some wonderful train watching, although my two pretty ladies agree trains are just soo noisy.

4 comments:

eKay said...

ummm, soft pretzels, my favorite too, especially paired with a cold brewsky and loving friends!

Anonymous said...

Oh that sounds like a wonderful day. And I have not been to that museum, but I have a great story to share with you one day about Cap City Brewery, New Year's Eve 1999, and Jeff and I (not yet aware of each other).

Adele said...

Annie, I can't wait to hear it- it sounds romantic. Okay, Emily, now it's your job to scope out a sot pretzel place in Boston for us to visit. ;-)

Kerry said...

While we never made it to the postal museum when we lived there, we did make it to Capitol City a few times with friends. The beer was good, even back then and it was always a fun time.