Last weekend, I had the pleasure of taking a day-trip to Washington, D.C. Not having visited since I was younger, I was very much looking forward to spending the day wandering around with my fiancé, taking pictures and learning more about the area. Our visit coincided with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but unfortunately the long-standing cold weather delayed their blooming; however, the day warmed up to a balmy 60 degrees, which was a nice surprise, particularly with the amount of walking we did. After a quick stop for a selfie in front of the White House, we walked almost the entire length of the National Mall, starting with the Lincoln Memorial, and going all the way up to the Smithsonian, with stops along the way at the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Washington Monument. The Reflecting Pool was undergoing some repairs that day, but everything else was in top shape and not too terribly crowded for a Saturday. After some debate on which museum we should spend the afternoon exploring, I eventually acquiesced to my fiancé’s vote and ended up in the National Air and Space Museum. There were a lot of interesting things to see, and we definitely enjoyed all of the vintage planes, but I was a bit underwhelmed with the amount of space-focused exhibits. Overall, it was a great experience, and we ended up walking about nine miles over the course of the day. I plan on returning in the near future to visit my first choices in museums — the National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of American History — and enjoy more of the beautiful scenery of the National Mall. — Holly Godbey, marketing & sales assistant