We couldn’t have asked for better weather on a recent April weekend when my friend Kristin and I ventured to Washington, D.C., for a visit. Our trip coincided with the last weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the 10^th annual National Walk for Epilepsy. The walk served as the catalyst for the visit, as another friend, Natalie, was participating. Natalie was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy at 26 and underwent a right temporal lobectomy and hippocampectomy at age 32. Today she is both seizure- and medication-free!    In addition to cheering on Natalie as she crossed the finish line, we took the opportunity to experience some of the amazing sightseeing and activities available in our nation’s capital. We picked a busy weekend to visit and ended up staying outside the city limits at The Westin Arlington Gateway, but we were just a quick, two-block walk to the Orange and Silver Metro lines, and commuting was easy and quick. During our visit we took in the International Spy Museum and enjoyed a warm, sunny afternoon walking past the Washington Monument, the White House, the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial.      We enjoyed dinner at Jose Andres’ Jaleo, which I highly recommend for a delicious taste of Spanish cuisine and for a fun, small-plates experience to share with friends. For a great brunch spot, visit Founding Farmers (reservations are a must!) and start with beignets for the table. Yum! Drinks at POV, the rooftop bar at the W Washington D.C., offer amazing views of the city. I was a bit disappointed to have missed all of the city’s cherry blossoms! I’ve always wanted to see them in bloom, but this year, due to high temperatures, they bloomed early and had mostly blown away by the time of our visit. All that remained were a few trees with some wilted blooms. We did catch part of the annual parade, and the brightly colored floats and balloons helped put us in the spirit. — Kim Krol, editor in chief