Dumbarton Oaks

For one of our recent Saturday activities DH and I finally decided to check out Dumbarton Oaks. Dumbarton is a park, garden and museum all rolled into one. It's existed in Georgetown since 1920 and we finally found the time to visit! Something to keep in mind is that there is no parking at Dumbarton - even paid parking, so you either need to do street parking (2 hour strict enforcement) or use the DC Circulator bus. 

After paying our $8 per person entry fee (worth it IMHO) you enter and are transported into a floral wonderland. From the gorgeous sculptures to the flowers to the trees to the benches to the topiaries, it's a lovely place to visit. My pictures don't do it justice. We went late summer/almost fall and there were still a lot of flowers blooming but we'd imagine going in spring would be a prettier experience because everything (trees and flowers) would be blooming.

Fabulous Cuban Meal

Since we were in DC we made it an all day experience. For our meal we went to the Cuban restaurant Mi Cuba Cafe (http://micubacafe.com/) in Columbia Heights. The Washingtonian recently named this restaurant a top cheap eat and so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Described as a "hole-in-the-wall" this restaurant was surprisingly clean, well-kept and inviting. It is tiny though. Your best bet is to grab a table near the window at the front for some cool breeze as the back of the restaurant seemed a bit steamy. To drink I went with the guava punch (no milk) and DH had a coke LOL! To eat we had some delicious meat empanadas that were served with a tangy vinegary dip. For our entrees we went with a selection that the Washingtonian recommended.   I had the roast pork with rice, red beans and plantains. DH had the same except he went with black beans. At the end DH pronounced it "one of the best ethnic meals we'd had" ever! High praise indeed. Despite taking home a container of leftovers, I was still super-stuffed so we didn't try any desserts. 

If you go, parking is very convenient in the shopping center that houses a Target, Marshall's, Perfumania and a host of other retail stores. The Columbia Heights area close to the end of 14th Street NW is very clean, busy and seems safe with a lot of other ethnic restaurants and a small city park with benches to people watch.