Being a Tourist in DC, Part II {The Dream Date}

When we last left off, Mr. W and I were stuffing our faces at Good Stuff during our afternoon playing DC tourist.


I couldn't wait to continue our little date day down around the Tidal Basin since it was, after all, the week of the Cherry Blossom Festival and in all my years calling DC home, I'd never actually seen all the trees in bloom, except for from I-395. Not exactly taking in the sights...

I never went down to see the trees because I'm a tad neurotic - and not about pollin, or even crowds.


I get these ideas in my head of how I want something to be, and when I saw myself strolling around the Tidal Basin, admiring Japan's gift to America, in my mind I was doing it, hand-in-hand, with a cute boy. There may or may not have been a posh little picnic packed, too. And after it was eaten there was absolutely a sweet little paddle boat ride around the Potomac.

photo credit: www.dctravelor.com

This became my official DC Dream Date.


I experienced some real boughts of date drought when I was single. I'm talking at times in excess of one year, no date. Not even a crush. So you can imagine the blooms that budded and fell without my needing to pick out the perfect outfit.

There were a few not-The Ones who I tried to sell on the paddle boat, even after the trees had turned, but as is often the case if you aren't Meg Ryan in a movie with Tom Hanks, the romantic dates you stir around your head don't happen. Mine rarely did.


So, I don't have to tell you that I was pretty excited to be dragging Mr. Dubs down to look at some trees on a sunny April day that was just perfect....if you love August. It was HOT, temps in the 90s, no breeze at all. We'd already eaten, so strike the picnic scene. And since Nora Ephron was not directing this day, what do we see upon arriving to the Tidal Basin? Well....not cherry blossoms.

All the buds had fallen. There was one lone tree that was still pink, and it's pictured above. There were a few pitiful guys that looked like this. 

The rest....bare. Just days before it had looked like this....

photo credit: My friend Mary's Facebook Album

Two strikes does not mean I was out, friends. Though the scene wasn't set exactly as I'd envisioned, there were still boats to be rented. And that is just what we did....

I didn't dream about how tall my co-sailor would be, but perhaps I should have. Mr. W is nearly 6'4" and these tiny vessels were not intended for the long- legged.

Bless his heart, he was miserable, but as always, a good sport.

As glam as it looks from land, operating those little boats is like being at spin class. It is far from easy, and when your date is too tall to paddle, well...it's ALOT of work for one girl.

I'll say this....floating was fun.

We were on the water for no more than a half-hour before heading back to the dock. Then, back to the 'burbs.

So, it wasn't exactly how I dreamed it would be. Still, I would not trade the reality of this day - even in the heat, without the Cherry Blossoms, and as I was forced to captain a tiny ship nearly all on my own - for the "dream" of  cooler temps, pinker buds and a shorter man for anything in the world!

Tell me....what's your dream date?