Our Nation's Capital

Spent a weekend in Washington DC - a city that gives new meaning to the phrase urban renewal. Seems like every time I'm there another section of town is in the midst of a gentrifying renascence. My close friend Dave lives there and my Christmas gift from my fabulous wife was a President's Day weekend trip to visit. Short but enjoyable. We spent lots of time in Dave's living room having a few cocktails and playing records. Other highlights:

• Taking in the sold-out Drive By Truckers show at DC's legendary 930 club - they played a tight, energetic set of music that I enjoyed but Dave thought was too much "jam band noodling"

• Following up the rock show with a couple of half-smokes with chili at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street - a DC institution famous for its catering to tipsy concert goers in need of greasy sustenance. (For the uninitiated - a half-smoke is a smoked beef sausage)

mmmm....chili

• An afternoon at the extremely well-worth visiting Newseum, which is Nirvana for a news junkie. Beautiful facility located right off The Mall and really terrific interactive exhibits and artifacts that help tell the story of American journalism - warts and all. My favorite exhibit was the collection of historic newspapers going back to the Colonial Era.

a history of the United States told by the front page

• An evening spent in the Capitol Hill neighborhood dining at the spectacular Ted's Bulletin on 8th St. SE. Really cool 1930s pharmacy interior mixed with high end home-cooking. I ate roast chicken with a side of the most delicious brussels sprouts ever made. Yeah I said brussels sprouts and delicious in the same sentence. Of course, they were made with bacon and a bit of Maytag blue cheese

John F. Kennedy famously poked fun at DC - calling it a "model of Northern charm and Southern efficiency" It doesn't deserve that reputation and hasn't for some time. It is hip and fun to walk around in and truly beautiful to look at - with one of the best public transit systems in the US. Perfect for a quick weekend.