Summer's Best of DC

As summer is coming to a close (gulp...can you believe Labor Day is almost here) I thought I would leave you with my Top 10 Summertime Activities in DC: *DISCLAIMER: Some of these activities carry into the fall!

1. Monuments at Dusk - DC is a beautiful and inspiring place to live. In the summer however, when full of tourists, the awe can fade away. However, all it takes is one evening stroll to remember how incredible it is to live here. As I have been saying to Mark for the past year, "We live here!"

2. Outdoor Dinning - from Sonomo with Jeff and Shannon to the Oval Room with Ben during Restaurant Week, we got our fill of outdoor dining in this summer. Now if only we could convince more DC restaurants that outdoor/sidewalk seating is the way to go!

3 & 4. Sailing and Kayaking - with the Eastern Shore only an hour away, we spent many weekends on the Chesapeake this summer. This is the first summer we really were able to utilize our sailboat since we now live closer to Mark's parents (who are kind enough to let us keep our trailer in their front yard) . Kayaking has always been top on our list of things to do when the weather is warm and we love paddling around on the Chesapeake. For those of you who cannot so easily get out of the city, check out: Atlantic Kayak for options on the Potomac.

5. Screen on the Green - need I say more? Check out this article for details. (unfortunately, we didn't make it out to see any of the movies, but the concept is awesome!

6. Bike Rides - Summer has given us with more daylight and therefore more time to ride. We tend to stick to the SW side of DC looping Hains Point and the Tidal Basin.

7. Outdoor Tennis - there are some great outdoor courts a few blocks from us. Though we haven't played as much as we would like, it was great to get out and hit around this summer. (especially after an inspiring Wimbledon match between Federer and Nadal!)

8. Free Concerts - Though not reserved strictly to the summer time, the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center has some pretty great concerts. I was able to see Jake Armerding play last week and he is awesome!

9. Baseball Games - from the new National's Stadium to watching the O's at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, summertime is baseball time. Mark and I were fortunate to make the most of the season this year. Here is a recent photo of us with the Wagners at Oriole Park: (coming soon)

10. Picnic Parties in the Park - No better way than to spend a lazy afternoon, than with friends picnic-ing in one of the many parks on Capitol Hill. One particular highlight, our friend Jesse's 29th birthday bash!