Foyer of National Gallery of Art

Sometimes we don’t find the next road until the last minute. Like this time. There we were scurrying around like the squirrels in Presque Isle, Michigan, looking for places in Cape Cod, Asheville, Virginia Beach, Charleston, then we discovered an amazing apartment for a five-week stay near Dupont Circle in Washington DC. Let’s call it luck.

Arriving September 21, we have spent the past week settling into this beautiful apartment, exploring, reading about the city and getting some work done. Where did the week go?

After meeting the engaging owner of the apartment and getting the “how-tos” of the apartment, we drove her to the airport, found our way back with a quick stop at Whole Foods and  started unpacking. Beyond offering an ideal location, this apartment is spectacularly designed. Here is a favorite piece among way too many to show…

The dining room is a beautiful airy place to work.

Parking the car was a big relief, mass transit or walking is so much simpler. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is one of the best; between the subway, buses and Circulator, it is a breeze to get around town.

Four bridges and two tunnels along an 11 mile railbed of the B&O railroad

We joined the Captial Bikeshare ($25/month) and will start to utilize that popular program as well. It is a 10 minute bike ride to the National Mall and about the same to the Capital Crescent Trail a popular and scenic shared use trail from Georgetown, D.C. to Silver Spring, Maryland, along the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

To get acquainted with the Circulator which is only $1, we rode several  blocks over to Georgetown, south and west of here, did some window shopping, took in the scenery along the Potomac and had a quick bite to eat.

Sunday we walked down to Dupont Circle for the weekly Farmers Market.

The produce was irresistible…

Later, a bike ride to the Mall ended up at the Captiol building.

We may not make all of the Smithsonian Museums in the next few weeks (so far we have visited the Natural History Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and American Art Museum), there are oh, so many restaurants to try, neighborhoods to explore and places to see; but from this last minute, lucky apartment discovery, we plan to know Washington, D.C. well before we leave.