Britt Goes to Pitt: Summer Updates: Britt and Mom go to DC

The school year is over! Nevermind that it's been over for a while; I've been busy researching, relaxing, and driving back and forth between Pittsburgh and Columbus.

However, I wanted to update on some of the things that I have been up to this summer. The first thing that I did after school got out was head to Washington, DC for Memorial Day Weekend with my mom. I was especially excited to go with her because even though I've been to DC several times, this was her first! Here were my top 5 favorite things from our trip:

5. Shopping in Georgetown - We kept our shopping mostly to the "window"-variety, but I did buy a pair of sparkly sandals from Steve Madden :-)

4. Delicious, delicious food - Asparagus and leek pizza at Pizza Paradiso, tapas at Jaleo, and fresh seafood at Founding Farmers. We ate really well!

3. Memorial Day Concert - We decided to do something to celebrate the holiday while we were in town, and the National Memorial Day Concert on the lawn of the Capitol was perfect. We got to see some B/C-list celebrities (guy with the beard from Criminal Minds, anyone?), but more importantly, we got to honor our troops.

2. Nighttime tour of the monuments - I loved the monuments; in my mind, they are what make DC feel like the national's capital. Every time I go to Washington, DC, time spent on the mall and among the monuments is a requirement. That being said, I had never done a nighttime tour. It was ideal for a few reasons: 1) fewer crowds, 2) cooler temperatures, 3) stunning pictures of everything backlit.

1. The Newseum - Imagine spending a day wandering through Pulitzer Prize-winning photos, the top headlines dating back to the origin of the newspaper, and photos and newspapers tracking the days after 9/11. If that sounds appealing, you should probably check out the Newseum. It was incredible. Seriously incredible.