Wicked

Aug 4, 2011

Wicked is playing at the Kennedy Center in Washington. We had such success with the three of us going up for Mary Poppins last August, we're going up again, but this time for "Wicked." We'll put Buddy in the kennel on Thursday morning and then leave about 1100 for DC. I expect we'll stop at Snappers Waterfront Cafe in Cambridge for lunch as that is our habit. We're staying at The River Inn on 25th St NW and should check in mid-afternoon. Dinner will be at the Rooftop Terrace Restaurant in the Kennedy Center, with a 1730 reservation. The show is at 1930 and we have the same box seats we had last summer. Friday morning, we'll wait a while until the DC traffic clears a bit and then head back for the Eastern Shore. We should have Margaret home around 1400. Timeline.

Thursday, August 04, 2011: At 0627, it’s 75o with a little drizzle. We packed and left the house about 1030. We picked up Margaret and then Buddy and headed for Weeping Willow where Buddy was to spend the night. We were then on the road headed for DC. We stopped for lunch at the Snappers Waterfront Cafe, as we have done in the past. It’s our lunch stop when we cross the Chesapeake. We all had the Cream of Crab Soup. Margaret had crab balls, Lyd a crab cake sandwich and I a tilapia sandwich, but without a bun.

5:00 Margaret Cream of Crab Soup Fried Crab Balls Fried Crab Cake Sandwich Fried Tilapia Sandwich

We were back on the road a few minutes after one. We had a light drizzle off and on. Traffic was bad, but not so bad for 1500 in Washington. I can only imagine what it’s like during rush hour. The Navigator took good care of us, even when I missed a few turns and it had to reroute. We pulled into The River Inn and check in and got to room 806 by 1530. It’s a suite with a separate bedroom for the ladies and a pullout couch for me. They took naps until almost 5 when I awakened them. Out their bedroom window, the National Cathedral is visible. Out the front window, which faces east on NW 25th street, the top 20-30 feet of the Washington Monument was visible. We took a cab the few blocks to the Kennedy Center as it’s just too far to walk with a wheel chair. At the Roof Top Terrace, Margaret had a strawberry salad with Mizuna, Upland Cress, Frisee, Speck Ham, Pecorino Cheese Honeyed Almonds, Black Pepper Vinaigrette (11), and the Pineland Farms Tenderloin, with Nicoise Vegetables, Potato-Basil Puree, Fine Herb Butter (32). Lyd didn’t choose a starter, but also had the tenderloin. I picked a Bibb lettuce salad (10) and Seared Colorado Lamb Loin with Spring Bean Succotash, Caramelized Cipollini Onions, Lamb Jus, Basil (30). For dessert we all had the “Wicked,” Pastry Chef Ben McCormick’s special dessert, of a Pistachio Mousse Cake topped with a chocolate witch’s hat. (11).

Manhattan Strawberry Salad Bibb Salad Filet Lamb Loin Wicked Dessert

After dinner, we went out on the promenade and walked from the south end of the building to the Opera House at the north end. We took the elevator down to the lobby level and went up the short ramp to the Opera House entrance. There, we were turned over to Peter, an usher at the Kennedy Center for about 5 years. He took us up to the box level and directly to seats 1, 2, & 3 in Box 8, the same seats we had for Mary Poppins, last summer. The show was excellent. I sneaked a few shots of the theatre before the curtain, but pictures or recording is forbidden during the show. At the close of the show (2225), Peter came back for us and told us the other two houses had let out just 10 minutes and 20 minutes before ours. We waited in an impressive line for 30 minutes for a cab back to The River Inn, but I’m not sure of the alternative. Perhaps, when we return to the Kennedy Center in the future, I’ll bring the car to the Kennedy Center garage. We returned to the room a little after 2300. Margaret can’t get into the bed because it’s too high. We used the rungs of a dining room chair as a ladder.

Hall of Flags Wicked Curtain

Friday, August 05, 2011: I was up a little after 6. Lyd and Margaret got out of bed around 0730. We went down to the hotel restaurant, Dish, a little after 9 for a very expensive breakfast. We were on the road a little before 10 and pulled into Margaret’s driveway a little after 2.

Lyd & Margaret Veggie Omelet French Toast American Breakfast