Last year I thought I was going to Belize for Thanksgiving. I booked the trip for the 3rd Thursday in November and was really surprised at how inexpensive the flight was ($537.30 RT in Premium)! And that's when I realized that Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday, not 3rd!
Well I was still really excited about going to this small Central American country on the Caribbean and having a relaxing and fun girls trip with my friend Gail. I wasn't however excited to be at SeaTac at 6am for our direct flight on AlaskaAir. And I REALLY wasn't excited to hear the announcement while waiting to board that our flight was canceled due to Tropical Storm Sara. Back home we went to wait for updates. Long story short we were re-booked for the next day but BZE ended up closing so we were finally able to fly out 2 days later.
*Pro tip: Lyft/Uber in Seattle are incredibly expensive and I burned about $150 to and from the airport. Luckily I had just purchased yearly travel insurance from Allianz as it was required to travel to Antarctica and I was refunded before even landing in Belize! I'm now buying this insurance yearly.
Because our 6-hour flight arrived in Belize City after the last water taxi to Ambergris Caye left, and I was afraid to fly out to the island in one of the small planes, we spent one quick night at the Harbour View Hotel. They have a restaurant across the street which was fine for a quick dinner and breakfast the next day, and they didn't charge us for having to change our reservation due to the storm. But in general I would recommend heading straight out to the island.
*Another pro-tip: there is a duty free shop at BZE next to baggage claim with much better options than you will find in the local shops.
It was an absolutely gorgeous morning when we took the 1½ hour water taxi to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Everyone on the island gets around on golf carts so I had reserved ours in advance with C&S. They met us at the dock, helped us with our luggage, and drove us to their office which was conveniently attached to a grocery store. Golf cart and groceries procured we made our way to the Marriott Alaia where we had an oceanview 2 bedroom suite. I had found an offer called Belize-A-Little-Longer where we got our 6th night free and a cabana for a day.
The pool cabanas were so comfortable and once we found out they were only $100 we reserved another day. Having an entire day just spent at the pool is like heaven for me. And it didn't hurt that the spa was just steps away, so I also had a lovely massage one afternoon.
The food and drinks at the pool were really great, I'd say my fish tacos were some of the best on the island! And sometimes a bottle of rosé from our kitchen just happened to find itself in an insulated water bottle and in the beach bag, hitching along to the pool.
Of course I did leave the resort and did some super fun stuff over the course of the week via golf cart, plane, and boat!
One of the things I've always had on my bucket list was to see the Great Blue Hole. You can either take a boat, which is 5 hours round trip + time spent snorkeling/diving or you can take a 1 hour flight and look straight down on the mysterious underwater sinkhole.
There are only 2 local airlines that provide flyover tours, Tropic and Maya, I went with the latter. It was $230 for the hour flight and the schedule was filled solid when I booked. I chose to go on my first day just in case it was canceled because of bad weather, that way I'd have a few more days to try to book in.
The tiny plane seats just 10 passengers and the pilot. The co-pilot seat is also available at a higher price. I actually have a pretty solid fear of small planes like this and before coming on the trip had been discussing if I would do the flight or not with a two good friends, the answer was OF COURSE so I took ½ a xanax and got on board!
Although Tropical Storm Sara hadn't left much of a trace on the island, there had been a lot of flight cancellations and the airline was still catching up. So our tour left 1 ½ hours later than scheduled. We flew over the Great Barrier Reef, Turneffe Atoll, and a very cool ocean freighter wreck before arriving at the Blue Hole. The pilot then did a full 2 revolutions of the hole on each side of the plane so that everyone had amazing views.
The Great Blue Hole is roughly 1000-foot wide and 400-foot deep! It was an incredible site! But all of the scenery we flew over was really incredible! The clarity of the water is stunning!
On the way back we ended up landing in BZE to pick up some folks whose other flight was canceled and then dropped them off at the teeny airport on Caye Caulker before returning to Ambergris. Taking off and landing multiple times in about 5 minutes really was trying my phobia!
Another day Gail and I drove our golf cart out to Secret Beach. It's about an hour each way and the rough dirt roads are really rough! There were potholes that you could drown in! A few times we waited for another cart to attempt a pothole crossing before forging ahead!
Secret Beach is a big stretch of beach clubs, all with their own vibe. We chose Maruba Beach Klub (yes, with a K) because the music was a decent level and the loungers looked comfy (& they were). We parked the cart and were shown to the beach where a server set up our chosen loungers and got us menus.
Even though it was a warm blue sky day, winds from the tropical storm were strong! The normal clear water was murky and rough! There would be no swimming or eating at a table in the ocean or playing on any inflatables. But we had a great day with margaritas, and nachos, and a serious match of giant Jenga!
There's no charge to enter the club but there is a food & beverage minimum which gets you your wifi, loungers, games, etc.
We also did a ½ day snorkel trip from the Alaia dive dock to Mexico Rocks. Belize's barrier reef is the 2nd largest in the world and it lies just 1/2 mile off of Ambergris Caye. Being such a short ride out we were just in a small dive boat and when we got to the site there was a park ranger who met us in his boat to collect the park fees. Because these reefs are protected areas, a divemaster is always with snorkelers and divers, this is great as it makes Belize a place that I would travel solo to as I would still be able to snorkel!
When we jumped in I was shocked at how warm the water was; it was like 80F! There were tons of rays, conch shells, tropical fish and amazing coral heads- which I had never really seen before. It was fantastic and the divemaster was really good!
Another day we did a full day out on a catamaran with Seaduced by Belize. It was an early start with just 10 others onboard and plenty of room for everyone as they had comfy bean bags on the bow. It's an older boat but in good shape with a great crew.
We hadn't been sailing for more than 15 minutes when a large pod of dolphins came up beside us to race! Then a big turtle swam on by! Fantastic!
Our first stop was Hol Chan National Reserve; 160 square miles of seagrass beds and coral reefs. This reserve started off as only 3 square miles in 1987 when it was established!! This time the park ranger had their own floating office and we pulled up to pay our fees.
Then it was in the water for one of the most amazing snorkeling excursions I have ever been on! We had beat the other excursion boats and had most of the reserve to ourselves for a while. We followed our divemaster and saw barracuda, trumpet fish, huge schools of snapper, rays, tons of conch, a nurse shark, and an eagle ray!!! Not to even mention all the amazing coral. Wow!!
From here it was on to Shark Alley. This section of the reef use to be where fisherman would clean their catch and toss the scraps into the water, attracting nurse sharks and rays. We got in and tread water a safe distance away while the captain tossed some chum in. Because sharks have been used to this and it isn't changing their behavior, it is allowed in the reserve (vs in places like South Africa where chumming attracts great whites while people cage dive!). It was pretty crazy both in the water and onboard watching!
We continued sailing to Caye Caulker where we had a couple of hours to explore on our own. This little island is just 5 miles long and 1 mile wide so it didn't take long to see most of it! I had conch fritters for lunch at the Rainbow Grill, then Gail and I did a bit of shopping. All the roads here are sand and pretty much everyone was on a bike. There were quite a few oil-drum bbqs with lobster, fish, and shrimp kabobs along the road and picnic tables to eat at- I'd do that for lunch if I was there again.
It's a cute little place but I was very happy that we were staying on Ambergris!
Our sail back was just stunning, the water is so clear, and so many shades of blue, the reef easily visible below. What an outstanding day!
As Belize borders Mexico to the north, there is an interesting mix of Caribbean and Mexican food. While we didn't have any "oh my gosh amazing" food moments we really liked our lunch at Elvi's Kitchen so much we also had dinner there one night!
At Caramba you pick out your fresh catch of the day and the owner encouraged me to get a whole lionfish which is invasive to the reefs. It was a delicious fish! So juicy and flavorful! I had to get a couple of stone crab claws too as you never get those on the west coast.
As for drinking, ee had late afternoon cocktails on the dock at Wayo's on our way back from Secret Beach. There are quite a few of these palapa bars around the island, this one was very friendly and lively!
And one night we had a spectacular sunset while sipping on some cocktails on the dock at Hula Bar. There were even rays swimming in the water below us!
Ambergris Caye is so relaxing and chill, I really liked it!
My grand adventure on the Palace on Wheels started and ended in Delhi. As it was also a grand expense and a grand distance I was eager to make sure that I used points to fly business! I found a great price on Virgin from JFK connecting thru London for 85k + $1000 on one of the brand new A330neo. I bought a Premium class seat on Alaska Air from SEA to JFK for under $300 and that flight also earned me MVP status. Win win!
In JFK I headed to the Amex Centurion Lounge where I then located the speakeasy 1850. The small menu of cocktails was created by Jim Meehan and my Southside was very good. Luckily it wasn't too busy when I was there so I was able to get a table, but there isn't a lot of space here so best if you are just 1 or 2.
My suite on Virgin's "Queen of the Skies" was fantastic! There is a privacy door which goes up to about chest-high, an XL lay-flat seat, a cubby with a mirror to stash belongings, a side table, a mattress & PJs (but no slippers?), and a good sized tv w/ bluetooth pairing. There is also a social area at the back of Biz class called "The Loft" which has self service fridges and a long couch.
Sadly the food was not very good. I had ordered a lamb burger off their pre-flight menu and what arrived was a full size burger bun with a teeny lamb meatball & a similar size piece of haulumi. The flight attendant was visibly embarrassed.
In Heathrow I had a 3+ hour layover and since my arrival and departure were in the same terminal there was no rushing through all the construction there. I did accidently go thru passport control, so I had to go thru security again, but I got to use the private Clubhouse Lounge elevator which has their own security so it was super fast!
I love the Clubhouse Lounge so it was no problem hanging out for a few hours. I took a shower in one of the private rooms, ordered breakfast in the lounge restaurant, then moved to the bar and drank champagne.
My Virgin flight from LHR to DEL was an older A350. This also had a privacy door but the entire cabin was pretty worn and really needed an update. The lay-flat bed wasn't as comfy as others but it did have a mattress (but no PJs) and I was able to sleep most of the 8 hour flight.
At midnight, 30 hours after I left my home in Seattle, I landed in Delhi and was met by a rep with Palace on Wheels. They greeted me with my first of many marigold garlands and not only drove me to the Oberoi Hotel but escorted me inside and made sure I was all checked in. Very nice as it was 1am by this time.
I had booked the very elegant hotel, on the recommendation of friends who stay there often, thru my Amex Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts program. This gave me a $200 Amex credit, $100 credit at the hotel, room upgrade, daily breakfast, and 4pm late check-out.
My upgraded Premier King room was very large, as was the bathroom complete with stand-alone tub and huge double shower. My luggage was placed in the walk-in closet and the bellman pointed out the butler button and told me to ring if I needed anything. Lovely.
I slept for about 5 hours and then went down to the breakfast buffet. Holy cow! There was an amazing spread of just about anything you could want, plus a menu full of made-to-order options. I had no idea what to do with the selection of 8 or 9 chutneys but I tried them all!
I spent the afternoon by the beautiful pool which was exactly what I needed after such a long trip! After the pool attendant set up my lounge chair he returned holding a tray with a cold washcloth, a bottle of cold water, frozen grapes, sunscreen, and a spritz bottle with refreshing scented water. Really a great touch!
My only option for lunch at the hotel was the Chinese restaurant Baoshuan and it ended up being a very good one. I ordered the thousand layer chicken roll, pork & prawn sui mai with XO sauce & pickles, and then the server brought me out an order of chung fun on the house, because he said its his favorite. Again, amazing service!
After lunch my friend's who I would be vacationing with arrived! We were all very excited!!
That evening we had drinks at Lair which is billed as a speakeasy but was pretty easy to find since the name is right on the outside of the building! The drinks were interesting and very good, the service so-so.
We had taken a private car, arranged through the hotel, so he was waiting when we finished. It's probably no surprise that traffic is even crazier than they say in this city of 33+ million and it took us 40 minutes to get to the restaurant!
Dinner was at Indian Accent, inside the Lodi hotel, and was wonderful! The menu is filled with traditional sounding flavors and dishes but the chefs employ global & contemporary techniques to elevate them. All of our dishes were super tasty and again the service was exceptional! There is also a branch in NYC & in London.
After dinner it was nice seeing the city buildings and memorials lit up as we headed back to the Oberoi for cocktails at the rooftop lounge.
The next day, after another round at the awesome breakfast buffet, Rachel and I treated ourselves at the spa. My massage was excellent but what really stood out was the massage oil that my masseuse used! I loved the smell and feel of it and when I asked her about it she said she would bring me a sample to take home. She returned with a small water bottle filled with it! Again, I can't say enough about the service in India!
I spent a bit more time relaxing by the pool before heading back to my room to finish packing. I had just been waiting on my laundry, which I had given to my butler, and it had been returned in style!
We all checked out and met at the lobby bar for champagne and snacks before we were picked up by the Palace on Wheels and taken to the train station for our 8-day adventure around Rajasthan.
As I mentioned in my post about the Palace on Wheels, when we returned to Delhi we did a ½ day tour mainly in Old Delhi. Even after all the forts and palaces we had seen, this was an excellent tour and I'd really encourage folks to not overlook the sights here!
Our first stop was the Red Fort built during the Mughal Empire and completed in April 1648. It was built as the palace fort in Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) when the 5th Emperor of India, Shah Jahan, decided to move the capital from Agra. This fort was the primary residence of Shah Jahan and subsequent emperors. It was also the residence of the British colonial government during their rule into 1947.
The walled palace had 14 gates, numerous roads, canals, gardens, etc. The entrance at Lahore Gate takes you over a moat that use to be the Yamuna River and is one of only two gates remaining.
Inside the walls there is a market area with large arched bays, a performance hall for the drummers and musicians of the emperor, and a large public audience hall where the emperor sat on his throne and held court.
The private quarters and boat house were built next to the then there river, making it quick and easy for the emperor to get away if needed.
There were private hamamas and a mosque as well as gorgeous buildings just used for recreation. Gardens and fountains make up much of the center of the fort.
Some of the buildings look a little more modern as the British destroyed many buildings, including the kitchens and stables, and built barracks during their occupation. In 1947 the Indian Army was able to take back the fort and during the Partition the grounds were used as a Muslim refugee camp.
We left the fort and made our way (carefully!) across the busy street and into the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi.
Built in 1650, this area is one of the oldest and biggest market areas in India! The main way to get around the maze of hectic and narrow streets is by rickshaw and our guide negotiated 2 of them for us.
Spending time in this area was fascinating! I loved seeing all the different street vendors, temples, mosques, bakeries, and people going about their day to day business. Our guide explained that most of the shops in the area have been in business for 100 to 200 years! He stopped and bought us traditional chai tea served in small clay cups from a popular spot and then took us shopping for tea on my request.
Even though it was very early, and the main markets weren't even open yet, the streets were very busy! After buying tea and spices we ventured down a few side streets, they seemed to get narrower and narrower the deeper into the area we went. And the hanging electrical wires were crazy!!
Rachel had been looking for some particular jewelry so our guide also took us to a great little shop, hidden in a little dead-end alley. These tiny streets reminded me of being in the medinas in Morocco! So confusing! It was quite a thrill riding through here, I'd highly recommend a ride thru Old Delhi!
Our final stop of the day was at Humayun's Tomb. Humayun was the 2nd Mughal emperor and the tomb was commissioned by his first wife Empress Bega Begum. He was also the great grandfather of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. The similarities are obvious!
The garden grounds of the complex are huge and a few other tombs are on the site as well. But we spent our time in the main one, walking around and admiring the beautiful architecture. There are actually over 150 family members and other Mughals and emperors buried here, but the odd thing is that none of the graves are marked, except with a symbol for male or female, so it's hard to know just who is who. Except for Humayun who has center stage.
Another great stop!
We dropped my friends off back at the Oberoi while I headed to the Le Meridien where I had a comped room. My flight was later the same night so I would only be there for 5 hours, but since I'm a Marriott Gold member they upgraded my room to a 1-bedroom suite with living room, huge primary bathroom, guest bath, and lots of views of the city. I had lunch and took a quick swim in the pool, both were fine but this is definitely more of a business hotel than a resort.
I checked out the Club Lounge, which kind of looked like a UFO to me, but they were not offering wine or cocktails until later so I went down to the main bar. It had a surprisingly long cocktail menu and the space & staff were nice.
Palace on Wheels had the same guy pick me up to take me to the airport but this time we were really in the thick of rush hour traffic. It took us 1 ½ hours to get to there, just ~7 miles away! My driver was so worried, he even called me to make sure I got through security, but luckily I was flying business so it was a breeze.
At DEL I hung out in the Encalm Prive Lounge, which is only available to business class passengers, vs credit card or pass holders. This lounge is HUGE! I didn't eat as I wasn't hungry yet and I was flying Singapore Air business class, thru Singapore to Seattle, and was very interested in trying their food.
I had booked my flight using my Biz Plat Amex & MR miles, and since I booked business class I was refunded 35% & there were no fees. My suite on Singapore's A380-800 was very nice! There was a side console, a footrest and a storage cubby under the footwell, also a little mirror and lots of usb plugs. Strangely though there were no pj’s/slippers, amenity bag or mattress on this 6 hour/overnight flight; that was a bit disappointing. The upper deck on these planes has a huge biz class section & I had chosen a seat in the smaller rear one thinking it would be more private. Wrong. All the families had chosen this section, so many noisy kids! The flight crew actually handed out earplugs! But the layflat was quite comfy, even though the flight attendants did not offer to make up the bed with the sheet and duvet like most do & there are no privacy door. First world problems, I know!
Something that Singapore Air has, unlike any other biz class I have flown is, a pre flight menu option called Book The Cook. This is a special menu of Western, India, and Singapore dishes and these dishes are not available unless you pre book. Since this was a late flight I just chose some of their tandoori kebabs which were quite good! They also served some marinated prawns with cucumber as a starter which was tasty and I chose a scoop of ice cream for dessert.
We arrived in Singapore at 6am and I had a 3 hour layover before my next flight. It's a huge airport and it took me a while to find the correct lounge. This one had some excellent food options including lots of dumplings, fried rice, and cucumber/cream cheese sandwiches.
My next Singapore Air flight was on a A350-900 and the business class seat here was very good, even without privacy doors. This layflat pod also had great storage and a nice footrest. And the chair folds forward & down to reveal a bed and bedding. It was super comfy and the attendants will do it all for you as it really isn't automatic. The only issue with this is that you have to choose to either be in bed or be in your seat.
I had forgotten to order my Book the Cook on this leg so I missed out on the lobster thermidor but I still had a delicious Beef Rendang! And for lunch I had prawn salad, dry style noodles Bok Chor Mee & an excellent mango passionfruit cake for dessert.
The flight home was just under 15 hours! So it's really nice to have a comfy bed, some good movies, and lots of champagne to pass the time.
I'd only been to WA DC once before and it was in 2006! To say I was overdue for a visit is a gross exaggeration. So when I decided to take the entire month of September off last year, I decided that DC was the first stop on my extended vacation.
I had a $25 coupon on Alaska Air and stacked that with a sale they were having for a one-way Premium Class flight for just $300. At SEA I had a great breakfast in the Alaska Lounge and then it was a 5-hour flight across the United States to Dulles/IAD, landing just in time for dinner.
I still remember the last time in DC having drinks at the bar at The Willard Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel lobby was so grand and stunning! So this time I used some IHG points and stayed at the hotel for free! The Willard is truly a historical place. Every President since Franklin Pierce has slept or attended an event at the hotel. Not to mention all the other famous people who have stayed and historical events that have occured here!
My room was a large King, with a big bathroom and marble shower. I didn't have a view of anything but that was ok as all I had to do was step out the front of the hotel and the White House was to the right while the Capitol was to the left.
I had dinner that night at Bar Spero, a Basque-inspired seafood restaurant owned by Chef Johnny Spero. It's a beautiful space with soaring ceilings, modern light fixtures, and cozy wooden booths. Everything I had was excellent; hiramasa (amberjack) crudo/black currant yuzu/fig leaf oil/gooseberries, grilled bread/herbs de provence/La Tur butter/chicken liver mousse, fried octopus/squid stock emulsion.
They are known for their whole or ½ turbot which I would have loved to try but as I was on my own that would have been a bit much! I would recommend but I'd say try to go with a few others so you can enjoy more things!
I was excited to check out Silver Lyan, the first bar in the US by Ryan Chetiyawardana, as I've been a big fan of his bars around London. Silver Lyan originally opened in Feb 2020, which is when I started planning my return to DC! But we all know what happened in 2020, Silver Lyan had to close along with the rest of the country but luckily they reopened in July 2021.
The bar is in the basement of the Riggs Hotel, a beautiful building built in 1891 as the HQ for Riggs National Bank. I wasn't aware of it being subterranean, which threw me for a minute. But I grabbed a seat at the bar and started reading through the incredibly creative cocktails that Lyan is known for.
My "Air Bee n Bee" combined tequila, almond blossom, hay-smoked bee larvae, mango vinegar and Mosel riesling. The menu told the story of bees being brought to CA to pollinate the almond trees and the effect that has on the environment.
My 2nd round was more traditional, a martini with a flight of garnishes included olives, onions, a twist, and an oyster. Both were very good, as was the Lyan gin I was given a sample of. I liked Silver Lyan, I didn't love it but that had to do more with the atmosphere than with the drinks or the staff, both of which were excellent.
I walked back to The Willard and had a lovely nightcap in the Round Robin Bar before heading to my room (which had had turndown service, which I love!)
The next afternoon I had lunch at Central, which was fine. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but if you are close by and in need of a quick bite and a cool drink, it will do.
I started my evening at Allegory for cocktails. I was super excited to check out this cool cocktail bar but somehow had missed that it was inside the Eaton Hotel so it took me a minute to locate the entrance! Psst... it's back in the hotel's library.
Owner Deke Dunne has created such an amazing space! I was seated at the bar, which gave me a great view of the bartenders in action but also of the incredible murals that entirely take up both walls.
This depiction of Alice in Wonderland was painted by DC artist Erik Thor Sandberg and has civil rights activist Ruby Bridges as Alice. You might recall Bridges from your history classes as the first African American to attend the formerly whites-only William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana at the age of 6. It's a powerful and beautiful image.
It's no surprise then that the menu is titled "Down the Rabbit Hole" and is an allegory (with cocktails) of how Ruby may have felt going to that school with illustrations also by Sandberg. I chose Eden as my first drink: gin, supercharged oranges, benzoin, philoncia, orange blossom, clarified whey, served carbonated & bottled. It was light and refreshing and since it was pre bottled it came quick!
It wasn't that I was in a rush, it's just that I hadn't realized that Allegory was also hosting a pop-up with London bartender Andrei Marcu. He was representing Coupette and making some of their drinks and I wanted to make sure I had time to try one before dinner! I chose the Midnight Gimlet with pisco, blackcurrant squash, Dubonnet, cassis, Zirbenz, and acid solution. It was fantastic and so was chatting with Marcu.
Allegory is absolutely not to be missed while in DC.
My dinner choice that evening was Kinship, a lovely small restaurant that had been recommended to me by friends. As soon as I entered I just loved the space. Whitewashed walls, upholstered banquets, a simple set table, and the cute sketch of the exterior of the restaurant on the cover of the menu.
But the servers seemed really surprised that I was dining solo. I mean it's DC, they have solo people in town on business all the time right? They were kind of killing the vibe for me.
The menu at Kinship is arranged by Craft (dishes that celebrate a cooking technique), History (classics), and Ingredients (highlighting a product). I chose the Crab en Feuilles de Brick from Craft and the BBQ Kanagy Farm Pork Jowl from the Ingredients. Both dishes were quite good and had interesting flavors and textures, with my only "complaint" being the portion size on the pork seemed very big.
After my main the server asked if I was interested in dessert, I said I wasn't sure but wanted to use the restroom and then would decide. When I returned to my table the bill had been delivered. I guess I looked really confused as the server came over and asked if everything was ok to which I said I thought it was odd that the bill was on the table as I hadn't been offered coffee, I hadn't decided on dessert, and I hadn't asked for the bill. Apologies were offered, they said they misunderstood, but it seemed uncomfortable so I left. Not sure if I'd go back or not, it would have been super simple to bring me a small dessert or something as I was signing my bill to show regrets.
No bother, I was off to the newly opened Death & Co which I was also very excited about! My Uber drove down an alley and asked if I was sure this is where I was going. I got out and found the barely marked door and then made my way upstairs.
I hadn't made a reservation, because they don't seem to take them for one (which is annoying, what does DC have against solo customers?) but when I checked in with the hostess she kindly told me they would have a seat at the bar in just 5 minutes. When she sat me, between a couple obviously on a date and 2 guys on my other side, she checked with me first, asking if that was going to be ok. Very cool move.
The space is gorgeous, lots of blond wood and marble, and the service was A+. I had a Hanging Gardens with 2 different rums, agua de jamaica, almond & lime peel. It was tart and refreshing and very easy to drink! Before I left the bartender also poured me a taste of a shohu with pineapple, verbena, and chamomile- it was super interesting!
Death & Co also has an outdoor patio with it's own bar. I was so glad that I was able to get in, it's really just a fantastic spot! I'd also highly recommend it.
The next day I decided to walk to nearby Oyamel for lunch, one of José Andrés' restaurants. This one is Mexican and I'm always in the mood for Mexican!
I completely over ordered as everything sounded so good! Guacamole, esquites, a Baja style fish taco, and a cochinita pibil taco. And a couple of fantastic margaritas. It was all so good! I'd absolutely come here again!
I had a very late flight that evening so I arranged a 4pm checkout (available at no charge with my IHG Platinum status) and then headed to the Hotel Washington for a spritz and some excellent views of the Treasury Building and the White House from their aptly named rooftop bar, VUE.
They were closing for a private event so I moved over to the other section of VUE which faces the Washington Memorial. You're here for the views, order something like bubbles and you'll be fine, leave the cocktails for a better place (like Allegory or Death & Co!)
I headed back to the Willard and The Round Robin Bar for a last cold drink and an order of hot fries before collecting my bags and calling an Uber to the airport.
It had been a great return trip to DC! Now I was off to my next destination on the month long vacation- France- to spend some time in the countryside with the bestie!
