We had a great time hearing a great Christmas concert at the Kennedy Center and walking around Mt. Vernon on a beautiful, warm Sunday afternoon.
We started with a mid-afternoon meal at one our favorite restaurants, Founding Farmers. I had scallops with risotto and Jen enjoyed the fried chicken. The drive down had been a little messy with rain and fairly heavy traffic so we enjoyed relaxing with some good food and drinks.
After a brief rest at the hotel, we headed to the Kennedy Center and were surprised by delays getting into the garage due to pretty heavy security. The garage entrances were closed on one side of the building forcing all cars to go through one of two lines where every car was stopped, sniffed by dogs, with trunks and liftgates open. Once inside, there was additional screening for all attendees at the Opera House. Apparently a very senior diplomat decided at the last moment to attend which resulted in all of the security action. Fortunately, we were in the concert hall and since we are members, we were able to go up to the members lounge where we snacked on cookies and candy, with a cup of coffee, until we were ready to take our seats.
The National Symphony and Leslie Odom Jr. performed beautiful and fun Christmas songs, leading up to a visit from a resplendent Santa Claus. It was a great concert in a beautiful location.
The following morning, after a delicious breakfast in the hotel, we drove down to Mt. Vernon where we toured the home and then walked around the grounds. The sky was clear, the sun was warm, and there was not a crowd. In other words, almost a perfect day.
A great holiday weekend.
