Also, if you’re a little entrepreneur or just want us to spotlight your favorite eatery, drop us line and tell us about it. We’ll check it out and write a review. E-mail all ideas or suggestions to: travel-dining@blulife.com

PS – That goes for vacations too…

The buzz line says it all --- politics free vacation. D.C. is one of those cities that visitors must have a reason to explore. Some come for monument envy and to pay homage to our great capital. This is mainly the K- 12th grade crowd. Others come for capitalistic ventures. While others fall into the catch all category of either “being the man” or “working for the man.” System junkies as we like to call them. And these days there’s more hustle in the corridors of power than the muscle beefcake gyrations of go-go boys at the clubs.

Regardless of what spawns your journey, remember the capital truly makes a great 2 or 3 day weekend trip. Especially for the dudes who hail from the Northeast Corridor or the Greater Metro DC area.

This is what took your friendly, neighborhood reporter to this metropolis. I found myself low on funds, and desperately wanting a trip to Europe or Montreal. Miami came in a close second. I also had a deficit on time for my romp. Wanderlust is a bitch when you have to be at work 9:00 am Monday morning. So your Lois Lane packed his bags and jumped at the low airfares from my locale. I hail from Atlanta, so we’re two hours away from Washington. The Potomac wasn’t South Beach, but the sights and shopping were almost as rewarding.

Delta deposited yours truly at Dulles 9pm in the evening. I caught a shuttle service. I purchased a package deal off of Expedia (www.expedia.com). I got both airfare and 2 nights at the 5 star Loews L’Enfant Hotel for $350.00. I booked with 2 weeks advance notice. The airlines are a budget whore’s wet dream and if you shop around; you’ll find deals that will fit your budget. The L’Enfant has a lot going for it. Location is at the top of the list. Located right on top of the L’Enfant metro station and literally across the street from the Smithsonian. The hotel is in a commercial area and smack dab in the middle of many of our nation’s biggest agencies, such as HUD. Because of this the area is practically a ghost town or Hollywood set, than a commercial center. So peace and quiet in the heart of one of the world’s premier cities is definite plus of this hotel.

In terms of décor, you enter a modern building with a fabulous (yes I fit the stereotype) marble lobby. Although neo classicalism rules the interiors of this place, designers also threw in a fair share of euro chic straight out of the pages of Wallpaper magazine (www.wallpaper.com). Staff is courteous and gay-friendly. I asked for gay locations, and didn’t once get a snicker. There is a guy who looks like Henry Rollins’ twin who was a bit cocky, but never homophobic. Actually many of you will probably find him cute.

The rooms are great. I had a standard double. It had fabulous (yes, I used it again) lines and the décor was more neo classical with a little bit of blue blood granny thrown in for good measure. I really don’t know who thinks a painting of ducks is great. My opinion. Other goodies included mini bar, Evian water (you must pay before swallowing), phone w/voicemail, data lines and cable. By 11:30 I popped a Jet Set CD-ROM and took care of business (who needs tranquilizers, when you have masturbation). With a dosage of muscle porn, I closed my eyes and rested up for the next day.

7:00 am came and went and I shot down and enjoyed a buffet breakfast that was fit for several first ladies. Euro buffet style was the course. Sausage (no comment), French toast (thick), waffles, fruit, oatmeal and two cups of orange juice made its way into my belly. The whole meal is served by a UN assortment of wait staff that get an A plus for service. The meal cost $12.76 with my triple A membership (20% off). Without a discount it is 15.00. One trip to the bathroom and two hours in the gym, I hit the metro and went to the Smithsonian. The exhibits were great and we recommend logging onto their website to find out what’s new there. After that, I hopped the metro and got off at Dupont Circle. I hadn’t been down there in years, since I moved to Atlanta.

The first thing I did was hit the stores. In terms of shopping, you’ll find an eclectic mix of shops. I would start first at Lambda Rising. Why not support the community while you consume. The store offers the normal fair that all big city gay bookstores have, but the best is that it is very cruisy and they have a bulletin board full of other gay happenings going on within the capital. The staff is very friendly. They had a strong assortment of coffee table or art books the day I was there. There CD section is nice too. After getting my fill of naked postcards and CDs and a calendar for my secretary; I boogied over to the Left Bank located at 1627 Dupont Circle. Although not in Paris, this French themed contemporary store had some really cool items and fun things. My favorite was the briefcase that said Corporate Whore. I know a few Fortune 500 and ex DotCommers to give that one too. They also sell photos taken from all around the world by the proprietor. Across the hallway from this shop is a sister shop, Coffee and the Works that specializes in gourmet French Euro food, teas, and kitchenware. Nice stuff. Check it out.

After filling up on the material, I thought it was time to furnish my soul. And why not furnish my home with some soulful decoration too. I jumped over to Bedazzled located at 1527 Dupont Circle. Not to be confused with the movie, this shop had an eclectic assortment of New Age bobbles. After getting herbs and some incense, I moved on to shop for the mind again. I found a great bookstore called Kramerbooks & Afterwords. It was a bit cramp, but a nice assortment of books and cute guys too. They have a wonderful café in the back which is called Afterwords. I recommend it for coffee. 

For lunch, one should go to Cosi (1647 Dupont Circle). This is a casual fun place where it’s good to be seen and check out hot men while taking some grub down. The food is great. It’s an Italian nouveau cuisine. They feature sandwiches, but their staple is their soups and custom made salads. You get to pick the ingredients out yourself. They also have a large selection of gourmet coffees and smoothies. It is definitely worth the trip. Another hot spot for the health conscious is Wrapworks. They specialize in pita sandwich fare. All in all, a good place to lunch. 

Although this trip was a spur of the moment thing and not meant to be serious, when you’re in the capital of one of the world’s most powerful nations; it sometimes can’t be avoided. The weekend I was there was a prime example. As yours truly was shooting his pics and taking notes, protesters against the World Bank were there. And yes, hot cops showed up. The younger me wanted to join them, the more mature pay the mortgage and e-mail resumes me, decided to sit down and be a voyeur to history. In any case, the circle with fountain filled up with hot cops fast!!! In any case, I hope your adventure to the capital is fun and safe.

By Clark David