Saturday, March 15, 2008

Lost in DC, Found at Ben's Chili Bowl

Okay, I like to run the Exorcist Stairs in Georgetown for a workout. Metro Sports provided a description on a workout a couple years ago. You start at the top of the stairs, run tow blocks east, then one block south down 34th street, take a right at Georgetown Running Company, west to the Exxon station, then up the stairs, all 75 of them. I think they are 75, but I call what I just described a lap. Three weeks ago, 6 laps. Two weeks ago, 8 laps. Today, 6 laps on a warmer day, but I had already gone to spin class earlier on whereas the other two days I had not.

After the stair run, I decided to run a bit more through Georgetown and DC, with the idea of eating dinner at Ben's Chili Bowl. Since it was a 60 degree day and I had no definite plans, I decided to just wing it with no agenda beyond Ben's for dinner. So I ran and walked through Normanstone Park in Northwest DC (in between Rock Creek and Cleveland Park), then ended up by the National Cathedral, which is really nice to look at I must admit. Once I got north of the Cathedral, I had no idea where I was, and it was cloudy so I had no sun to guide me, so I found a street that I ran on earlier, followed that, then found my way through to Adams Morgan.

And then, I checked out the new Target in Columbia Heights. Very, very busy, but that's a good thing, since most if not all of DC itself is quite underserved from a retaill standpoint. Finally, Ben's Chili Bowl is always a great option for dinner. Chili Cheeseburger, check. Potato Salad, homemade, check. Very loud jukebox, still worked for me. All in all a good day of exploring the city.

2 comments:

Bill-DC said...

I used to drink on the Exorcist Stairs with my buddies before we would head into the bars. Picture five amigos taking a bus to M Street, getting off at Dixie Liquor and getting a couple cases of beer and sitting at the top of the stairs watching it all go by.

I thought of that when ESPN showed the Exorcist Stairs during the Georgetown-Pitt game and they said as part of his workout Roy Hibbert would run up and down the stairs 8 times.

maryjanejeff said...

I can picture that, the same day I made this blog entry kids were drinking on the sidewalk at the row houses just west of the top of the stairs. Nice day and a few hours before the Big East Tournament Final will do that.

I haven't had the chance to run the stairs since. Nor have I gone to Ben's. But some night I'm going to hit up a few places on U Street not just Ben's. It's a great little area, Busboys and Poets is right near it too, by memory I want to say 14th and V.