Making the most of a wonderful June morning.

About two months ago I found out my work would be sending me to D.C. for a meeting (!!) ... for one day.

:(

I would literally arrive at 11 p.m. and leave the next day at 4:45 p.m., after a seven hour meeting downtown.

That leaves veeeery little time to wander in a place I came to enjoy and love so much... bummer.

At first I resigned to the fact that this trip would, in fact, simply be a business trip. I wouldn't be able to visit friends, and I didn't see how I could squeeze in any sight seeing. Any Capitol tour. Any office visits. Any garden wandering.

But then I got creative.

I didn't have to be to my meeting until 9 a.m... so as long as I could grab some breakfast on my way in, I could use the morning hours before then however I wished.

And I did!

So after arriving at the hotel around 11:30 p.m. last Tuesday night, I woke up Wednesday at 6:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. Utah time!) and jetted out to the nearest bike share station. I was on a mission! There was only one bike left at the station near my hotel on New Jersey Avenue, and it was mine. I was off!

I veered up towards Union Station so that I could circle around my old office at the Hart Senate Office building, cross the street to roll past the Supreme Court, and then cross the street again to stare the U.S. Capitol in the face and wish it "good morning". So many happy memories here.

A jogger- one of HUNDREDS I saw that morning- was so kind to take my picture. It was a high pony kind'of morning.

After enjoying the Capitol front for a moment, I was back on the bike for the best part- the cruise down the Mall. It was exhilarating to fly past where I watched President Obama's inauguration, where I took photos of the spring flowers last April, where I'd wandered after so many workdays and on so many weekends. I plowed on past the Smithsonians, the Washington Monument, around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson, the Roosevelt, and then to the Lincoln. Oh it was a thrill. It was pure pleasure to be out and about on such a sunny, muggy, early, June morning in Washington.

And a sweaty good morning to you, America!

I could have stopped there and been happy to wheel my bike around and plow back up the hill to my hotel. I could have been content. But I was on a mission, remember? A mission to make it to Baked & Wired in Georgetown for an early morning cupcake. I'd mapped out my route, and they opened at 7 a.m. With a swift ride around the Waterfront past all the rowers, I was in Georgetown and soon parked in front of the little bake shop. No one was buying cupcakes at 7 a.m. But I was. A whole box of them. They went into my purse which was then strapped onto my bike.

Waterfront.

Baked and Wired cupcakes! Dats good stuff.

About 20 minutes later, I was back showering at my hotel. And then off to my meeting. My bike ride was a dream. It really doesn't get much better than that.

My early morning D.C. bike route. Eight miles round trip, in jeans!

I am a morning girl. Sometimes circumstances don't allow it, but for the past two weeks I've been trying to make the most of June with early rising.

Peonies and Poppies SPELL J-U-N-E. A few from an early morning jog a couple weeks back.

I won't convince you of anything, but when was the last time you walked or took a jog in your neighborhood around 6 a.m.? I can see your face souring up like a pickle, but it is glorious. It puts me in an A+ mood for my day, and gives me a shot of gratitude and joy I don't get from anything else.

Incredible. Sunrise in SLC.

Happy June, everyone, and happy mornings.