We are well on our way to Platinum!  We made a road trip out of stays 8, 7, and 6 by heading to Philadelphia, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.!

Our first stop was at the Le Meridien Philadelphia, a hotel we love for its unique design and history. Since this hotel used to be a YMCA, it has a character all its own which makes it stand out from other SPG properties.

This hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to Reading Terminal Market, as well as some of our favorite restaurants in the city, Strangeloves and Charlie Was a Sinner.  And, since Philadelphia and SPG partner with Uber, we can always pick up a ride whenever we get caught in unexpected rain or snow.

Le Meridien Philadelphia

On this particular trip, Paul’s sister Vicky and her husband John joined us downtown for drinks and snacks at Charlie Was a Sinner, a cocktail bar that serves up some of the very best vegan food available in the City of Brotherly Love.  We love the dark and cozy speakeasy vibe this place gives off and we always make sure to put this place on our list when visiting the city.

We just can’t get enough Alexandria in our lives.  Our next stop was to one of our favorite spots to stay when we are in the D.C. mood: The Westin Alexandria.

While The Westin Alexandria is not located in the heart of Old Towne, it is within walking distance to King Street.  This hotel is tucked away in its own part of town, with easy access to the trains going downtown to D.C., and an easy stroll away from my favorite Alexandria restaurant, the Brabo Tasting Room.  See my Bravo for Brabo post for all the details.

On this trip, before arriving in Alexandria, we stopped for lunch a few miles down the road, to enjoy a delicious vegan feast at Busboys and Poets.  This was our first Busboys and Poets experience and we can’t believe what we’ve been missing all of these years!  This bookstore/restaurant/bar is an incredible concept, and the food is just divine.  I highly recommend the chickpea tuna sandwich with Moroccan lentil soup.  We loved this place so much we returned the next morning for breakfast burritos, and hit up the original D.C. location for dinner the next night.  The tempeh sandwich I had for dinner was super delicious!  I’m pretty sure I’d be a Busboys and Poets addict if I lived in the D.C. area.

For our last stop, we continued our Westin Weekend at The Westin Georgetown. Here we were greeted by the manager who remembered us from one of our previous stays in Alexandria.  He really made us feel golden with an upgraded room and two free drinks.

With our trendy Westin umbrellas in hand, we dodged puddles as we made our way to the Smithsonian Gallery of Art.  After checking out a few photography exhibits, we took another long and wet walk to our favorite oyster bar, Hanks.

No, oysters are not vegan, but they are one of our guilty pleasures in life.  We can never say no to an oyster of any kind, raw or barbecued.  Hank’s Oyster Bar is the place to go for good, fresh seafood.  With three locations in the D.C. area, our hearts are just a little bit more in love with the Dupont Circle location.  Want to know more?  Read our Hungry for Hank’s post for more information.

Stick with us as our Countdown to SPG Platinum continues, and as I brave the elements while standing next to these hotel signs.  It’s a little tricky to hold your Westin umbrella when you still need two hands to countdown.

Good thing we’re down to a one handed countdown now…stay tuned for stays 5 and 4!