We got up at 730 this AM, and headed down to see the Congress. Easy to catch trains, but it snowed all last night. Big snow in the Northeast, but we got the tip of it. And the temperature dropped dramatically. It was very, very cold this AM on the walk to the subway. That was a cold, long mile. We survived, but we were super happy to get in to the underground. Most places had done a great job of cleaning off the sidewalks, and the rising sun felt very nice. The wait in line to get into the Capitol building was a bit harsh, but, better than the summer heat. The tour of the Capitol was decent, but not as inclusive as I would have expected. The key to the tour is just the statues. We did not get to see the chambers, nor go much further than the rotunda. Maybe with a special invite from a member of Congress, it would be a more inclusive tour. Fun, just the same.
Hungry on the way out, we decided to ignore the Supreme Court tour. Just took a quick photo in front (and right outside of the doors of the Capitol. The Library of Congress is another beautiful structure. Too cold to attempt to find a tour through, but maybe next time. We ended up walking to a Subway restaurant down the way (it was on the 2nd story). Five dollar foot longs go a long way. Half for lunch, and the other half for dinner.
Walking to the National Mall, we dropped in (mainly to get warm) the National Botanical Gardens. Coolest little place, and perfect on a cold day. Decided to walk through, and my traveling partner fell in love with the designs. An artist took all natural elements (pinecones, nuts, bark) and created designs including the Eiffel Tower, the Capitol Building, and the Supreme Court building. Really cool.
Next, Native American Indian Museum. Curated by the tribes themselves the message was incredibly unique. Rather than having the story told by the government, or by a group of historians, instead, the many unique tribes are given a voice of their own. You will recognize the major players (Lakota, Cherokee, Powhatan) but no one is the belle of the ball. Different tribes are showcased, and allowed to tell their stories in their own unique way. This is unlike any museum I have ever seen, and is a success. Rather than telling the story of conquest and destruction (included in part, through the centralized theme, literally and figuratively centered on guns and treaties), the story is as much about present day, and about adaptations. The fight between Christianity and native traditions is another central theme. Focus on positives of the cultures, as well as the variety and uniqueness of cultures, rather than the negatives, blaming, and revisionism of history, the story carries even more weight. The museum stresses empowerment, not a handout.
Finally, we journeyed in to the Air and Space Museum for a quick look around. We spent a little over an hour on the first floor, but stayed mainly focused on the space program from moon landing to the shuttles. We will probably return tomorrow to see more. Some day, I will go to the other hangar, the one with the rest of the aircraft. Not this trip, though. Too far out to Dulles airport. Now, we are watching Netflix and warming up. Once the sun sets, its just too cold out. It was a good run. If he were older, we'd explore some more. But, too young to drink, and not interested in dancing. So, kick up the heels.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Washington, DC, on New Year's Day
So, my father in law retired from Continental, and they give him to family passes a year. My wife and one of my daughters got it two years ago. Last year, one of my sister in laws took her son. This year, starting Jan 1, we got them. We are way down the list, but we travel for free. I planned to travel on MLK weekend, but this was even better. We left home at 430 on New Year's Day. It took several hours, and we missed multiple flights United (which picked up Continental) cancelled for the holiday. Add on top, Chicago got hit with snow. After a lot of juggling, we squeezed on to a flight to Chicago's (ORD) O'hare airport. No problem getting in, but we had to rush to catch our next flight. Literally, we moved with speed from one concourse to another. And, of course, my boy (never one to properly tie his shoes) got a shoelace caught in the moving sidewalk. Rushing past people, I hear, "Dad! Dad! Help!" Took me half a second, but I went back for him. Others stopped to help him, and I made it back. It didn't take long to get it loose, and we didn't have to shut the system down. And back to running.
We made it to the gate with literally minutes to spare. We got incredibly lucky, and they had two more spaces on the plane. They were going to offer us one, and then discovered another. So lucky!! Pulled the jet bridge back, but the pilot's windshield was fogging up. So, a mechanical delay. We deiced twice, and finally got clearance to fly. It took about an hour and a half, we sat 21 rows apart, and he got bulkhead, but we made it to DCA. If you are going to Washington, DC, this is the airport you want. We landed right next to the Pentagon.
I had some trouble with booking a hostel. Many won't let underage kids stay. Hosteling International has a limit of 13 years. I was going to fudge a bit, but by the time I tried to book a room ($25 a night) but they had no space available for the four nights we wanted to stay. I finally settled on the Washington International Student Center (dchostel.com). No marked age limit, $37 a night per person for a two person room (queen size bed), sheets, towels, and a kitchen. We're in. Just under $300 for four nights. Not a bad price. If there were more of us, it wouldn't be worth it, but with just two, not a bad price. The Metro sub station is about a mile away, so a brisk walk. Great neighborhood to stay in, though. Tons of ethnic food: African, Italian, Peruvian, Mexican, Chinese, etc, all on the block. Several bars, coffee bars, a Subway, a McDs, and a grocery store around the corner. Truly everything you could want. But, as it was, we ended up eating at "The Diner".
How do I describe the diner? By 630 last night, we were hungry. We skipped lunch to make flights, were famished, and don't really care for ethnic taste testing. The Diner is right next to the door to our hostel and so we tried it. A tad pricey, compared to KC, but we were hungry. We both ordered hamburgers (Angus, about 3/4 lbs) and fries. Sooooo good. The burger had three choices: Angus, turkey, or veggie. The menu struck me as very progressive. A nice option for those looking to be more balanced in their diet. The climate was very friendly and very relaxed. Definitely not a chain restaurant. The wait staff was a bit distracted, and definitely not overbearing. Great food, good climate. Highly recommend.
DAY 2:
Wakeup at 630. Supposed to be a bit cooler today, but still in the 40s. I leave the inner shell to my jacket behind. Kinda regretted that later, as the temp never got out of the 30s. We caught the Metro to Arlington. Decided to spring for the guided tour bus (not dressed to hike through the park. If this was spring or fall, I probably could have walked the distance, as others did it just fine and kept up with us. Highlights included the changing of the guard (what he really wanted to see), the grave sites of the Kennedy's (I'd forgotten about the other child they lost, only remembering the one from 1963, and I hadn't been to Arlington since Ted died), and a quick viewing of the headstones for the Challenger and Columbia shuttles. I had also never seen the mast to the Maine. Interesting. Also, the memorial to the failed site of Desert One. Also, the tour guide pointed out the location of the pilot of the plane that hit the Pentagon, if I'm not mistaken. To see families actively visiting their families graves was centering, for sure. In the end, the cold got the better of us, and we were on our way out before the Lee home museum.
After jumping back on the Metro, we hit the Smithsonian stop, and headed to the American History museum. Warmth and a museum to tour. YES!! Fun, but nothing new to report. We spent several hours, and someone started to wear out. Sat down by the exit and ate some club crackers and water we'd picked up at the Safeway down the street. Down the mall to the Washington Memorial Visitor's Center, where we stamped up the National Park Passport book (purchased in 2011, but still fun to pull out). We passed the Washington Monument (massive work being done), saw the WH through the trees, did a photo op with the World War II memorial, took some time at the Korean War Memorial, enjoyed the Lincoln Memorial, before silently and reverently passing the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. I can't go to DC without visiting and honoring the Vietnam dead. There was a foreign family posing with the three soldiers statue. A little strange. Almost as strange as the foreigners throwing deuces in front of Lincoln at his memorial. Lots of foreigners. Lots of different languages being spoken on the streets. I don't think we've seen an American family yet. Lots of Hispanics based on clothes and language. Interesting.
Next, we walked up to the White House. On the way, we passed the Boy Scout Memorial. Weird, but the statue is of a cub scout (a small boy) with a full grown and very well developed man and a woman. The many is naked, with just something covering his modesty. The woman has a flame in her hand. Weird message. Anyway, we hit the White House visitors center, and did a quick photo op of the south lawn. Didn't get tickets to the tour, as too little notice of our trip. Across Freedom Plaza, shot of Pennsylvania leading up to the Capital building, and then back on the subway to eat at The Diner. As we got off the subway, it started raining, turning to snow. We are on the southern edge of a huge storm that is going to dump up to a foot of snow on the NE. It is slowly trying to accumulate here, which means the hostel is packed with people trying to stay dry and warm. Busy night ahead, as we are right outside the kitchen, and bathroom. Private room, but busy hallway. Ahh, its alright. I would still recommend the place. Lots of people to talk to, if you are more sociable than I am. I mean, I am sitting here typing on a computer rather than going to talk to the Australian girls that just caught a taxi in to the hostel. Well, more tomorrow.
We made it to the gate with literally minutes to spare. We got incredibly lucky, and they had two more spaces on the plane. They were going to offer us one, and then discovered another. So lucky!! Pulled the jet bridge back, but the pilot's windshield was fogging up. So, a mechanical delay. We deiced twice, and finally got clearance to fly. It took about an hour and a half, we sat 21 rows apart, and he got bulkhead, but we made it to DCA. If you are going to Washington, DC, this is the airport you want. We landed right next to the Pentagon.
I had some trouble with booking a hostel. Many won't let underage kids stay. Hosteling International has a limit of 13 years. I was going to fudge a bit, but by the time I tried to book a room ($25 a night) but they had no space available for the four nights we wanted to stay. I finally settled on the Washington International Student Center (dchostel.com). No marked age limit, $37 a night per person for a two person room (queen size bed), sheets, towels, and a kitchen. We're in. Just under $300 for four nights. Not a bad price. If there were more of us, it wouldn't be worth it, but with just two, not a bad price. The Metro sub station is about a mile away, so a brisk walk. Great neighborhood to stay in, though. Tons of ethnic food: African, Italian, Peruvian, Mexican, Chinese, etc, all on the block. Several bars, coffee bars, a Subway, a McDs, and a grocery store around the corner. Truly everything you could want. But, as it was, we ended up eating at "The Diner".
How do I describe the diner? By 630 last night, we were hungry. We skipped lunch to make flights, were famished, and don't really care for ethnic taste testing. The Diner is right next to the door to our hostel and so we tried it. A tad pricey, compared to KC, but we were hungry. We both ordered hamburgers (Angus, about 3/4 lbs) and fries. Sooooo good. The burger had three choices: Angus, turkey, or veggie. The menu struck me as very progressive. A nice option for those looking to be more balanced in their diet. The climate was very friendly and very relaxed. Definitely not a chain restaurant. The wait staff was a bit distracted, and definitely not overbearing. Great food, good climate. Highly recommend.
DAY 2:
Wakeup at 630. Supposed to be a bit cooler today, but still in the 40s. I leave the inner shell to my jacket behind. Kinda regretted that later, as the temp never got out of the 30s. We caught the Metro to Arlington. Decided to spring for the guided tour bus (not dressed to hike through the park. If this was spring or fall, I probably could have walked the distance, as others did it just fine and kept up with us. Highlights included the changing of the guard (what he really wanted to see), the grave sites of the Kennedy's (I'd forgotten about the other child they lost, only remembering the one from 1963, and I hadn't been to Arlington since Ted died), and a quick viewing of the headstones for the Challenger and Columbia shuttles. I had also never seen the mast to the Maine. Interesting. Also, the memorial to the failed site of Desert One. Also, the tour guide pointed out the location of the pilot of the plane that hit the Pentagon, if I'm not mistaken. To see families actively visiting their families graves was centering, for sure. In the end, the cold got the better of us, and we were on our way out before the Lee home museum.
After jumping back on the Metro, we hit the Smithsonian stop, and headed to the American History museum. Warmth and a museum to tour. YES!! Fun, but nothing new to report. We spent several hours, and someone started to wear out. Sat down by the exit and ate some club crackers and water we'd picked up at the Safeway down the street. Down the mall to the Washington Memorial Visitor's Center, where we stamped up the National Park Passport book (purchased in 2011, but still fun to pull out). We passed the Washington Monument (massive work being done), saw the WH through the trees, did a photo op with the World War II memorial, took some time at the Korean War Memorial, enjoyed the Lincoln Memorial, before silently and reverently passing the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. I can't go to DC without visiting and honoring the Vietnam dead. There was a foreign family posing with the three soldiers statue. A little strange. Almost as strange as the foreigners throwing deuces in front of Lincoln at his memorial. Lots of foreigners. Lots of different languages being spoken on the streets. I don't think we've seen an American family yet. Lots of Hispanics based on clothes and language. Interesting.
Next, we walked up to the White House. On the way, we passed the Boy Scout Memorial. Weird, but the statue is of a cub scout (a small boy) with a full grown and very well developed man and a woman. The many is naked, with just something covering his modesty. The woman has a flame in her hand. Weird message. Anyway, we hit the White House visitors center, and did a quick photo op of the south lawn. Didn't get tickets to the tour, as too little notice of our trip. Across Freedom Plaza, shot of Pennsylvania leading up to the Capital building, and then back on the subway to eat at The Diner. As we got off the subway, it started raining, turning to snow. We are on the southern edge of a huge storm that is going to dump up to a foot of snow on the NE. It is slowly trying to accumulate here, which means the hostel is packed with people trying to stay dry and warm. Busy night ahead, as we are right outside the kitchen, and bathroom. Private room, but busy hallway. Ahh, its alright. I would still recommend the place. Lots of people to talk to, if you are more sociable than I am. I mean, I am sitting here typing on a computer rather than going to talk to the Australian girls that just caught a taxi in to the hostel. Well, more tomorrow.
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