In this post, I want to write about our recent trip to D.C., which was wonderful! We flew in to Washington on Memorial Day, 2011.
Tuesday - I visited my company's DC office, then we came back, changed clothes, and took the Metro to the Air and Space Museum. Perused the exhibits there, then walked across the Mall to the National Archives where we stood in line to see the Charters of Freedom - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Then we returned to our lodging in Columbia Heights where we had dinner at the Heights.
Wednesday - a stop at Starbucks for capps, then on to the Capitol Building. Toured with a bunch of middle school kids. Watched a powerful video about the significance of the U.S. constitutional process. Saw the rotunda, the hall of statues, and the crypt - standard stops on the tour for those without passes to the galleries. We took the underground walkway to the Library of Congress where we wandered around for a while taking in its beauty. Ray enjoyed an exhibit about Jefferson's Library. We started a tour but slipped away about halfway through. Next stop, the Supreme Court where we caught a 3:30 lecture in the courtroom. The docent was very good and we enjoyed her presentation thoroughly. We stopped at the info desk on the way out and asked about where to get some dinner. The woman suggested Union Station so we walked a few blocks and got there just as raindrops began to fall. After dinner, we took the Metro back to our lodging.
Thursday - I headed for the National Archives - this time as a researcher, and Ray went to the Folger Shakespeare Library. We met up for lunch and then walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. We couldn't see the front as it was blocked off so dignitaries could arrive. We walked around the back (saw Michelle Obama's vegetable garden) and by the time we got to the other side, the front was open and not crowded so we took some nice pictures. From there, we walked east to the International Spy Museum. Unfortunately, the best parts of the museum are about halfway through and we spent too much time at the initial exhibits so we were brain-dead long before the end. Best visited when one is mentally fresh!
Friday - Another morning at the National Archives for me. We met again at lunch time and purchased Old Town Trolley tickets. We took the trolley to the Jefferson Memorial. From there we went to the Lincoln Memorial, and then took the bus to Arlington. We didn't get off the bus but came back to the Lincoln Memorial and walked our way east through the memorials - the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. We missed the FDR Memorial, which everyone says is wonderful. Next stop, the Washington Monument.
Saturday - We wanted to use our Trolley tickets again so we took the route that goes to the National Cathedral and Georgetown. We walked around Georgetown a bit and saw the university. We also had lunch at the restaurant where JFK proposed to Jackie. Then back on the trolley for a head-spinning tour along embassy row. I spent the afternoon wrapping up my research at the National Archives.
Sunday - Off to Baltimore for the ball game. It was a great time to drive through town, and we easily made our way to Camden Yards, although we did have difficulty finding the parking. We are accustomed to the big signs and clear directions at Dodger Stadium! Camden Yards is a beautiful park and the stadium was packed with kids - it was Little League day. The game was boring but we enjoyed our trip. We then headed to the harbor for dinner.
Monday - Off to the airport. Our drive out of town took us past the Washington Monument, and as we left we began talking about how eager we both were to come back.
Click here for Photos of Our Trip
Sounds wonderful - glad you were able to get so much in.
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