Epic East Coast Vacation for Family of 5
Sep 8th, 2012, 08:09 AM
#21
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Had to laugh about the New Jersey driving observations.....I am a Jersey Girl and I am not afraid to drive anywhere. You have to have a "set" to drive in this part of the country. Love your trip report.
Sep 9th, 2012, 04:36 PM
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Thanks, you guys. If you caught my comment on the Lounge, my dad had heart surgery, and my son had his wisdom teeth out just before school started. I haven’t had a lot of sleep and now know the shortcuts to the hospital. I also have been back to the oral surgeon a few times. I finally sat down longer than 10 minutes to scan the threads and will get this rolling again. Fair warning, though, we may have a few lags still. Before, I had written quite a bit for myself and was only modifying it for Fodors. We will hit a point in the report soon where I’m writing the last days from scratch.
To answer comments:
Second Ave. Deli, Yes, Nyer, I was taken in by the parve cheese, although when I think back, my son wasn’t too hot on it when he tried it. I had always seen vegetarian “meats” or “cheeses” spelled differently or with an asterick. I did like the blueberry best, but I always do. The parve acted as a foil to the sweet blueberry so it worked.
I think you would also enjoy driving Los Angeles then, familythattravels. That’s where I had to get over my fears as a young adult and just go for it.
A few general thoughts as I wrap up the New York segment:
My husband had traveled so much as a military kid, he really wasn't that into traveling when I met him. And he'd been in big cities like Taipei, which was not what it is now. So over the years, when I’d throw out the idea of going to New York, it just didn’t appeal to him. He became more receptive to the idea of New York after a trip to China last year for work. He really enjoyed the vibrancy of Shanghai and the history of Beijing. Still, even late into our planning, he was trying to squeeze a day or two out of our city time to do Niagara Falls. My teenagers were resoundingly "No! We want to see New York City!"
DH not only ended up liking New York City, he more than once mentioned "when we come back some day, we'll have to see..."
The subway and bus system was one of the things that won DH over. He is always trying to make the systems he does at work easy for users; he thought the system was highly functional. In some cases the stations weren't too lovely but in other cases, the tile was gorgeous. And we rode on new, clean buses. Never did we feel unsafe.
I found myself looking around at a lot of details this trip. The longer you live and read and watch movies the more you realize that references to New York are imbued throughout our culture. On my first trip years ago, I remember spotting the names of streets I knew in songs, like Bleecker Street (a lesser known great song by Simon and Garfunkel).
Tip to future NY tourists: If there were one thing I’d like to have done more of, it was to wander through more of Lower Manhattan, especially the Village, to find some of those inspirations from music and pop culture. At the same time, I’d explore some of those neighborhood shops and food specialty places like Adu posts. Because the population is so dense, it can support a large number of thriving independents. I didn’t get to the music shops—another trip—but we did make to the techie ones for my son. As travelers, we can get so caught up in what we “ought” to see, but New York is definitely a place to step back and see what you “want” to see. Whether you have a hobby, a passion, a favorite cuisine, check ahead of time to see what New York offers, and make room for it in your itinerary. It will be a nice counterpoint to the main tourist sites.
To answer comments:
Second Ave. Deli, Yes, Nyer, I was taken in by the parve cheese, although when I think back, my son wasn’t too hot on it when he tried it. I had always seen vegetarian “meats” or “cheeses” spelled differently or with an asterick. I did like the blueberry best, but I always do. The parve acted as a foil to the sweet blueberry so it worked.
I think you would also enjoy driving Los Angeles then, familythattravels. That’s where I had to get over my fears as a young adult and just go for it.
A few general thoughts as I wrap up the New York segment:
My husband had traveled so much as a military kid, he really wasn't that into traveling when I met him. And he'd been in big cities like Taipei, which was not what it is now. So over the years, when I’d throw out the idea of going to New York, it just didn’t appeal to him. He became more receptive to the idea of New York after a trip to China last year for work. He really enjoyed the vibrancy of Shanghai and the history of Beijing. Still, even late into our planning, he was trying to squeeze a day or two out of our city time to do Niagara Falls. My teenagers were resoundingly "No! We want to see New York City!"
DH not only ended up liking New York City, he more than once mentioned "when we come back some day, we'll have to see..."
The subway and bus system was one of the things that won DH over. He is always trying to make the systems he does at work easy for users; he thought the system was highly functional. In some cases the stations weren't too lovely but in other cases, the tile was gorgeous. And we rode on new, clean buses. Never did we feel unsafe.
I found myself looking around at a lot of details this trip. The longer you live and read and watch movies the more you realize that references to New York are imbued throughout our culture. On my first trip years ago, I remember spotting the names of streets I knew in songs, like Bleecker Street (a lesser known great song by Simon and Garfunkel).
Tip to future NY tourists: If there were one thing I’d like to have done more of, it was to wander through more of Lower Manhattan, especially the Village, to find some of those inspirations from music and pop culture. At the same time, I’d explore some of those neighborhood shops and food specialty places like Adu posts. Because the population is so dense, it can support a large number of thriving independents. I didn’t get to the music shops—another trip—but we did make to the techie ones for my son. As travelers, we can get so caught up in what we “ought” to see, but New York is definitely a place to step back and see what you “want” to see. Whether you have a hobby, a passion, a favorite cuisine, check ahead of time to see what New York offers, and make room for it in your itinerary. It will be a nice counterpoint to the main tourist sites.
Sep 10th, 2012, 04:06 PM
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The good news is, they caught my dad's problem before he was in heart failure. Also great is that he is healing okay so far. It's just that he is a very active guy and is ready to go back to work on the farm...my mom really has her hands full. But yeah, another trip would be a nice diversion!
Here's another round.
Here's another round.
Sep 10th, 2012, 04:16 PM
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DAY 8—Headed to DC, but we can’t leave New York without…
Visiting the Cloisters. Yup. My daughter didn’t whine about it, but she had clearly been disappointed at the Met. And my husband says, “This is why we weren’t supposed to take the train to DC.” We rented a car from Budget (a Mazda) and instead of leaving the city we drove uptown to the Cloisters. We did not pay the full recommended admission for the Met since we had done so a couple days before. We loved our hour or so at this enchanting spot, including the highlight, a room full of unicorn tapestries.
Tip: If you have a daughter, don’t overlook the unicorn angle of this site. And for young readers, be sure to pick up Blizzard of the New Moon, one my favorites in the Magic Treehouse series.
Leaving New York City, we took the George Washington Bridge. It was a successful trip to New York. As mentioned, my husband had not been keen to go to New York City, and he left it really loving it and wanting to come back. Another sweet goodbye touch was when my children got up early with me, and said “today we want to go buy your coffee with you.” The cashier at Guy and Gallard seemed pleased to meet them and said she’d miss me when I said it was our last day.
The drive to Washington DC was straightforward. We drove into DC via Silver Springs area, exit 25B. My husband had noticed University of Maryland on the computer science lists, but we talked him out of a detour that day. The only odd thing the entire trip was the middle-lane system in DC where the direction of the lanes changes depending on the time of day. We were unable to get an Easy-Pay box for tolls for this rental car, so we had to go through all the booths. Tip to West Coast people who aren’t used to tolls, bring enough cash! We spent somewhere between $21-30 on tolls total.
Our hotel: The Savoy Suites It is on an odd corner lot and the hotel is kind of shoe-horned in, but they have made good use of their space. The hotel had free parking and free (but slow) wi-fi. This was one large room with two queen beds and a rollaway bed. The kitchenette, while sporting more modern dark cabinetry and trendy styling was much smaller than our prior hotel—a half-size fridge, no oven and only two burners. Still, we could make it work. One problem though was that there was no table or desk for the kids to sit at or a coffee table to kneel at for eating cereal. We asked, and they brought us a small table and two chairs for the duration of our stay. The shower was kind of mod with a clear glass wall, but no door or curtain where you step in. We also used the hotel laundry in the basement and the shuttle to Georgetown and the Metro. The hotel has a conference room and was hosting a small conference (100-200 people) the days we arrived. We also met a fair number of flight attendants and people attending conferences elsewhere in DC. Clearly the hotel had a good name on both those circuits.
Savoy Suites contd: Tourists ideally should seek a hotel closer in, but this is still a pleasant area if you can’t find one in your budget. If you’re a jogger and it’s better jogging weather than what we got, you will like your proximity to the Upper Northwest residential neighborhood. It’s beautiful. In fact, if you like to jog, right now, this is a far better choice than staying by the National Mall (see later report). The Savoy is also a nice option if you do want free parking. It’s an underground parking and the ramps are not wide enough for two-way. We always lightly tapped our horn before going up or down a level. Some parking spots are kinda small but there were enough that we always found one for our van.
We shopped at Safeway for dinner and groceries, and picked up my brother from the church rectory where he would be staying. Note: Without a car, Whole Foods is closer and more reasonable to walk than Safeway.
After dinner in our hotel room, we drove the rental car to Union Station to return it. We took the Dupont Circle at least three times with turn-around detours before exiting it correctly. Our phone Navigator, Jill, was very patient with us although we weren’t with her. Finding the rental car return entrance was also a needle in a haystack despite my son and I both searching for it. We had called Budget that day but the description of where to turn it in was not precise enough to really help. I called again because we were getting near 10 pm—and out of time to turn it in. They tried to help.
The guys at Budget were a riot once we made it. Kidding us, and joking about DC streets. We doublechecked our car rental for later that week before leaving the station via the Metro. We walked back to our hotel through a lovely neighborhood since we’d missed the last shuttle at 10 pm. It was about a mile and a half and a good test. Not something we wanted to do regularly, but good to know we could do it if necessary.
Visiting the Cloisters. Yup. My daughter didn’t whine about it, but she had clearly been disappointed at the Met. And my husband says, “This is why we weren’t supposed to take the train to DC.” We rented a car from Budget (a Mazda) and instead of leaving the city we drove uptown to the Cloisters. We did not pay the full recommended admission for the Met since we had done so a couple days before. We loved our hour or so at this enchanting spot, including the highlight, a room full of unicorn tapestries.
Tip: If you have a daughter, don’t overlook the unicorn angle of this site. And for young readers, be sure to pick up Blizzard of the New Moon, one my favorites in the Magic Treehouse series.
Leaving New York City, we took the George Washington Bridge. It was a successful trip to New York. As mentioned, my husband had not been keen to go to New York City, and he left it really loving it and wanting to come back. Another sweet goodbye touch was when my children got up early with me, and said “today we want to go buy your coffee with you.” The cashier at Guy and Gallard seemed pleased to meet them and said she’d miss me when I said it was our last day.
The drive to Washington DC was straightforward. We drove into DC via Silver Springs area, exit 25B. My husband had noticed University of Maryland on the computer science lists, but we talked him out of a detour that day. The only odd thing the entire trip was the middle-lane system in DC where the direction of the lanes changes depending on the time of day. We were unable to get an Easy-Pay box for tolls for this rental car, so we had to go through all the booths. Tip to West Coast people who aren’t used to tolls, bring enough cash! We spent somewhere between $21-30 on tolls total.
Our hotel: The Savoy Suites It is on an odd corner lot and the hotel is kind of shoe-horned in, but they have made good use of their space. The hotel had free parking and free (but slow) wi-fi. This was one large room with two queen beds and a rollaway bed. The kitchenette, while sporting more modern dark cabinetry and trendy styling was much smaller than our prior hotel—a half-size fridge, no oven and only two burners. Still, we could make it work. One problem though was that there was no table or desk for the kids to sit at or a coffee table to kneel at for eating cereal. We asked, and they brought us a small table and two chairs for the duration of our stay. The shower was kind of mod with a clear glass wall, but no door or curtain where you step in. We also used the hotel laundry in the basement and the shuttle to Georgetown and the Metro. The hotel has a conference room and was hosting a small conference (100-200 people) the days we arrived. We also met a fair number of flight attendants and people attending conferences elsewhere in DC. Clearly the hotel had a good name on both those circuits.
Savoy Suites contd: Tourists ideally should seek a hotel closer in, but this is still a pleasant area if you can’t find one in your budget. If you’re a jogger and it’s better jogging weather than what we got, you will like your proximity to the Upper Northwest residential neighborhood. It’s beautiful. In fact, if you like to jog, right now, this is a far better choice than staying by the National Mall (see later report). The Savoy is also a nice option if you do want free parking. It’s an underground parking and the ramps are not wide enough for two-way. We always lightly tapped our horn before going up or down a level. Some parking spots are kinda small but there were enough that we always found one for our van.
We shopped at Safeway for dinner and groceries, and picked up my brother from the church rectory where he would be staying. Note: Without a car, Whole Foods is closer and more reasonable to walk than Safeway.
After dinner in our hotel room, we drove the rental car to Union Station to return it. We took the Dupont Circle at least three times with turn-around detours before exiting it correctly. Our phone Navigator, Jill, was very patient with us although we weren’t with her. Finding the rental car return entrance was also a needle in a haystack despite my son and I both searching for it. We had called Budget that day but the description of where to turn it in was not precise enough to really help. I called again because we were getting near 10 pm—and out of time to turn it in. They tried to help.
The guys at Budget were a riot once we made it. Kidding us, and joking about DC streets. We doublechecked our car rental for later that week before leaving the station via the Metro. We walked back to our hotel through a lovely neighborhood since we’d missed the last shuttle at 10 pm. It was about a mile and a half and a good test. Not something we wanted to do regularly, but good to know we could do it if necessary.
Sep 11th, 2012, 01:32 PM
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DAY 9, Wednesday—Georgetown, the Tombs and the Mounds of Dirt
We took a shuttle from our hotel directly to Georgetown University. My brother joined us via the Georgetown shuttle at Dupont Circle. We were really early. My oldest had an assignment for an online course he was working on and wandered into a computer lab where he somehow got a machine. The younger two and I explored the nearby neighborhood. We loved the row houses and the trees. The Georgetown tour was one of the most enjoyable activities we did in DC. My oldest has decided the program is not the right fit for him. My younger two loved everything about it. The speakers from around the world, the focus on community service, the traditions, the beautiful campus. With the exception of two National Park tour guides, the Georgetown student leading our tour was probably the best guide we had over our three weeks. I bet she goes far in life!
We ate lunch at Tombs restaurant, a Georgetown tradition. Food was decently done pub food and the ambiance great. But, it took an hour and a half to eat lunch and this was after the main rush was over. I can’t recommend it if you are on a time crunch.
We walked down to the main street and took a city bus to the Smithsonian. The Circulator had been recommended to us, but people at the bus stop told us that the Circulator was usually packed, had no a/c and would take longer to get there. So we sprang for the city bus. Sadly the paper tickets we’d bought at the metro station didn’t work on the bus.
Okay, here’s the truth. My first view of the United States Capitol was framed by large mounds of dirt and construction vehicles. I took a picture because that was our family’s reality. It was the biggest let-down of the trip. I had known about the Washington Monument (earthquake damage) and the Statue of Liberty repairs. But despite hours of research, I never saw a current picture of what the Mall actually looked like in spring 2012, and that it would look just about as attractive as our local highway expansion. Even the areas where no work appeared to be taking place, they didn’t bother to water the lawns and make it presentable. In short, I would have liked to see this article back in March while trip planning.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/us...-projects.html
Note to Fodors’ editors: When a major tourist attraction is closed, please note it in your Destinations Section. You did this well for the Statue of Liberty in New York, with both closure date and anticipated opening date. I don’t really see a true entry for the National Mall anywhere. Nor are the Mall’s monuments listed under either memorials/monuments or under military sites.
We spent the afternoon and evening at Air and Space and American History. They were great and we didn’t entirely finish what we wanted to see of either one (although we were close with American History). The Star Spangled Banner display and the Thomas Jefferson Monticello exhibits were the most moving for me. The nails the slave boys hammered were the one thing my oldest son really was moved by. Oddly since I had seen the American History Museum’s traveling tour, it stole the thunder from some of the favorites here. Dorothy’s shoes? Seen ‘em. Presidential dresses? Glad to see the rest, but not quite the same excitement level.
Air and Space—Loved the Wright exhibit and some of the war planes. Disappointed by the planet area; felt the information was outdated compared to what NASA has discovered in the last 10-20 years. My younger son was with me, and he also noticed that the description of how ancient peoples studied the stars and planets completely focused on Europe.
One advantage to a summertime trip, is that the most popular of the Smithsonian museums will have certain nights open until 7 pm, not 5 pm. So check the website before you go.
We took the metro back, caught the hotel shuttle and made dinner in our room’s kitchenette.
We took a shuttle from our hotel directly to Georgetown University. My brother joined us via the Georgetown shuttle at Dupont Circle. We were really early. My oldest had an assignment for an online course he was working on and wandered into a computer lab where he somehow got a machine. The younger two and I explored the nearby neighborhood. We loved the row houses and the trees. The Georgetown tour was one of the most enjoyable activities we did in DC. My oldest has decided the program is not the right fit for him. My younger two loved everything about it. The speakers from around the world, the focus on community service, the traditions, the beautiful campus. With the exception of two National Park tour guides, the Georgetown student leading our tour was probably the best guide we had over our three weeks. I bet she goes far in life!
We ate lunch at Tombs restaurant, a Georgetown tradition. Food was decently done pub food and the ambiance great. But, it took an hour and a half to eat lunch and this was after the main rush was over. I can’t recommend it if you are on a time crunch.
We walked down to the main street and took a city bus to the Smithsonian. The Circulator had been recommended to us, but people at the bus stop told us that the Circulator was usually packed, had no a/c and would take longer to get there. So we sprang for the city bus. Sadly the paper tickets we’d bought at the metro station didn’t work on the bus.
Okay, here’s the truth. My first view of the United States Capitol was framed by large mounds of dirt and construction vehicles. I took a picture because that was our family’s reality. It was the biggest let-down of the trip. I had known about the Washington Monument (earthquake damage) and the Statue of Liberty repairs. But despite hours of research, I never saw a current picture of what the Mall actually looked like in spring 2012, and that it would look just about as attractive as our local highway expansion. Even the areas where no work appeared to be taking place, they didn’t bother to water the lawns and make it presentable. In short, I would have liked to see this article back in March while trip planning.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/us...-projects.html
Note to Fodors’ editors: When a major tourist attraction is closed, please note it in your Destinations Section. You did this well for the Statue of Liberty in New York, with both closure date and anticipated opening date. I don’t really see a true entry for the National Mall anywhere. Nor are the Mall’s monuments listed under either memorials/monuments or under military sites.
We spent the afternoon and evening at Air and Space and American History. They were great and we didn’t entirely finish what we wanted to see of either one (although we were close with American History). The Star Spangled Banner display and the Thomas Jefferson Monticello exhibits were the most moving for me. The nails the slave boys hammered were the one thing my oldest son really was moved by. Oddly since I had seen the American History Museum’s traveling tour, it stole the thunder from some of the favorites here. Dorothy’s shoes? Seen ‘em. Presidential dresses? Glad to see the rest, but not quite the same excitement level.
Air and Space—Loved the Wright exhibit and some of the war planes. Disappointed by the planet area; felt the information was outdated compared to what NASA has discovered in the last 10-20 years. My younger son was with me, and he also noticed that the description of how ancient peoples studied the stars and planets completely focused on Europe.
One advantage to a summertime trip, is that the most popular of the Smithsonian museums will have certain nights open until 7 pm, not 5 pm. So check the website before you go.
We took the metro back, caught the hotel shuttle and made dinner in our room’s kitchenette.
Sep 12th, 2012, 03:07 PM
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Day 10—Thursday Where Laws are Made (and Ruled on)
We saw on the news that the Supreme Court would announce the results of the Healthcare Case the next morning. We were due at the Capitol Building for an 11:10 am tour. My daughter really wanted to get up early and watch the announcement. She is just more fascinated by American history, the courts, etc. So my husband took her and the earlybird son to the Supreme Court.
My son, brother and I all got to our Capitol Building Tour only to be told that they were not letting us stay. We all had to leave while they dealt with a security risk. My husband had already gone through security with the younger two kids and was waiting for us inside. We texted and called back and forth. What it turned out is that regularly, it seems, people leave lunches and backpacks outside of the Capitol Building hoping to come back for them later. Meanwhile, someone else finds it and reports it to the Capitol Police, who shut the area down until they go through it. Generally it’s literally someone’s food or drink bottles, but the Capitol Police always have to treat it seriously.
Since my brother, my son and I were stuck on the outside of the Capitol anyway, we mosied over to the Supreme Court where people were speaking, protesting the healthcare decision, cheering the healthcare decision, waving flags, the whole bit. It was great to see although pretty hot out. We had guzzled what water we had when in the security line and there really is nothing around.
They finally cleared the threat and let us into the security line. We had to throw out our EMPTY water bottles. Other than that, we passed quickly. The lady in front of my brother, however, must have stolen half the stuff from her hotel’s breakfast bar. The guard kept pulling out more and more stuff—even disposable jellys. And it took forever.
Finally we caught up with my husband who had befriended the bored staff inside the Capitol Visitor Center. They had a new timed ticket for us all and off we went. I thought the film was helpful and our guide courteous and well informed, but I guess I wanted more about the historic events that took place in these rooms rather than how it was built.
Sadly, I realized I should have ordered passes to the galleries from our senator or congresswoman because those weren’t included in the tour. A guide (not ours) kindly gave us some to the House. We went in and saw the debate on the Holder Contempt of Court bill. It was fascinating to watch. The best part was when the Democrats insisted on a full vote and we got to see the U.S. Reps coming pouring in the doors to vote. They didn’t sit down after voting either. They walked around and talked to different groups. It was like it was a cocktail party and the Speaker was just an irritant they ignored. We saw essentially the “vote to hold a vote” and then they started voting on other stuff—maybe since they’d gotten a good crowd? We watched one rep mistakenly vote against student loan bills and then watched the vote switch to a Yes. We wished we could have heard that conversation. Only the Ron Paul contingent voted against student loans. It was really fun and we know we were lucky to see a session with serious action. Still, I’d suggest you do some investigating and get passes if your kids are the right age and well behaved. It was a highlight of our DC week.
We ate lunch in the Capitol’s cafeteria. Not amazing but better than walking through the hot streets looking for an alternative.
We then went through the underground passage to the Library of Congress. A much quicker route. They had just enough room for two of us on the final tour of the day.
My youngest had been looking forward to the Library tour. It proved to be the weakest tour of our entire trip. For entertainment value, we have loved kidding about it. I believe, to his defense, the guide was a volunteer. We started off with a quiz: Where was the first Capitol of the United States? And my son was excited to announce: “New York.” And another lady shouts out “Philadelphia” and the guide says “Yes, it’s Philadelphia” and cuts off further discussion by launching into his story. During a break as we walked through the hall, I explained to him that it really was New York and I showed him Wikipedia on my smart phone. His answer? “Well Philadelphia’s the one that matters.” He also didn’t seem inclined to see the photos I had of where Washington was inaugurated; just shut me right down. So we have a lot of jokes about how the guy at the Library of Congress might want to read some of the volumes in there.
Overall, the other big problem with this tour is that it focuses far more on the construction and materials of the Library of Congress, rather than the collection of the Library of Congress. So if you want to know where the marble in the floor comes from and how it was shipped here, and what the different paintings depict, then the general tour is for you. We wanted to know what the collection contains and how it was housed and archived and preserved, and how the LOC is handling all the new media in today’s world. I was told that focus was something you’d find on a a special tour and that you need to order such a tour from your congressional representative or senator.
After such a long day, it was nice to head back to our hotel and eat in our unit. We watched TV looking for us in front of the Supreme Court, but no luck. Our youngest was up on my husband’s shoulders, so maybe somebody saw him!
We saw on the news that the Supreme Court would announce the results of the Healthcare Case the next morning. We were due at the Capitol Building for an 11:10 am tour. My daughter really wanted to get up early and watch the announcement. She is just more fascinated by American history, the courts, etc. So my husband took her and the earlybird son to the Supreme Court.
My son, brother and I all got to our Capitol Building Tour only to be told that they were not letting us stay. We all had to leave while they dealt with a security risk. My husband had already gone through security with the younger two kids and was waiting for us inside. We texted and called back and forth. What it turned out is that regularly, it seems, people leave lunches and backpacks outside of the Capitol Building hoping to come back for them later. Meanwhile, someone else finds it and reports it to the Capitol Police, who shut the area down until they go through it. Generally it’s literally someone’s food or drink bottles, but the Capitol Police always have to treat it seriously.
Since my brother, my son and I were stuck on the outside of the Capitol anyway, we mosied over to the Supreme Court where people were speaking, protesting the healthcare decision, cheering the healthcare decision, waving flags, the whole bit. It was great to see although pretty hot out. We had guzzled what water we had when in the security line and there really is nothing around.
They finally cleared the threat and let us into the security line. We had to throw out our EMPTY water bottles. Other than that, we passed quickly. The lady in front of my brother, however, must have stolen half the stuff from her hotel’s breakfast bar. The guard kept pulling out more and more stuff—even disposable jellys. And it took forever.
Finally we caught up with my husband who had befriended the bored staff inside the Capitol Visitor Center. They had a new timed ticket for us all and off we went. I thought the film was helpful and our guide courteous and well informed, but I guess I wanted more about the historic events that took place in these rooms rather than how it was built.
Sadly, I realized I should have ordered passes to the galleries from our senator or congresswoman because those weren’t included in the tour. A guide (not ours) kindly gave us some to the House. We went in and saw the debate on the Holder Contempt of Court bill. It was fascinating to watch. The best part was when the Democrats insisted on a full vote and we got to see the U.S. Reps coming pouring in the doors to vote. They didn’t sit down after voting either. They walked around and talked to different groups. It was like it was a cocktail party and the Speaker was just an irritant they ignored. We saw essentially the “vote to hold a vote” and then they started voting on other stuff—maybe since they’d gotten a good crowd? We watched one rep mistakenly vote against student loan bills and then watched the vote switch to a Yes. We wished we could have heard that conversation. Only the Ron Paul contingent voted against student loans. It was really fun and we know we were lucky to see a session with serious action. Still, I’d suggest you do some investigating and get passes if your kids are the right age and well behaved. It was a highlight of our DC week.
We ate lunch in the Capitol’s cafeteria. Not amazing but better than walking through the hot streets looking for an alternative.
We then went through the underground passage to the Library of Congress. A much quicker route. They had just enough room for two of us on the final tour of the day.
My youngest had been looking forward to the Library tour. It proved to be the weakest tour of our entire trip. For entertainment value, we have loved kidding about it. I believe, to his defense, the guide was a volunteer. We started off with a quiz: Where was the first Capitol of the United States? And my son was excited to announce: “New York.” And another lady shouts out “Philadelphia” and the guide says “Yes, it’s Philadelphia” and cuts off further discussion by launching into his story. During a break as we walked through the hall, I explained to him that it really was New York and I showed him Wikipedia on my smart phone. His answer? “Well Philadelphia’s the one that matters.” He also didn’t seem inclined to see the photos I had of where Washington was inaugurated; just shut me right down. So we have a lot of jokes about how the guy at the Library of Congress might want to read some of the volumes in there.
Overall, the other big problem with this tour is that it focuses far more on the construction and materials of the Library of Congress, rather than the collection of the Library of Congress. So if you want to know where the marble in the floor comes from and how it was shipped here, and what the different paintings depict, then the general tour is for you. We wanted to know what the collection contains and how it was housed and archived and preserved, and how the LOC is handling all the new media in today’s world. I was told that focus was something you’d find on a a special tour and that you need to order such a tour from your congressional representative or senator.
After such a long day, it was nice to head back to our hotel and eat in our unit. We watched TV looking for us in front of the Supreme Court, but no luck. Our youngest was up on my husband’s shoulders, so maybe somebody saw him!
Sep 13th, 2012, 11:56 AM
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Friday—Melting in the heat, we head to Hershey
We rented a Mini-Van for the rest of our DC trip. Since we had free parking, we had a great deal to rent for a week. And we headed off to Hershey Pennsylvania to beat the heat.
I find that most amusement parks have lots of details available about the rides. As a West Coast person, I would say this is a great park, both for younger kids and for teens and well worth visiting for a day. The extensive water park was perfect given the heat and we did not get there early enough to enjoy all the regular rides. In fact, this is the number one activity I would add to a summertime family trip to DC. Just a great changeup from the monuments and the tours.
We stayed until 10 pm closing and drove back to DC. Although I was exhausted, I was jarred awake by the intense lightning storm that started almost immediately after we drove away from the park. We also discovered that our rental van—a Dodge Caravan—will light up the dash when you turn the car on in the dark, but that does NOT mean it will automatically turn on the headlights. So someone flashed us and we were shocked to figure out that our headlights were OFF. Otherwise a great vehicle for us, but would like to save someone else!
After miles of lightning, the weather turned to pouring rain sometime around the state line into Maryland and continued to some level all the way to DC. As we got close to DC we were saw a lighted sign mentioning a tree down. That was the understatement of our trip. After Silver Springs exit we had to turn around several times to get my brother back to his lodgings. Some of the streets we had been driving were not huge streets and they were simply closed. We noticed some of the neighborhoods were super-dark and realized there were power outages. So we got my brother to his place off California Ave. and then headed back up Massachusetts. No dice: It too was completely closed due to a tree down. So we followed other people through some cut-throughs to Wisconsin and made it to our hotel.
We rented a Mini-Van for the rest of our DC trip. Since we had free parking, we had a great deal to rent for a week. And we headed off to Hershey Pennsylvania to beat the heat.
I find that most amusement parks have lots of details available about the rides. As a West Coast person, I would say this is a great park, both for younger kids and for teens and well worth visiting for a day. The extensive water park was perfect given the heat and we did not get there early enough to enjoy all the regular rides. In fact, this is the number one activity I would add to a summertime family trip to DC. Just a great changeup from the monuments and the tours.
We stayed until 10 pm closing and drove back to DC. Although I was exhausted, I was jarred awake by the intense lightning storm that started almost immediately after we drove away from the park. We also discovered that our rental van—a Dodge Caravan—will light up the dash when you turn the car on in the dark, but that does NOT mean it will automatically turn on the headlights. So someone flashed us and we were shocked to figure out that our headlights were OFF. Otherwise a great vehicle for us, but would like to save someone else!
After miles of lightning, the weather turned to pouring rain sometime around the state line into Maryland and continued to some level all the way to DC. As we got close to DC we were saw a lighted sign mentioning a tree down. That was the understatement of our trip. After Silver Springs exit we had to turn around several times to get my brother back to his lodgings. Some of the streets we had been driving were not huge streets and they were simply closed. We noticed some of the neighborhoods were super-dark and realized there were power outages. So we got my brother to his place off California Ave. and then headed back up Massachusetts. No dice: It too was completely closed due to a tree down. So we followed other people through some cut-throughs to Wisconsin and made it to our hotel.
Sep 13th, 2012, 12:58 PM
#30
Interesting to read about your DC visit. that's too bad u didn't get to c the Mall once it was finished later this summer. It really was in dire need of renovation. Sounds like U were here during the Dercho storm in June?
Sep 14th, 2012, 10:08 AM
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Yes, it was the Derecho storm! But we had no idea how big it was, or how unusual it was at the time. It rains a lot in the Northwest (not nearly so much lightning) so we figured it was just a summer rainstorm.
I'm sure we'll make it back to the Mall someday, but preferably any of the other three seasons. In a way that might be nicer. We can enjoy some of the secondary museums but not feel overwhelmed.
Will update later today.
I'm sure we'll make it back to the Mall someday, but preferably any of the other three seasons. In a way that might be nicer. We can enjoy some of the secondary museums but not feel overwhelmed.
Will update later today.
Sep 15th, 2012, 12:35 PM
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Day 12—Washington DC, Moving Trees, a White House tour and the Scenic Journey of 5Alive’s Cellphone
The next morning I walked down to Starbucks and was stunned to find a long line in the store. It turns out once off Wisconsin Avenue, the neighborhood was out of power. But we had no Internet or TV to learn this, and I don’t remember even a stack of newspapers in our hotel.
When I got home from vacation, I read more about the 4 million without power and the 104 degree temperatures in DC that we had missed by going to the water park:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/derecho-sto...3#.UFJIzLKPWSo
http://news.yahoo.com/storm-hits-was...035759980.html
We had a noon White House tour, and wanted to show up by 11:30. We arrived for the 10:30 hotel shuttle to be told it was full. So we drove to the Metro stop but couldn’t find a parking spot in the neighborhood. Wait! My husband said. Look at all those tree branches. None of them are that big. Couldn’t we consolidate them and squeeze a spot? So it was all hands on deck to make room for the Caravan.
And then off to the Metro and the White House. We hiked it and made our noon time with a few minutes to spare only to be told “You can’t take the backpack in. Or even your daughter’s purse.” (Her purse was one of those dinky bags teens carry.) Sure enough, I hadn’t read the fine print. I couldn’t bring my camera in, either. Our phones could be in our pockets, but if they caught us taking pictures, that would cause security to take them. Okay, so we all look at each other and my husband, the good sport says “I’ll take all the stuff, you go on without me.” We went in and at the inside checkpoint the guide mentioned “if you all finish before 1 pm, I’ll let your husband go after you’re through.” Then, while in a short line, I got a text “I have checked our stuff. Can I still come?” I asked the guard and he said “yes, his name’s on the list.” So my husband made it after all.
The White House was a really pleasant experience. We didn’t feel herded along, and while the guards don’t volunteer a lot of information, if you ask them questions, they will answer them quite fully. It was fun to hear about the dinners were put on in the dining room, and how the large events are held outside on the White House Lawn these days. Near the end of the tour, there is an odd vent up high on the wall. We asked about it, and the vent was a peephole for the First Lady to look down on the crowd to make sure she did not have the same colored gown as someone else at the party. Too fun.
We picked up our checked bag from a location I am not supposed to name and wandered around. We ate lunch at a Corner Bakery I had researched, and it was really just a perfect lunch spot for our needs. Breakfast foods, lunch foods fresh and well made. This one has a press theme as it is in the Press Club building.
My oldest son was ready to be done touring today and headed back with my brother who had some work to get done. We headed toward the Mall, stopping at the Reagan Building to see a fragment of the Berlin Wall. Then on to the Smithsonian to see the Girl Scout exhibit we’d missed before—thank you, Juliet Low! The IMAX film on the Hubble was really enjoyable at Air and Space.
We tried to find the Metro home. Finally we found a station up near 7th where the staff informed me that the Red Line only runs infrequently on Saturday afternoons due to maintenance. We were near the Verizon Center and took a cab. It had to be the worst cab I’ve ever been in, and the A/C did not work well at all. And the driver didn’t spend much time allowing us to get out. I realized, “He’s driving off with my phone!” I was stressed. I never seem to update my contacts or my pictures on it in the best of times. My husband asked DD to start calling my phone number with her phone. She was persistent. And after I’d given up, and were driving away with our van from the tree-limbed street, a lady answered her ring. She said “I can help you get your phone back. I know how this feels.” So she called us back and said “I’m going on a Potomac cruise and I’ve arranged with the ticket-taker to hold your phone until you get here.” She mentioned that the taxi driver hadn’t been too keen on helping me out. Well, I was just thrilled she DID. And so after all that work to leave downtown, back we went, picking up my brother and DS1 on the way.
We noticed all the curving roads along the Potomac and the small parks. For now, Dinner. I had wanted to try a new cuisine and hopefully see a new part of town for our dinner out. I decided on Bardia from the Fodor’s Guide book. It’s a New Orleans Café in Adams Morgan. The kids explored new foods to varying extents. My oldest went for the jambalaya. My DD loved the breakfast foods and sausage. The hot beignets were a fun surprise for them to end the evening.
The next morning I walked down to Starbucks and was stunned to find a long line in the store. It turns out once off Wisconsin Avenue, the neighborhood was out of power. But we had no Internet or TV to learn this, and I don’t remember even a stack of newspapers in our hotel.
When I got home from vacation, I read more about the 4 million without power and the 104 degree temperatures in DC that we had missed by going to the water park:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/derecho-sto...3#.UFJIzLKPWSo
http://news.yahoo.com/storm-hits-was...035759980.html
We had a noon White House tour, and wanted to show up by 11:30. We arrived for the 10:30 hotel shuttle to be told it was full. So we drove to the Metro stop but couldn’t find a parking spot in the neighborhood. Wait! My husband said. Look at all those tree branches. None of them are that big. Couldn’t we consolidate them and squeeze a spot? So it was all hands on deck to make room for the Caravan.
And then off to the Metro and the White House. We hiked it and made our noon time with a few minutes to spare only to be told “You can’t take the backpack in. Or even your daughter’s purse.” (Her purse was one of those dinky bags teens carry.) Sure enough, I hadn’t read the fine print. I couldn’t bring my camera in, either. Our phones could be in our pockets, but if they caught us taking pictures, that would cause security to take them. Okay, so we all look at each other and my husband, the good sport says “I’ll take all the stuff, you go on without me.” We went in and at the inside checkpoint the guide mentioned “if you all finish before 1 pm, I’ll let your husband go after you’re through.” Then, while in a short line, I got a text “I have checked our stuff. Can I still come?” I asked the guard and he said “yes, his name’s on the list.” So my husband made it after all.
The White House was a really pleasant experience. We didn’t feel herded along, and while the guards don’t volunteer a lot of information, if you ask them questions, they will answer them quite fully. It was fun to hear about the dinners were put on in the dining room, and how the large events are held outside on the White House Lawn these days. Near the end of the tour, there is an odd vent up high on the wall. We asked about it, and the vent was a peephole for the First Lady to look down on the crowd to make sure she did not have the same colored gown as someone else at the party. Too fun.
We picked up our checked bag from a location I am not supposed to name and wandered around. We ate lunch at a Corner Bakery I had researched, and it was really just a perfect lunch spot for our needs. Breakfast foods, lunch foods fresh and well made. This one has a press theme as it is in the Press Club building.
My oldest son was ready to be done touring today and headed back with my brother who had some work to get done. We headed toward the Mall, stopping at the Reagan Building to see a fragment of the Berlin Wall. Then on to the Smithsonian to see the Girl Scout exhibit we’d missed before—thank you, Juliet Low! The IMAX film on the Hubble was really enjoyable at Air and Space.
We tried to find the Metro home. Finally we found a station up near 7th where the staff informed me that the Red Line only runs infrequently on Saturday afternoons due to maintenance. We were near the Verizon Center and took a cab. It had to be the worst cab I’ve ever been in, and the A/C did not work well at all. And the driver didn’t spend much time allowing us to get out. I realized, “He’s driving off with my phone!” I was stressed. I never seem to update my contacts or my pictures on it in the best of times. My husband asked DD to start calling my phone number with her phone. She was persistent. And after I’d given up, and were driving away with our van from the tree-limbed street, a lady answered her ring. She said “I can help you get your phone back. I know how this feels.” So she called us back and said “I’m going on a Potomac cruise and I’ve arranged with the ticket-taker to hold your phone until you get here.” She mentioned that the taxi driver hadn’t been too keen on helping me out. Well, I was just thrilled she DID. And so after all that work to leave downtown, back we went, picking up my brother and DS1 on the way.
We noticed all the curving roads along the Potomac and the small parks. For now, Dinner. I had wanted to try a new cuisine and hopefully see a new part of town for our dinner out. I decided on Bardia from the Fodor’s Guide book. It’s a New Orleans Café in Adams Morgan. The kids explored new foods to varying extents. My oldest went for the jambalaya. My DD loved the breakfast foods and sausage. The hot beignets were a fun surprise for them to end the evening.
Sep 16th, 2012, 07:18 PM
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dina4, we requested the tickets about five months before our trip. Go to your congressman's website and there will be information there on how to apply. You can also request a Capitol tour and a Library of Congress tour through his or her office.
Lee Ann
Lee Ann
Sep 17th, 2012, 07:51 PM
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Day 13—When the best of plans…
The day began well. My brother had arranged to assist at Mass Sunday at the Mass at National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. This is considered the “national cathedral” for American Catholics. This is a church that has moments of beauty and other places where you can see that it was built in sections, or by committee, or by a series of artistic directors with differing goals. Exquisite gold tiling in the side aisles is contrasted with a Jesus behind the altar that looked like a guy out of Marvel Comics. He was really distracting. The blue tiled center vault with the Lamb felt Byzantine in style, and I loved it. Some of the side chapels are wonderful and others, not so much. Most appear to have been funded by different ethnic groups.
The music however, left no doubt. Here was an excellent organist and cantor and overall, really well done. Sound system was good. Acoustics were supporting--not fighting--the sound. I would encourage native Washingtonians to attend a concert in this building if one is ever offered.
The day took a nose-dive with an attempt to find a breakfast place. DD and DS2 voted for IHOP. The hostess told us 20 minute wait. We waited an hour, easily, and the place was probably 85 degrees inside. The manager was a jerk to his employees and I was grateful not to work for a guy like that.
Then, most of the way through the meal I made my first mistake of this nature in years. I opted to keep one of my pancakes. I want regular syrup, I said. My husband passed me a bottle and said “I think it’s Mrs. Butterworth’s.” It tasted funny. When I looked closely, I saw on a faint sticker that it was Butter Pecan. I have nut allergies. I didn’t feel good, but I had begun my meal overheated and lightheaded. Symptoms weren't getting more severe, so we wondered if it was artificial flavoring.
I had the family drop me off at the hotel and I took two Benadryl and sent them to the Zoo. They had a good time seeing the pandas, which I didn’t mind missing. Someday I will see one and my life will be complete. Meanwhile, I have some cute pictures my oldest took.
I dozed, which was good, because we still had no TV and no Internet. Later, we ordered a pizza from the neighborhood brew pub, quite good, and supplemented with our own salad and sides.
The day began well. My brother had arranged to assist at Mass Sunday at the Mass at National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. This is considered the “national cathedral” for American Catholics. This is a church that has moments of beauty and other places where you can see that it was built in sections, or by committee, or by a series of artistic directors with differing goals. Exquisite gold tiling in the side aisles is contrasted with a Jesus behind the altar that looked like a guy out of Marvel Comics. He was really distracting. The blue tiled center vault with the Lamb felt Byzantine in style, and I loved it. Some of the side chapels are wonderful and others, not so much. Most appear to have been funded by different ethnic groups.
The music however, left no doubt. Here was an excellent organist and cantor and overall, really well done. Sound system was good. Acoustics were supporting--not fighting--the sound. I would encourage native Washingtonians to attend a concert in this building if one is ever offered.
The day took a nose-dive with an attempt to find a breakfast place. DD and DS2 voted for IHOP. The hostess told us 20 minute wait. We waited an hour, easily, and the place was probably 85 degrees inside. The manager was a jerk to his employees and I was grateful not to work for a guy like that.
Then, most of the way through the meal I made my first mistake of this nature in years. I opted to keep one of my pancakes. I want regular syrup, I said. My husband passed me a bottle and said “I think it’s Mrs. Butterworth’s.” It tasted funny. When I looked closely, I saw on a faint sticker that it was Butter Pecan. I have nut allergies. I didn’t feel good, but I had begun my meal overheated and lightheaded. Symptoms weren't getting more severe, so we wondered if it was artificial flavoring.
I had the family drop me off at the hotel and I took two Benadryl and sent them to the Zoo. They had a good time seeing the pandas, which I didn’t mind missing. Someday I will see one and my life will be complete. Meanwhile, I have some cute pictures my oldest took.
I dozed, which was good, because we still had no TV and no Internet. Later, we ordered a pizza from the neighborhood brew pub, quite good, and supplemented with our own salad and sides.
Sep 18th, 2012, 10:31 PM
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Day 14—Monday, Exploring Virginia
I was a meanie on this one and said (after yesterday) that we’d be getting an early start of 7:30 am. Turned out to be an easy drive along the riverfront drive, over the Arlington Bridge and through Alexandria to Mount Vernon.
Really, really enjoyed this site and felt I understood the Washingtons’ life far better. It was far more relaxing than being on the Mall. A breeze was blowing from the river. The docents seemed to rush us through the main house. When we commented to a staff person that we would have liked a little more in one of the rooms, she said we were welcome to go through the main house again with another group! So we did.
We went to the gravesite and this was a special moment. A girls’ choir had just arrived and they were laying a wreath at the tombs. Then they sang the 23rd Psalm. The music kind of echoed into the tomb, and the silence afterward was almost glowing. Ahh, the reasons we travel.
We also went to the slave quarters which helped fill the circle of the Jefferson Monticello exhibit we’d seen at the Smithsonian to what their homes might have looked like.
While friends had urged us to go back for lunch in Alexandria, we passed on that and followed my brother’s heart. After a quick fast food lunch along the way, we were at Manassas. Or, if you learned it the other way, the Battle of Bull Run. Jill, our navigator powered by Googlemaps, sent us to the wrong destination here. It is a little unnerving to be told “you have arrived at your destination” when you’re on a fast road with no driveways and large fields, but we persisted and found it. (My son the techno guy sent them a correction, which they followed up on.)
Nice visitor’s center that gives an overview but doesn’t overwhelm. We focused on the First Battle of the Bull Run, and it all came alive through a wonderful park ranger, who was working here as a summer job while in college at West Virginia. Even though it was hot out here, the grassy fields and lack of cars helped a bit.
We had an easy drive back into DC but stopped for an early dinner at Ray’s Hellburgers in suburban Virginia. We found this site also in our Fodors’ Guidebook and highly recommend it! A great burger. Some of us went crazy with the choices. Get there at 5:15 like we did and hopefully you too will beat the crowds. Bring cash.
Fortified by an amazing dinner, we realized there weren’t that many days left to do our Monument Walk. We’d noticed some free parking starting in the early evening, and at 6:40 pulled into a spot right on Constitution Avenue (between 17th and 18th).
We opted to go to the Jefferson Monument first, so that hopefully we would see the Lincoln as the sun was setting. The Jefferson was so beautiful it really set the tone for the rest of the evening. Our kids love sports and running, and they liked the monument walk a lot, as the standing at museums or slow walking in crowds cramped their style. My oldest, who was really missing his girlfriend by this point, had begun to request an early ticket home, but he was all smiles in our pictures of that evening.
I would have to say the wonderful surprises were the FDR Monument, which we unfortunately saw backward in chronology (by the time we realized we were half-way through). I also really loved the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument, especially the side view angle and the perfect quotations for the setting. Maybe because it was so new, this monument had people really pausing and reading and stepping back to look again. The most striking was the Korean Memorial; in the dusk, the figures of the soldiers almost looked real.
I don’t know why I thought the Lincoln reflecting pool would be spared given our disappointment earlier in the week, but it was an expanse of bare concrete. Despite the construction, it was extremely crowded (far more than any other monument) and definitely not a place to get separated from a younger child. But I do love our 16th president and his writings: “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.”
The Vietnam Memorial was hard to see as it was getting dark and there was no lighting. The World War II memorial we could not find, maybe it was behind a construction fence. Then it was another few blocks to our car with a full moon over the Washington Monument from afar.
I was a meanie on this one and said (after yesterday) that we’d be getting an early start of 7:30 am. Turned out to be an easy drive along the riverfront drive, over the Arlington Bridge and through Alexandria to Mount Vernon.
Really, really enjoyed this site and felt I understood the Washingtons’ life far better. It was far more relaxing than being on the Mall. A breeze was blowing from the river. The docents seemed to rush us through the main house. When we commented to a staff person that we would have liked a little more in one of the rooms, she said we were welcome to go through the main house again with another group! So we did.
We went to the gravesite and this was a special moment. A girls’ choir had just arrived and they were laying a wreath at the tombs. Then they sang the 23rd Psalm. The music kind of echoed into the tomb, and the silence afterward was almost glowing. Ahh, the reasons we travel.
We also went to the slave quarters which helped fill the circle of the Jefferson Monticello exhibit we’d seen at the Smithsonian to what their homes might have looked like.
While friends had urged us to go back for lunch in Alexandria, we passed on that and followed my brother’s heart. After a quick fast food lunch along the way, we were at Manassas. Or, if you learned it the other way, the Battle of Bull Run. Jill, our navigator powered by Googlemaps, sent us to the wrong destination here. It is a little unnerving to be told “you have arrived at your destination” when you’re on a fast road with no driveways and large fields, but we persisted and found it. (My son the techno guy sent them a correction, which they followed up on.)
Nice visitor’s center that gives an overview but doesn’t overwhelm. We focused on the First Battle of the Bull Run, and it all came alive through a wonderful park ranger, who was working here as a summer job while in college at West Virginia. Even though it was hot out here, the grassy fields and lack of cars helped a bit.
We had an easy drive back into DC but stopped for an early dinner at Ray’s Hellburgers in suburban Virginia. We found this site also in our Fodors’ Guidebook and highly recommend it! A great burger. Some of us went crazy with the choices. Get there at 5:15 like we did and hopefully you too will beat the crowds. Bring cash.
Fortified by an amazing dinner, we realized there weren’t that many days left to do our Monument Walk. We’d noticed some free parking starting in the early evening, and at 6:40 pulled into a spot right on Constitution Avenue (between 17th and 18th).
We opted to go to the Jefferson Monument first, so that hopefully we would see the Lincoln as the sun was setting. The Jefferson was so beautiful it really set the tone for the rest of the evening. Our kids love sports and running, and they liked the monument walk a lot, as the standing at museums or slow walking in crowds cramped their style. My oldest, who was really missing his girlfriend by this point, had begun to request an early ticket home, but he was all smiles in our pictures of that evening.
I would have to say the wonderful surprises were the FDR Monument, which we unfortunately saw backward in chronology (by the time we realized we were half-way through). I also really loved the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument, especially the side view angle and the perfect quotations for the setting. Maybe because it was so new, this monument had people really pausing and reading and stepping back to look again. The most striking was the Korean Memorial; in the dusk, the figures of the soldiers almost looked real.
I don’t know why I thought the Lincoln reflecting pool would be spared given our disappointment earlier in the week, but it was an expanse of bare concrete. Despite the construction, it was extremely crowded (far more than any other monument) and definitely not a place to get separated from a younger child. But I do love our 16th president and his writings: “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.”
The Vietnam Memorial was hard to see as it was getting dark and there was no lighting. The World War II memorial we could not find, maybe it was behind a construction fence. Then it was another few blocks to our car with a full moon over the Washington Monument from afar.
