As we approached DC the transition from sleepy countryside to urban metropolis struck like a switch. Traffic slowed to a crawl as we rolled past embassies that looked like plantation houses and an imposing stone elk’s lodge guarded by a pair of Egyptian Sphinx. (Is Sphinx plural?)
The hotel was a block from the White House and by this point traffic was total chaos and we were ready to get out of the vehicle. With a sigh of relief we parked in front and handed it over to the valet for parking.
Opening the doors, the heat hit us like an oven. We had been dreading the weather which was forecasted to read in the high 90s on the thermometer with a feel around 115 F! We rushed into the lobby for some air conditioned relief and checked in to our rooms.
In any other city, and perhaps with any other guide, we would have wisely waited out the heat in our rooms. Unfortunately, the guide was me, a DC lover who was anxious to show the city to my parents and husband who were DC virgins. We sweated down to the White House and snapped a photo.
One thing I noticed was that DC blocks are LONG! They are even longer when it’s 115 out! The walk made us thirsty and I thought a visit to the rooftop bar at the W would be a win-win: cool drinks and a nice view. We soon discovered it was minimally air conditioned and seating was reserved for high dollar customers ONLY. We rambled back down to the lobby to enjoy some interesting city band music (electronic genre) while we cooled off before the walk back to the hotel.
Our plan was to eat at a famous DC restaurant, which was packed and we happily discovered a Subway near the hotel. Winner winner subway dinner!
Settled into our cool hotel rooms, we enjoyed dinner and left mom and dad to relax. Chas and I took off for a bit of refreshments followed by a night-time walk on the national mall. I was eager to show him my favorite spots.
We visited the Post Pub where we met some friendly patrons. Then, stopped in to one of my favorite spots Old Ebbitt’s Grill.
Luckily, we were in town for the 50th anniversary of the moon walk. The event on the mall was a projection of the rocket launch and moon walk in the national monument. We made it there just before the show began.
After admiring the show in awe with thousands of fellow Americans, we roamed toward my favorite place to watch the sunrise over the capital: the Lincoln Memorial. The steps were crowded with people out to the enjoy the festivities. Along the way, we found some ducks sleeping next to the reflecting pond.
The next morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast at a cafe and then rode the DC metro to Arlington to watch the changing of the guard. It was dad’s first time on a metro and I was thrilled to share this experience with him.
The short walk from the metro to Arlington left us, shall I say, glowing. The thought of trekking miles through the blazing sun to the tomb of the unknown soldier being unthinkable, we hopped a ride on the tram. Rolling through this cemetery was a sobering experience. It drives home the sacrifices hundreds of thousands of soldiers have made to preserve our freedoms.
We arrived at the tomb with about 10 minutes to wait before the next changing of the guard. The ceremony was a moving experience for me. I found myself thinking of many veterans I have known in my life. Those who have passed from this life and those who are still with me. Mostly, I thought of my grandmother Potje who was a nurse in WW2. To my surprise, tears joined the sweat rolling down my face as we silently watched the ceremony unfold.
After it concluded, we visited the museum for a bit and then rode the tram back to the exit. We hopped the metro to the Smithsonian museum to visit Old Glory. An exhibit on the roots of mountain biking also caught our eyes.
Late afternoon, Chas and I took off for a bicycle adventure on the National Mall. We had observed kiosks all over the city loaded up with rental bikes. We grabbed a couple and took off toward the Capitol. Along the way, we passed the Smithsonian Castle.
Behind the capitol we popped into a local pub for a bit before pedaling toward the Jefferson Memorial.
The Memorial houses an imposing statue of Jefferson. One of my fondest memories from previous visits to DC was pausing in the Jefferson Memorial during a run as the snow had just begun to fall. Swirls of snowflakes danced between the columns and around Jefferson like fairy dust.
As we left the memorial, Chas rode a path on the edge of the basin, slid on some goose poo and narrowly avoided a swim! Laughing it off, we raced past the Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials. Having completed our loop back to the national monument, we started to search for a spot to return our bikes. This is where the bike rack system got real tricky. All the spots were taken and we pedaled from rack to rack until we finally found 2 spots. Oh well, otherwise the system was awesome and I’m thrilled to see these commuter bike rental systems popping up across America.
The next morning we checked out and took a driving tour around the basin and by the capital to snap a quick photo on our way out of town.
Say what you want about DC and the crazy politics, but I gotta say visiting this city always makes me feel proud to be an American! You’ll find friendly people from all around the world and be amazed at our history and what goes into keep the capitalist machine that is America running.
This post puts a wrap on my recap of our Great Northeastern American Road Trip. It was one for the record books. I hope you enjoyed the tales of our adventure and that you can make a similar trek with friends or loved ones some day.
Das Wanderen Bumble Bee 