Washington D.C.

by Brianin District of Columbia, USAon Posted on

My latest trip was courtesy of work, but of course I made the most of my free time as well.  It wasn’t a very long trip… basically 4 days minus the working hours so a couple nights and an extra day off on Friday before flying out Saturday morning.  No rental car so made the most out of the metro and walking.

The first afternoon there I visited Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon 9/11 memorial.

U.S. Marine Corp Memorial (Iwo Jima)
Memorial Amphitheater
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Was lucky enough to get there during the changing of the guard.
Sunset at Arlington National Cemetery
Pentagon 9/11 memorial
The rows are actually age lines based on the ages of the victims that day
Longest escalators ever (opinion) at Rosslyn Metro Station
Inside L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station. All the metro stations I went to looked about the same.
Nationals Baseball Stadium, no home games at the time
Early morning just outside the Navy Yard Metro Station. Apparently anyone walking down this street 10 years ago was risking their life getting to the Navy Yard. How times have changed I guess.

Thursday after work went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (free world class museums, no complaints here).  Then at night I did a nighttime bus tour with two of my old coworkers from Hawaii.  It was their last night in town and one of them had the idea to do a quick tour this way.  Definitely wasn’t one of the more fancy bus tours but was good enough for what it was.

More than once, someone asked, "which Apollo mission did Tom Hanks play in that movie again?".....
Capitol Building, far east end of the National Mall
Sunset behind the Washington Monument
Our night time tour bus finally showed up... got bit by a few mosquitoes at the National Mall while waiting
North side of the White House. Funny fact (per tour guide): There used to be a clear view of the U.S. Capitol building from the White House looking down Pennsylvania Ave. representing an open relationship/partnership between the two however one of the former Presidents didn't like this so he had the U.S. Treasury Dept. built to block the view.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
View of the Washington Monument from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, kind of like an outdoor museum set up
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Kind of spooky at night
Lincoln Memorial
The Man himself!
Reflecting pool at night
Night view with the Capitol building and Washington monument in the background

I took leave on Friday to get an extra day in Washington D.C. just to walk around on my own.  My plans shifted some because of the amount I had already seen throughout the week. Prior to the trip I didn’t plan on going into any museums at all since I didn’t think I’d have the time.  Instead (and partially due to the hot weather) I visited three on Friday alone… and again, all free entrance (with donations accepted).

National Christmas tree, not so spectacular this time of year
The South Lawn and oval office
World War II Memorial
Looking towards Lincoln Memorial from Washington Monument
The newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture. The big opening happened to be during my stay there and apparently there were a bunch of celebrities attending the opening ceremony... I think I saw the guy who plays the lead detective in Gone in 60 Seconds just relaxing on a bench nearby but oh well.
Washington Monument... apparently the elevator to the top is now closed indefinitely for repair
Holocaust Museum... seemed to be one of those must-see museums based on word of mouth and internet research.
Some very moving exhibits, in chronological order as you work your way from I think the 4th floor back down to the 1st. I did rush through a lot of the early part simply because it was just way too crowded.
This brought back memories of reading her diary when I was much younger
The shoes. When people talk about the museum, a couple times they mention the smell of the shoes but I cannot remember what it smelled like in this room. Just to see all this tragedy, and then also thinking about the Hiroshima Memorial and Museum... it really settles much deeper than what anyone gets out of the media these days and my appreciation for the life I have in turn is that much greater as well. So much of what I see on TV these days is just utter nonsense in comparison.
Take a stick and keep the candles lit.
More than a couple people left this hall crying
One of the most moving exhibits was actually the temporary one... where you walk through the life of a little boy while reading his journal entries about how life changed for him.
Snack stand at the National Mall (one of a few)... yes I got a hot dog
National Museum of American History
For a relatively young country, there sure is a lot of history. It's interesting how fast our country rose to the top
The real deal apparently
So this is where they come to see Julia Child's kitchen hehe
Hey, woohoo Matson is represented
Just an old train
Another biggy museum, National Museum of Natural History. Third museum of the day (considering I wasn't planning on seeing any). Needless to say I kind of breezed through all the exhibits in all the museums. I did get to watch an IMAX film about our National Parks just before closing though.
Hey Lucy, I just read the latest theory behind your death was that you fell out of a tree... is this that tree?
Main Hall
History of the Hope Diamond... it's been many places and was actually much bigger before getting cut down so much
Much more sparkly in real life I think. One of the biggest attractions in the museum I think... I personally didn't even know it was there until after I got in. If you're worried about people hogging the space to take pictures, the thing spins 360 nonstop so there's plenty of viewing room haha
As the sun began to set on my final day, where else to go back to other than the reflecting pool
By the way, the full reflection of the Washington Monument in the pool is best viewed at the edge of the water, not at the top of the Lincoln Memorial steps.
So, sit on the steps at the feet of Abraham Lincoln and reflect
One of the last stops on the way home was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. There were numerous thank you letters left out written by children... pretty touching
Early flight the next morning out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport... apparently known for it's short runways (steep take offs and landings).
And just a little side note, this is the airport I transferred at in Minneapolis. Look... frozen yogurt bar, salad bar, hot food bar... free wifi, etc etc etc.... hhmmm..... where you at HNL?

That’s all for now, stay tuned for more later!

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