Day 304: Washington D.C.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wednesday June 8th
With only two of us in the dorm, I had one of the best sleeps I’ve had on this trip. I had scheduled myself to awake at 7am but didn’t get up until 8am, but ultimately it didn’t matter. My dorm mate was still asleep when I left the room, having to pack up and leave my bag at reception as I needed to change rooms that afternoon.
At breakfast, I saw an absolutely horrifying sight. You know how you see the pictures in the Guinness Book of Records of the people with fingernails a metre long, coiled round and round? Well, there was a lady who had those horrifyingly long nails! She wasn’t a bum either – she was dressed professionally for a day of work! Could you imagine living with that?
After breakfast (and the purchase of water bottle #1), it was off to the National Mall for my long day of adventuring. Obviously the Washington DC weather bureau (or God) didn’t get the memo, because it was hot. 100 degrees Fahrenheit hot (40 degrees Celsius), and it only got hotter as the day progressed. The first stop was the White House, a tie with the US Capitol as the most memorable building in Washington D.C. From the front, it wasn’t too imposing, although I’m sure there is far more to the building than meets the eye. After yesterday’s tour of the International Spy Museum, I was on the lookout everywhere for undercover agents and secret service, of which there were plenty in plain sight.
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From 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I walked past the US Treasury (an absolutely massive building!) to the rear of the White House, which was a little more interesting than the front but still not as imposing as the movies make out. Whilst here, the first of several motorcades came blaring past – with only five cars in the cavalcade, I don’t think it was the president – maybe Joe Biden? Next was the Washington Monument, a stone building that towers over Washington like an Egyptian Obelisk.
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Dying from heat, I entered into the Museum of American History for a cool-down. This was a really cool and interactive museum based on American history (duh!) and culture, with regularly rotating displays. The red ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz were on display on the third floor, whilst the second floor house the top hat Abraham Lincoln was wearing when he was shot. My favourite exhibition though was the First Ladies – a display of the gowns and accessories they wore to the inauguration balls. Michelle Obama’s Jason Wu dress was on display, as were dresses from Martha Washington and the most gorgeous flapper dress I’ve ever seen!
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At midday, I decided to tackle the heat again, and armed with drink bottle #3 I made my way to the World War II Memorial. On the inset was a fountain and water feature, whilst flanking it were columns, each inscribed with a state of the United States of America. Near the WWII Memorial were several other war memorials, including those dedicated to the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
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Set at the end of the Mall, nearing the border with Virginia, is the Lincoln Memorial. Inside is the well-known and imposing statue of a sitting Abraham Lincoln, and the two opposing walls house the words of his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address, his two most famous speeches. This was definitely my favourite part of Washington D.C. so far.
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After completing the loop of the Washington Mall, it was time for lunch. It was so nice to be out of the heat, which was really quite dangerous now. Although I had most of the National Mall to continue, I just couldn’t bear to be out in the heat any longer, and headed back to the hostel via the National Archives. I wanted to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights but the line-up was too long, so it was back to the hostel for a few hours inside. Checking into my new room, I’d actually been allocated a private room to share with one other person as the dorms were fully booked – score for me!
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At 4:30pm I ventured outdoors again, hoping it would be cooler. It wasn’t. I dragged myself down via Chinatown to see the US Capitol. I was quite surprised to find you could walk on its lawn, right up to the steps! From there, I walked down to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, as my sources told me it was open until 7:30 tonight. It wasn’t. It was too hot to do any more exploring, so I walked to the nearest Metro station, which happened to be Union Station. After eating dinner, I hopped the metro (all 4 minutes of it) back to the hostel, and watched Community on my laptop in the air-conditioning.
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With only two of us in the dorm, I had one of the best sleeps I’ve had on this trip. I had scheduled myself to awake at 7am but didn’t get up until 8am, but ultimately it didn’t matter. My dorm mate was still asleep when I left the room, having to pack up and leave my bag at reception as I needed to change rooms that afternoon.
At breakfast, I saw an absolutely horrifying sight. You know how you see the pictures in the Guinness Book of Records of the people with fingernails a metre long, coiled round and round? Well, there was a lady who had those horrifyingly long nails! She wasn’t a bum either – she was dressed professionally for a day of work! Could you imagine living with that?
After breakfast (and the purchase of water bottle #1), it was off to the National Mall for my long day of adventuring. Obviously the Washington DC weather bureau (or God) didn’t get the memo, because it was hot. 100 degrees Fahrenheit hot (40 degrees Celsius), and it only got hotter as the day progressed. The first stop was the White House, a tie with the US Capitol as the most memorable building in Washington D.C. From the front, it wasn’t too imposing, although I’m sure there is far more to the building than meets the eye. After yesterday’s tour of the International Spy Museum, I was on the lookout everywhere for undercover agents and secret service, of which there were plenty in plain sight.
From 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I walked past the US Treasury (an absolutely massive building!) to the rear of the White House, which was a little more interesting than the front but still not as imposing as the movies make out. Whilst here, the first of several motorcades came blaring past – with only five cars in the cavalcade, I don’t think it was the president – maybe Joe Biden? Next was the Washington Monument, a stone building that towers over Washington like an Egyptian Obelisk.
Dying from heat, I entered into the Museum of American History for a cool-down. This was a really cool and interactive museum based on American history (duh!) and culture, with regularly rotating displays. The red ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz were on display on the third floor, whilst the second floor house the top hat Abraham Lincoln was wearing when he was shot. My favourite exhibition though was the First Ladies – a display of the gowns and accessories they wore to the inauguration balls. Michelle Obama’s Jason Wu dress was on display, as were dresses from Martha Washington and the most gorgeous flapper dress I’ve ever seen!
At midday, I decided to tackle the heat again, and armed with drink bottle #3 I made my way to the World War II Memorial. On the inset was a fountain and water feature, whilst flanking it were columns, each inscribed with a state of the United States of America. Near the WWII Memorial were several other war memorials, including those dedicated to the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
Set at the end of the Mall, nearing the border with Virginia, is the Lincoln Memorial. Inside is the well-known and imposing statue of a sitting Abraham Lincoln, and the two opposing walls house the words of his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address, his two most famous speeches. This was definitely my favourite part of Washington D.C. so far.
After completing the loop of the Washington Mall, it was time for lunch. It was so nice to be out of the heat, which was really quite dangerous now. Although I had most of the National Mall to continue, I just couldn’t bear to be out in the heat any longer, and headed back to the hostel via the National Archives. I wanted to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights but the line-up was too long, so it was back to the hostel for a few hours inside. Checking into my new room, I’d actually been allocated a private room to share with one other person as the dorms were fully booked – score for me!
At 4:30pm I ventured outdoors again, hoping it would be cooler. It wasn’t. I dragged myself down via Chinatown to see the US Capitol. I was quite surprised to find you could walk on its lawn, right up to the steps! From there, I walked down to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, as my sources told me it was open until 7:30 tonight. It wasn’t. It was too hot to do any more exploring, so I walked to the nearest Metro station, which happened to be Union Station. After eating dinner, I hopped the metro (all 4 minutes of it) back to the hostel, and watched Community on my laptop in the air-conditioning.
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