The night my friend flew in we sat down with the computer and logged onto hotels.com to find a place to stay. We got a great deal on a hotel near Chinatown, just ten or twelve blocks north of the National Mall. We could walk to everything, we had a great restaurant and lounge in our lobby and tons more around the block, and the historic charm of this place was unbeatable. We even had afternoon tea!
We braved the unusually bitter temps and wind that first night and walked around the Mall to see the monuments all lit up. We couldn't get very close to the White House, but we did see a helicopter take off from the South Lawn. This sucker buzzed right over our heads. We could almost see into it. I sarcastically told my friend President Obama was in there and she should wave. She did. ;) Joke's probably on me because he probably was in there and probably could see us, though I'm sure he was too busy to notice.
The next morning we headed out for the Smithsonian Museums. Did you know they're all FREE? Cheapest vacation I've had in a long time. We started with the Natural History Museum. I loved the Oceans exhibit, including this crocheted coral reef.
Can you imagine how long it must have taken to crochet a replica of a reef? The plaque to the left told me how long, but I can't remember now. I do remember that two sisters started the project to bring awareness to the pollution and deterioration of our ocean reefs. The picture doesn't do it justice. It was impressively detailed. I also loved this big guy.
Imagine catching a glimpse of this turtle while snorkeling. It would probably cause me cardiac arrest. Unless I could ride on his back like Nemo did!
We continued on to other exhibits, including a fascinating one on human forensics and how useful it is, not only in solving crimes, but in discovering details of our history. Did you know dental decay was a major killers in colonial times? The bacteria would enter the bloodstream and reach vital organs, causing disease and death. Flossing is so important, people! We also studied a little evolution.
Yep. Pretty sure we came from apes.
We continued on to the American History Museum where I lingered in the First Ladies exhibit. Oh, the gowns and shoes and purses and fans and trinkets! I could have spent hours perusing the intricate details of dresses worn by Martha Washington, Mary Todd Lincoln, Jackie Kennedy, and more. We also browsed a pop culture section that displayed Dorothy's ruby red slippers (though the originals were silver. Did you know that?), Michael Jackson's fedora, some of the original Muppets, and ice skates, leotards, and medals of American olympians. It literally looked like my childhood on display.
We ended the day at the Holocaust Museum. Devastating, fascinating, heart-breaking, eye-opening, astonishing. I've been to similar exhibits at other museums, but this one left me drained. We began the exhibit by picking up a small booklet that included the picture and story of a Jewish refugee. With each floor of the exhibit their story unfolded until finally, at the end, you learned if your refugee survived. Amazingly, mine did. She was in her twenties when she was sent to a hard labor camp. She was freed at the age of 32, the sole survivor in her family. We grabbed a cab and rode quietly back to the hotel. After resting our feet for a bit, we ventured out for dinner at a nearby French/Belgium bistro. Best. Dinner. Ever. Our wonderful waiter made a few suggestions for local night life. We started at a pool hall in Chinatown. After my friend kicked my butt at skeet ball we headed up the street to the Irish pub where I sipped on Carlsberg beer that took me back to my european vacations. Mmmmm. It's so yummy.
On our last day we finally made it to the National Mall during daylight. Though the monuments are impressive, the grounds were not for my Vegas friend. She was shocked that it wasn't green and beautiful. Not in January. Not on the East coast. Bet she was missing Vegas right about then! :) Still, we enjoyed taking in the iconic sights with fewer crowds.
Lincoln Memorial
Hanging with Abe
Big shoes to fill. Heh.
Makes me want to scream, "Forrest! Jenny? Jenny," and run into the reflecting pool.
I told Scott if there ever is a chance we could be stationed in DC I'm all for it. I think it'd be awesome to live right in the thick of it all. Not forever, but for a couple of years. We'll see. Until then, I'll be a frequent visitor. Can't wait to experience DC in the spring when the Cherry Blossoms are blooming.
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