On the way we had a stopover in Washington DC on the other side of the country, 5 hours from here by plane. Our first evening was a quick visit to a local pub for snacks and bed. By the time my head hit the pillow we had been awake for 21 hours and needless to say I slept like a log!
Our first day was spent exploring the National Mall, an area approx. 2.25 mile long stretching from the Lincoln Memorial in the West to Capitol Hill in the East, with a short leg jutting off to the north. This is where the USA commemorates those who served and were killed in action with numerous war memorials. It is also the place where some of the nation's greatest Presidents are honoured here. Unknown yet familiar, many of the landmarks along here have featured in films and programs so the whole experience was a little surreal.
Our first stop, on this northern leg was 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, better known as the White House! A 1.5 miles walk directly south of our hotel led us to the North Lawn, the bit normally seen on the backdrop to news reports emanating from there. Security was tight, Obama due back that day for the 50th Anniversary of the March for Freedom speech he was to give the following day. It was then that we realised he was not home to invite us in for morning tea so we didn't stay as long as we'd hoped!
Actually it is difficult to visit the White House, even for American Citizens and even when they do "you only get to visit about 4 rooms" we were reliably informed, but there is a small informative White House Visitor Centre set up in the Presidential Park on the south side of the Treasury Building. Although the building isn't as impressive as our own Buckingham Palace in size, stature or gardens (we visited very recently), it still boasts 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms and 6 levels in the Residence and the grounds cover just over 18 acres.
After passing the South lawn of the White House with a couple more obligatory photos we moved onto the Lincoln Memorial. I remember seeing this in the movie "In the Line of Fire" starring Clint Eastwood. It is an impressive memorial reflecting the design of an ancient Greek temple but with the entrance of the long side. A statue of Lincoln sits facing the Mall. From the memorial you can see right up the Mall over the Reflecting Pool and WWII Memorial to the Washington Monument. From there are the Smithsonian Museums and beyond them, Capitol Hill. Preparations were being made for the 50th Anniversary Freedom March. It was here 50 years ago that Martin Luther King made the famous "I have a dream" speech.
We walked up the Mall past the Reflecting Pool to the WWII Memorial that honours the 16 million Americans who served in the war and the millions who supported the war effort at home. Gold stars revere the 405,000 or so Americans who died in the war. This was only opened surprisingly recently in 2004. The Washington Monument was closed for repairs following earthquake damage in 2011. It is the tallest structure in the city and reputedly the best place to get views over DC. We had to settle for the 2nd best – the tower of the Old Post Office Building. This we did after sampling a "Chicken Dog" as opposed to a Hot Dog. Didn't really taste of chicken or sausage so I dread to think what was actually in it! I'd probably go for guinea pig again before one of those if ever given the option in future!
From the Post Office Tower there are good views down Pennsylvania Avenue towards Capitol Hill including some government and legislative buildings such as the Edgar Hoover FBI Building. It was at Capitol Hill that we finished our day's activities before meeting up with an Aberystywth Uni mate who had moved over here (Ben for those Aber people reading this).
The following day was a little quieter. We started with the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Complex. After a not so healthy lunch (McDonald's has the monopoly at that museum) we encountered Barack Obama, though it would be fairer to say we heard him more than we saw him, as we went down to the gathering for the 50th anniversary freedom march speech - it was heaving. Then it was back to the Smithsonian for a few hours looking round the Natural History Museum – a huge, impressive museum that ideally warrants a full day to do it justice. On display in the Rotunda is an Angolan African Bush Elephant, apparently the largest of its kind on display in the world. At around 13 feet from the forefoot to the top of its shoulder, it is imposingly high! We finished the day having dinner (bison burger) with another DC acquaintance (for those other than family reading this - Mum & Dad had offered a homestay to Elizabeth when she visited our school with other Americans on a People-to-People programme way back in 1986 and continued to offer homestays for four years after that).
Our final morning in DC involved a visit to the National Museum of American History and the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, an architecturally striking building worth the look inside.
And so eventually we made it to Seattle and then onto Bellingham, that is where I am finishing this mail from. Stan and Kay have a lovely house overlooking a bay that faces out onto the San Juan Islands and the northern Pacific, but this part of the adventure must wait until the next instalment.
So until then,
Happy globetrotting
Kath & Andy
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Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" Howard Martin
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