A Weekend in Washington DC

A Weekend in Washington DC


In my previous post Shanti and I ventured out to a local part to revisit and relearn some history. We were supposed to head back to the Guilford Courthouse for the annual battle re-enactment, but unfortunately the task of tearing up our yard and starting over in the hopes of growing grass took precedence. This weekend, however, we took advantage of the short 5 hour drive to Washington DC. For Shanti, this was her first visit to our nation's most important city. When I was younger my family took a trip, but of course that particular visit felt like it took place in another lifetime. My recollections are far and few.

DAY 1: Find the hotel, get our bearings, and figure out the public transit system. As luck would have it, I happened to choose a hotel with a "Metro" rail station just across the street. Previously, I anticipated days of driving and fighting for parking with other tourists. The Metro system proved to be a huge convenience and relief. Riding subway trains are just another part of the experience.

Our first "day 1" did not actually take place until Saturday (3/24) when we woke up early and headed out to see the sites. The weather forecast called for clouds and rain. Luckily, all we got were the clouds and the occasional mist. We spent 90% of the day walking into museums. On our first day out we visited the National Air & Space Museum, National Art Museum, and the National Museum of Natural History. I can tell you with a great degree of certainty that I could have easily spent an entire day exploring each of these museums. We did the best we could with the time we had and walked briskly and attentively. One of the attractions that caught our attention in the Nat'l Air/Space Museum was a Japanese kite festival. Inside of the museum were kite flying demos, kites for kids build sessions, and many other wings on display.


On the occasion to where it did not appear to be raining Shanti and I walked throughout the National Mall taking a moment every now and again to make a photo of anything in sight. The overcast sky made for a great black and white image of the Capitol Building.



A good friend of mine from a model rocketry forum suggested we spend the evening riding the "Monuments by Moonlight" tour that operates just outside of Union Station. This was exactly what we needed - a quick way to get around town, see the sights, and have someone narrarate the history behind all of it. One of our first stops was at the FDR Memorial. Across the river was a stunning view of the Washington Monument.



One of our final stops of the evening was at the Iwo Jima Memorial. I had no idea how big this statue was nor did I ever really reflect on the significance of the event that this memorial represents. It was truly moving to stand beneath this larger than life statue and reflect on the sacrifices made by US Marines at the Japanese island.



I have many more photos to upload and share. Please check back later in the week when I have more photos from our weekend trip to DC posted. See you soon.