poohmaine's trip to Washington, DC: COMPLETE 10/23 About This Page:

[lauren-roxy]

It is a shame how your tour went at the White House, bit I guess that it is a sign of the times. We have a friend who was Secret Service that got to take us on tours of the White House and we got to go to July 4th fireworks on the South lawn one year. Those were the days. I hope your day gets better, can't wait to read more!!

[GoofyMom]

It's too bad you didn't have a better tour of the White House. I'm like you, I like to ask a lot of questions about what I'm seeing and it's so frustrating when you just get yes or no answers.

[zacksmom_1993]

I'm so sorry that your trip to the White House was disappointing. I'm still incredibly jealous you got in there, though. I wonder if it would be different when the President and staff are in town? I'd to see one of the special Christmas tours they have. I am so enjoying your report. Can't wait to hear more!

Karen

[DawnDenise]

Just got caught up on your past couple of updates!! I haven't been to AHM in years but loved it! Sorry to hear that the White House tour was a disappointment. I have never gone there. Only looked at it from the outside.

Looking forward to more!! Keep it coming!!

[poohmaine]

After our White House tour, Ben went back to the hotel to get our "stuff." We walked around Lafayette Park while we waited. We ate lunch at Park Place Gourmet, a take-out lunch spot featuring a huge buffet of everything you can imagine. (We just happened to walk by it looking for somewhere to eat).

Our next stop was a long walk to Ford's Theater and the House Where Lincoln died. I liked the exhibits downstairs which present a chronological history of the events of that day through the arrest and trail of JW Booth. Ben had to drag me out of there in order to make our 3:00 trip up the Washington Monument.

The monument is a very popular tourist spot. You wait outside in the hot sun (no shade) until the officer calls your tour time. You squeeze into the very small security building for screening. Then they squish you into the elevator (too many people, IMO) and ride to the top. The viewing area is small and claustrophobic, the viewing windows are very small (and could use a good cleaning), but the views were beautiful!


Looking towards the White House


Closer view of the White House


Across the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial


Looking up the National Mall to the Captitol

[Colexis Mom]

Great pictures

[lauren-roxy]

Your pictures are awesome!!!!!!

[chezp]

Great photos - thanks for sharing those!

[poohmaine]

After the Washington Monument, the girls and Ben were tired and wanted to go swimming at the hotel. Here was my chance to see ART! I didn't have much time as most of the art museums close at 5:30, so I picked the closest ones to where I was: the Freer Gallery of Art, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (which together form the national museum of Asian art) and the National Museum of African Art.

There is only one public tour of the Freer daily at 12:30, so I was on my own. It is not a huge museum like the National Gallery, and it was practically empty, so I was able to visit all the galleries in a little more than an hour. The art is Asian from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and China. I love Japanese and Chinese art, so I was in heaven!It was beautiful. I particularly enjoyed the Japanese folding screens, the Kongorikishi warrior sculptures, and the old Chinese scroll paintings.

There is also a gallery of Whistler paintings (because Charles Freer collected him, too), and a room that Whistler had decorated for a client in 1876 to display a Whistler painting and an oriental china collection (called "the Peacock Room").

I walked downstairs and strolled the underground hallway to the Sackler. The building is almost entirely underground. The art is from silk route empires: Yemen, Turkey, southeast Asia, China, and it also includes contemporary works.

There was a special program going on for area teachers. There was food and drink out everywhere, and people insisted I eat! So I did. There were also special exhibits and diplays, mostly with lesson plan ideas, etc. but some with artists. An Asian artist was outside the gift shop painting Japanese characters. I stayed and watched him for quite a while. The gift shop merchandise was lovely and I could have easily spent hundreds of dollars in there! But I was good and bought just one print and a few cards and a poster for each of the girls.

I briefly walked through the African Museum. It was crowded in here due to the teachers program and I didn't see much. I sat and listened to some African musicians, but soon it was closing time and time to head back to the hotel.

Due to the distance I was taking the subway. I did not remember that in the real world it is rush hour! The crowds at Metro Station (where I had to transfer to another line) were so heavy I couldn't get on the first two trains. I knew Ben was going to start to worry if I didn't get back soon, so when the next train came I allowed myself to get caught in the stampede! I was literally smushed into taller (and unfortunately smelly) gentlemen in the middle of the car and I could barely breathe. But at least I couldn't fall either! I had to yell for people to let me through so I could get off at my stop. I could never, ever commute like that everyday to work!

After a much-needed shower, we walked a few blocks past Union Station to the lovely residential neighborhood area of Capitol Hill. We had a choice of several lovely restaurants along Mass Ave. N, and settled on La Loma, a Mexican restaurant. It was very busy, very loud, and fun and the food was delicious. Hayley amused the staff at her attempts to speak Spanish. It was a beautiful, warm evening, we had a lovely stroll there and back, and the girls got along well: a great ending to the day.


Ben and the girls at La Loma


Pretty view of the Capitol on our stroll back to the hotel

[poohmaine]

No one woke up until 7:30-ish. Ben walked a block to get a "real breakfast" while we took showers. We went to the Air and Space Museum right when it opened and spent 3 hours there (could have spent more easily). All of the exhibits here are great, but we especially enjoyed the Apollo to the Moon and Exploring the Planets exhibits.

After a quick lunch at the food court, we parted ways. It was our last day, and there were things I wanted to see that Ben did not and vice versa. Hayley and Ben went to Arlington National Cemetary, and Evie and I wanted to see the Museum of the American Indian (MAI) and also the National Gallery of Art. We were going to meet on the stairs at the National Gallery at closing time (5:30).

As I walked into the MAI, I knew I had made the right choice not to miss it. The architecture is stunning. We made our way to the fourth floor to see the introductory film "Who We Are." The film is projected on the floor on a rock, on a woven blanket, and the domed ceiling. The effect is very cool and the film was very moving, and was a great introduction to the wide variety of native North American cultures. The audience burst into applause when it ended.

The exhibits were very well done. "Our Universes, Our Peoples and Our Lives" featured 24 tribes telling a little bit about their lives. Each section immersed you in the tribes art, life, landscape, sounds, etc. It's very hard to describe, but when you transition from one tribe to the next, you know from the sounds and decor that you are visiting a new tribe. Sorry, Ben took the camera! No photos!

We didn't get to see everything. We were there two hours and could have easily spent two more. I had to drag Evie out. I really wanted to see at least a little bit of the National Gallery!

On our walk across the mall, we walked through the Hirschorn Sculpture Garden to see the sculptures. When we got to the National Gallery, we only had an hour and a half until closing, so I picked my favorite galleries, the impressionists.

Evie was getting tired and was not cooperative. I tried to explain to her Monet's way of painting light, and why I love Van Gogh, but she was not listening. I gave up, sat her on the benches in each gallery and tried my best to enjoy the masterpieces in front of me.

The National Gallery is HUGE, and I could have easily spent two days there. It wasn't going to happen. No one likes art except me. And there is too much other stuff to do in DC. But the little time I had there was better than nothing, that's for sure!

I got Evie something to eat. She watched a man feeding pigeons out the back of his car. Hayley and Ben met us on the stairs at 5:30. We walked over to the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden. Every Friday evening June through September they have a free outdoor jazz concert. We stayed and listened for a while, but the crowds were overwhelming, and everyone was sitting on or under the sculptures, so you really couldn't see many of them.


Man feeding pigeons (I wonder how much poop did he got on his head?)


Grand reflecting pool in the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden


Hayley hugs a bunny sculpture

We crossed the street to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. We had planned to see these last. We thought it would be a great way to end our visit to DC.

You can't go up the grand front stairs into the National Archives Building anymore. You have to go to the entrance on the side of the stairs. There is a very high level of security here, with Capitol Police on each side of the display cases. The girls were very interested and the police had to keep telling them to keep their hands off the glass!

We had promised the girls one IMAX movie and they chose the marine life 3D movie at the National History Museum. The show was at 7:20. I don't do well in IMAX movies (extreme motion sickness) so I sat it out in the Atrium near the gelato stand and ate gelato and wrote postcards. They enjoyed it very much.

[poohmaine]

We all slept in this morning. Check-out wasn't until noon. We showered, Evie went swimming, we packed. Ben walked up to Union Station to get the rental car.

Our flight was not until 5:30, so we decided to visit the Eastern Market section of Capitol Hill for lunch before we drove to Baltimore. On the weekend there are flea markets, farmers' markets, craft booths, interesting shops and lots of ethnic restaurants.

For lunch we chose Meyhane, a Turkish restaurant on Pennsylvania Ave SE. We had never had Turkish food before. It was really good. After lunch, we wandered back through the booths and bought the girls some bakery items for snacks on the plane (better than airport food!).

Too soon, it was time to go. Ben wanted to drive out of the city via Massachusetts Avenue past all the embassies. They were very interesting. Some are huge and ornate, and some are small and drab and hard to spot.


Hayley in front of the drab Japanese embassy facade

Our drive to Baltimore was uneventful. The girls slept most of the way. We hit lots of traffic, but had plenty of time to make our flight. On this flight, we finally got a crew that did some of the legendary SWA antics, including "guess what this passenger is carrying" as passengers boarded, singing, poems, and silly jokes and gags. The girls loved it.

Our flight was on time, ane we landed in NH at 7:00 p.m. We got to our house in Maine at 9:00 p.m.

Next: wrapping up the trip!

[lauren-roxy]

Great updates and pictures!! I have really enjoyed reading about your trip and am so sorry that it has ended!! Sounds like you had a really nice trip and got to see quite a bit!!

[poohmaine]

I asked the family to list their favorite things from our vacation.

Hayley:
- The zoo
- The Holocaust Museum
- Ghost stories walking tour

Evelyn
- National Museum of the American Indian
- the zoo
- National History Museum
- The Capitol

Ben
- Evening stroll to La Lomos
- Senate Subway
- Making shadow puppets for Evelyn while listening to the Navy Band on the Capitol stairs

Me!
- National Museum of the American Indian (stunning architecture, interesting interactive displays)
- The Botanic Gardens (such a surprise how beautiful they were!)
- The Freer Gallery (simple, beautiful Asian art)
- The Holocaust Museum (most moving experience)

Since you asked: our average meal cost was $26 for lunch, and $50 for dinner, including tip. (I am not including food courts or our cheap senate cafeteria lunch in the averages.) Please note we do not drink alcohol, and we are not big eaters; we never eat appetizers before a meal.

I am so grateful that we had the chance to take our children to visit our nation's capital. I am grateful each time we are able to vacation together as a family. As our girls get older, I realize that these trips will be fewer and I try to apppreciate each and every moment.

If you have any questions about our trip, or need any additional information, just ask. I have a lot more information and photos than I put in the report!

Thanks for reading, it was fun to write!

Susan

Here is my favorite photo from our trip:


The girls with a statue of Fala, FDR's dog, at the FDR Memorial

[lauren-roxy]

Thanks for sharing your trip Susan, it was really a lot of fun to read and the pictures were awesome!!!!

[Shadowfax]

What a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing! We can't wait to go this coming summer. I was particularly excited to read about your visit to the National Museum of the American Indian. I can't wait to see it. It sounds fantastic!