Diary of a vacation: Part II
Thursday morning: Showering, dressing, and breakfasting complete, we pack a diaper bag with necessities for the day. Our friend drops us off at the Medical Center Metro station, as it is near where she works. The commute puts us in rush hour traffic, and she promises the next morning to take us to a station nearer her house.
We figure out the Metro with little difficulty, and even transfer trains without problem. We emerge on the Mall to a gorgeous sunny day, and walk the few blocks down to the Washington Monument, where we barely manage to snag the last remaining tickets to go up in the monument. The tickets are for 12:30; it's now just past 11:00. We grab an early lunch of sandwiches at a nearby snack stand, then walk to the World War II Memorial just past the Washington Monument at the near end of the Reflecting Pool. I've been to D.C. twice before, but this monument is new, my only truly new experience on this trip. The north side is a memorial to the European front, the south side to the Asian front. Each state and U.S. territory is represented with a pillar, and there are tributes to each of the armed services and even to the women, not just in the military but those who remained on the home front. Go, Rosie the Riveter!
Thursday afternoon:
After spending some time here, we make our way back over to the Washington Monument. Audrey is already starting to lag, even after our rest here.. It's my first clue that all the sights I managed to see in one day with my friends while visiting as a college student will not happen on this trip. We wait in line at the base of the monument, and two things remind me that I am in post 9/11 America. The line to wait for our turn is not spiraled near the base, as it was in my college years, but is pushed out to benches at the edge of the concrete surrounding the obelisk. And our stroller cannot be left near the entrance, but must be parked near the bench we were sitting on. It might have a bomb on it, you know.
The trip to the top is very fast. This is only my second trip to the top of the monument, and the first was at night, so today I get to see the view of D.C. in daylight. I can't see the Eternal Flame at JFK's grave over in Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac, the way I did at night, but I can make out the Pentagon. Cool. I also learn something I did not on my earlier visit: the monument is free-standing, not held together with mortar, but by the interlocking nature of the blocks and it's own weight. I get two stories as to why the stairs are now closed, except to park-ranger tours: first, there were too many heart attacks (maybe), second, there was too much graffiti and damage being done (more likely).
We take the elevator back down and find the stroller (still there, thankfully). We begin walking down the length of the Reflecting Pool towards the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. Audrey's will to walk is really wavering now, and she begs to be carried. Leo carries her on his shoulders for a while, then tells her she can run ahead to the next park bench and wait for us. This gets her about a 30-second rest. Then she runs ahead to the next park bench and waits again. This seems to make her forget her weariness, and she enjoys this "game" all the way down to the Vietnam Memorial. We walk through it more quickly than I would like, and then go on to the base of the Lincoln Memorial. We stop for a quick snack, goldfish crackers for Audrey and nursies for Aislinn. I decide I'll wait at the bottom while Leo walks up the steps to the statue of Lincoln. Audrey surprisingly decides to go with him. While they are gone, I look at my D.C. for Dummies guidebook and decide where we'll have "lunner" (our meal between lunch and dinner).
The plan, when they return, is to hop on the TourMobile, the bus that you can hop on and off of as you wish all day for one price, take it around the entire loop up and down the Mall, and hope Audrey falls asleep for however brief a nap. We wait for nearly a half hour for the bus to show and see only other buses. We almost decide to take a different one, and then decide to take a taxi to our restaurant instead. As we hop in a cab, we see the TourMobile pull up. Too bad. We're getting hungry anyway, after our early lunch.
I've decided on Nooshi (also called Oodles Noodles). It's the first part of a wonderful prescription for a not-quite-satisfactory day so far. We order half a Peking roast duck, chicken curry, crab-filled wonton soup, and from the sushi menu, a spicy tuna roll. Delish. Aislinn eats some Cheerios and a jar of baby food, and we're all full and satisfied. We decide to walk to the nearest Metro station, do a little window shopping, and make our way back to our friend's house. The second part of the prescription for the day happens when I spot a Borders. YESSSSS! Leo agrees. It first looks smaller than the Borders I'm used to seeing, then I realize: there are TWO LEVELS. TWO! I park the family down in the children's section, then head up to the cafe. I snag a beaded bookmark that I intend to study for some ideas, then get a chai for myself and a hot chocolate for Audrey. Leo's stomach is bothering him, so he does not want anything. I carry the drinks back downstairs, and we spend well over a pleasant hour relaxing and reading to Audrey. If I'd been alone, I would have loved exploring the two levels, but no matter. My day, if not my entire trip, is complete :) We head for the Metro and make our way home for the evening.
We figure out the Metro with little difficulty, and even transfer trains without problem. We emerge on the Mall to a gorgeous sunny day, and walk the few blocks down to the Washington Monument, where we barely manage to snag the last remaining tickets to go up in the monument. The tickets are for 12:30; it's now just past 11:00. We grab an early lunch of sandwiches at a nearby snack stand, then walk to the World War II Memorial just past the Washington Monument at the near end of the Reflecting Pool. I've been to D.C. twice before, but this monument is new, my only truly new experience on this trip. The north side is a memorial to the European front, the south side to the Asian front. Each state and U.S. territory is represented with a pillar, and there are tributes to each of the armed services and even to the women, not just in the military but those who remained on the home front. Go, Rosie the Riveter!
Thursday afternoon:
After spending some time here, we make our way back over to the Washington Monument. Audrey is already starting to lag, even after our rest here.. It's my first clue that all the sights I managed to see in one day with my friends while visiting as a college student will not happen on this trip. We wait in line at the base of the monument, and two things remind me that I am in post 9/11 America. The line to wait for our turn is not spiraled near the base, as it was in my college years, but is pushed out to benches at the edge of the concrete surrounding the obelisk. And our stroller cannot be left near the entrance, but must be parked near the bench we were sitting on. It might have a bomb on it, you know.
The trip to the top is very fast. This is only my second trip to the top of the monument, and the first was at night, so today I get to see the view of D.C. in daylight. I can't see the Eternal Flame at JFK's grave over in Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac, the way I did at night, but I can make out the Pentagon. Cool. I also learn something I did not on my earlier visit: the monument is free-standing, not held together with mortar, but by the interlocking nature of the blocks and it's own weight. I get two stories as to why the stairs are now closed, except to park-ranger tours: first, there were too many heart attacks (maybe), second, there was too much graffiti and damage being done (more likely).
We take the elevator back down and find the stroller (still there, thankfully). We begin walking down the length of the Reflecting Pool towards the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. Audrey's will to walk is really wavering now, and she begs to be carried. Leo carries her on his shoulders for a while, then tells her she can run ahead to the next park bench and wait for us. This gets her about a 30-second rest. Then she runs ahead to the next park bench and waits again. This seems to make her forget her weariness, and she enjoys this "game" all the way down to the Vietnam Memorial. We walk through it more quickly than I would like, and then go on to the base of the Lincoln Memorial. We stop for a quick snack, goldfish crackers for Audrey and nursies for Aislinn. I decide I'll wait at the bottom while Leo walks up the steps to the statue of Lincoln. Audrey surprisingly decides to go with him. While they are gone, I look at my D.C. for Dummies guidebook and decide where we'll have "lunner" (our meal between lunch and dinner).
The plan, when they return, is to hop on the TourMobile, the bus that you can hop on and off of as you wish all day for one price, take it around the entire loop up and down the Mall, and hope Audrey falls asleep for however brief a nap. We wait for nearly a half hour for the bus to show and see only other buses. We almost decide to take a different one, and then decide to take a taxi to our restaurant instead. As we hop in a cab, we see the TourMobile pull up. Too bad. We're getting hungry anyway, after our early lunch.
I've decided on Nooshi (also called Oodles Noodles). It's the first part of a wonderful prescription for a not-quite-satisfactory day so far. We order half a Peking roast duck, chicken curry, crab-filled wonton soup, and from the sushi menu, a spicy tuna roll. Delish. Aislinn eats some Cheerios and a jar of baby food, and we're all full and satisfied. We decide to walk to the nearest Metro station, do a little window shopping, and make our way back to our friend's house. The second part of the prescription for the day happens when I spot a Borders. YESSSSS! Leo agrees. It first looks smaller than the Borders I'm used to seeing, then I realize: there are TWO LEVELS. TWO! I park the family down in the children's section, then head up to the cafe. I snag a beaded bookmark that I intend to study for some ideas, then get a chai for myself and a hot chocolate for Audrey. Leo's stomach is bothering him, so he does not want anything. I carry the drinks back downstairs, and we spend well over a pleasant hour relaxing and reading to Audrey. If I'd been alone, I would have loved exploring the two levels, but no matter. My day, if not my entire trip, is complete :) We head for the Metro and make our way home for the evening.
posted by Andrea | 1:32 PM
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