March

Blogging once a month is a fantastic way to go! That way I never have to think up a post title.

March was reasonably eventful. We didn't go anywhere February so it was high time we hit the road again. Off to BC we went for five days. Carrie's grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, an event we didn't want to miss. We spent our time as expected, visiting with family and friends and relaxing a wee bit.

Last week Carrie had a conference in Washington, DC. I couldn't decide whether to tag along or not, but she convinced me to go in the end. We'd kept an eye out for cheap flights, but with only a few days to go the options were severely limited, so we just got my flight using Airmiles.

We enjoyed five-star accommodations; it's always nice but I'm not convinced I'd ever want to pay for the extra you're getting: bigger room, comfier pillows, fancier bathroom... There wasn't even a coffee maker in the room! You'd think they'd at least do that to save us the trip downstairs where the free drinks are.



The hotel wasn't exactly close to the main tourist attractions, but a walk to the White House was under 15 minutes, so that was manageable.

Speaking of which, here it is... complete with a nice Suburban parked in front. Now that's a home!


The back yard is fairly big. What do you mean, I should be on the outside of the fence?!


The little angry men on the roof are ample reason not to scale the fence. I imagine they're itching for some action.


Just south of the White House is the National Mall. No, it's not a place to shop; it's a park that's two miles long, lined with memorials and museums and stuff... so rather central to tourism.

On the west end is the Lincoln Memorial. You might notice they borrowed architectural themes from ancient Greece and Rome.


Mr. Lincoln inside, forever lounging in his chair.


Looking east from the Lincoln Memorial. One of the only successful self-portraits of the trip.


Nearby is the Jefferson Memorial. (Yes, there are many memorials to many presidents in DC.)



The Washington Monument is near the centre of the Mall. By far the tallest structure in the city, it showed up in surprisingly many photos. There's an observation level at the top, but to go up you first need stand in line for a ticket, which -- if you manage you get one (they're in limited supply) -- indicates what time you get to go up. A whole lot of hassle and far too much time management for my liking.


Near the centre of the Mall strip, there's the main building of the Smithsonian, which is a whole slew of free museums and stuff for the touristy types. This main building is called the Castle. It looks purdy, but the city in general wasn't so colourful yet. The cherry blossom festival started that weekend, but we there wasn't much in bloom quite yet.


At the east end of the Mall is the Capitol building. Scads of student groups were taking tours there (well, pretty everywhere all the time) so that discouraged me from doing the same.


I went to the nearby Library of Congress instead, which has all sorts of exhibits to take in, including a large collection of Thomas Jefferson's personal library. I ventured to the National Archives, but the line-up there was too long, simply because of people waiting to see the Declaration of Independence that's on display there.

The concierge at the hotel had suggested that I check out the Old Post Office, which is currently a shopping/office complex that still has an old clock tower. The view from the tower is the second highest in the city, which was good enough for me. I got a shot of the Washington Monument, with the Pentagon in the background to its left (you'll see it if you click on the picture).


I had hoped to sneak into the FBI building, but the visitor centre was temporarily closed, so I had to settle for a walk-by. Perhaps my walking around the building twice got their attention, but that wasn't enough for an invitation inside.


One day I walked over to Arlington National Cemetery; just across the river in Virginia, it turned out to be quite a hike. Over 600 acres in size, this place is a maze of roads, paths, memorials and gravestones. There are an average of 27 funerals per day here. While I was there I heard at least two 21-gun salutes off in the distance.



A few key spots are major attractions such as JFK's tomb and memorial, the latter of which displays a number of his quotes.


Another day I went to the Pentagon, also in Virginia. I wanted to jump in a cab and say "The Pentagon!" because, well, how often does one get to do that? But taking the subway was cheaper, so I did that instead. Right at the Pentagon station there is a photography ban in effect. I walked around the perimeter a bit, even walked away a bit, but the "no photos" signs didn't go away. But then there was the 9/11 memorial site; photos are permitted there, so I took a shot of the memorial/building from there. Not that there's much to see anyway; so close up, all you get is a boring shot of one side of the building.


I saw more, and we went out for expensive dinners and whatnot, but if I don't wrap up this post now it'll never get done.