Arrival Day
When we arrived at the Union Station in Washington (DC) it took some time until we found the entrance to the Metro (Subway) Station. It's a big station mainly for trains. We draw a Metro Card for 20.00 USD each. The appropriate fare will be automatically subtracted when going through the turn style at the beginning and at the end of the trip. That's a very good system, because you pay on the distance and also less during non-rush hours. In New York you always pay the same for one trip, whether a short or a long distance. In Washington you even can get a senior card for traveling half the price. What I did next day at the Metro Central Station, where there was a attended counter to show your passport as proof of your age.
So where to go? I booked the
Quality Inn Tysons Corner
1587 Spring Hill Road
Tysons Corner, VA 22182
Tel.:+1 703 448 8020
|
at www.booking.com for 76.25 USD (69.30 Euro) a night including breakfast. That was much cheaper than comparative hotels in Washington (DC). And even half the price of our Ramada Inn in Jersey City. And the Metro Spring Hill Station was around 200 meters away from the Quality Inn. The Silver Line takes you from there to the center of Washington (DC) in around half an hour. There was another advantage: From the next and final station of the Silver Line you could easily get to the Dulles International Airport by taking the Washington Flyer shuttle bus for 5.00 USD. Some day the Silver Line will go all the way to that airport.
First day
Next day we went with the Metro Silver Line to the Central Metro Station (also to get my Metro Smartrip Senior Card) and then we walked from there along the G Street NW to the 15th Street NW (streets from west to east have letters and from north to south have numbers, if no name).
We approached the White House from the east but couldn't get through to the side entrance nor to the front door. Unfortunately we didn't have an invitation from President Obama. What Joy told everybody before she left for the USA.
So we had to walk all the way around to the south, while passing the General William Tecumseh Sherman Monument, to get to the only spot to see the White House: The north curve of the Ellipse. After our photo session we continued to and then along Constitution Avenue while bypassing some museums and galleries, which I had once visited when I was in Washington in 1993. After we crossed the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Park we finally saw the Capitol. Ok, follow us to get there.
Click the small picture to get it enlarged
| General William Tecumseh Sherman Monument
|
| Finally, the White House
|
| Yes, this is proof that Joy was here (unfortunately no selfie with Obama)
|
| Another Monument: That of the Boy Scout Movement
|
| The motto of the Boy Scouts
|
| This is the Andrew W Mellon Auditorium on Constitution Avenue
|
| The new National Museum of African American History and Culture
|
| Archives of the United States of America
|
| What kind of sculpture is this?
|
| It's the thinker of a rock by Barry Flanagan in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture
|
| The Four-Sided Pyramid by Sol Lewitt in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture
|
| And now: The Capitol
|
| Yes, this is proof again that Joy was here also
|
| me too
|
There are so many museums around the National Mall that you would need two weeks to visit them all intensively. We didn't have that much time. The only museum we entered was the Smithsonian National Art and Space Museum. By the way: All museums are free: No entrance fee.
| The Moon Landing Module
|
| Description of the Command Module
|
| Apollo Lunar Suit
|
| Desription of the Apollo Lunar Suit
|
| German V2 Rocket
|
| Rocket Rivalries
|
Second day
The next day we went back to the Smithsonian Metro Station where we finished the day before. Opposite of that station we saw the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History which we had already passed when we strolled along the Constitution Avenue the day before. At front we saw the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building and the Smithsonian Castle. It would be too much to describe what is inside and what Smithsonian is all about. You get better explanations if you look up the internet. Also not much to explain the next Washington's landmark: The Washington Monument.
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
|
| Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building
|
| Smithsonian Castle
|
| Washington Monument
|
| Washington Monument with Joy
|
| Washington Monument with Flag
|
| Looking up the Washington Monument
|
| Closer look up of the Washington Monument
|
| Visitors :A girl from the Philippines and
|
| two girls from Peru
|
We continued to walk along the National Mall in the direction to the Lincoln Memorial while passing the World War II Memorial. The world would look much more different, if the USA would not have joined the war or even lost the war either in the Pacific or the Atlantic or both. There may be still people around who wished they had. I definitely not. I might have become a German soldier fighting against the Japanese Empire or a communist STASI agent in the EUSSR. Take a look how the Americans honor their heroic achievements.
| Looking back to the Washington Monument from
|
| the World War II Memorial
|
| Looking back to the Washington Monument from
|
| the world War II Memorial
|
| The Pacific War Memorial
|
| The Atlantic War Memorial
|
| The Pacific War started
|
| with Pearl Harbor
|
| The D-Day was the beginning of
|
| the end of the war
|
| The Price of Freedom (World War II)
|
| The Lincoln Memorial (he fought for the freedom for slaves)
|
Another historic achievement of the Americans was the abolishment of slavery. Unfortunately it resulted in Civil War and the murder of Abraham Lincoln. What a pity that it had to come to that. Why is so difficult for a breakthrough of human rights for all to make the world a better place.
| President Abraham Lincoln
|
| His words
|
| are still
|
| remembered for ever
|
| Joy and
|
| I pay him tribute
|
| So do people from all over the world
|
| Last view back to the pool and the Washington Monument
|
From the Lincoln Memorial we took a taxi to get over the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Metro Station in Arlington. We didn't visit the Arlington Cemetery because Joy's feet were killing her. So we went back to Spring Hill and relaxed at our hotel until dinner time.
There are many good restaurants in walking distance from our hotel. Once we tried Ruth' Cris Steak House. Not so cheap but very good. Try some of the smaller dishes from a special menu. Another restaurant was the Side St & Sushi Bar where Joy especially liked to eat the "When Tiger Cry" for 18.00 USD. A glass of wine or beer came up to 4.00 USD each, though. The whole bill came up to 52.00 USD (47.00 Euro). The tandoori chicken for 12.00 USD at the Bombay Tandoor restaurant I do not recommend. And if you want to do some shopping there is a Walmart close-by too.
Third day
On the third and last full day in Washington we went to Alexandria which actually does not belong to Washington (DC). It's a nice place as you can see from the following photos. I stayed here two weeks in the year 1993 and I remember it very well. Actually, not much has changed around King Street during the last 23 years, except that it has become more touristy. And the tourists are even now more catered for by providing a free shuttle trolley going up and down King Street from the Metro station to the waterfront.
| In Alexandria going by Trolley
|
| from the Metro station on King Street to the Waterfront
|
| Harbor ship
|
| Harbor restaurant
|
| Having lunch in an Irish pub
|
| There were many other restaurants
|
Our lunch at Daniel O'Connel's was Shepherds Pie and Corned & Cabbage, typical Irish. Together with a large coke it came up to 45.00 USD (41.00 Euro), including tip. The best of it was sitting outside and watching the traffic and people passing by.
| Many nice shops
|
| all on King Street
|
| Antique shop or Bar?
|
| This definitely is the City Hall
|
| A lantern on City Hall Plaza
|
| A restaurant: The "King Street Blues"
|
After King Street we took the Metro to Pentagon City where we strolled through the Mall. After having our soup and baguette at "Au Bon Pain" Joy was inspecting all the fashion shops. I stayed at GNC (General Nutrition Center) for buying vitamins, minerals and hormones for my health. You don't get the vitamins in such high doses and all the variety of minerals in Germany. As far as the hormones DHEA or Melatonin are concerned you only get them with a doctor's prescription in Germany. And the pills are much cheaper in the USA. But you don't need all this if you under 50 years old. But I suggest you do if you are over.
This was the end of Washington (DC).
As it was said before and will be said again: There could have been seen and done a lot more. Also I could have written more. If you want to know more all about the places we have visited, then just look up any of the many guidebooks or the internet.
| 