Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
FRIDAY
Got set for a big day of touring the nations Capital - caught a taxi a short distance to the local Metro Station and then took the subway into central Washington. We bought an all day trolley bus pass and proceeded to do a loop taking in the major sights. The city was packed with everyday workers and each stop the bus made was packed out - just so many tourists!!! There was a brain overload of things to gawk at - White House, Capitol Building, Union Station, Lincoln Memorial.... it just went on and on and we decided to get off at Arlington Cemetery and do a separate tour there. The crowds were just as bad but the tour was simply awesome!
We were amazed by the number of headstones - over 300,000 servicemen and dignitaries buried there - they average 25 funerals a day!!!! We saw several on our tour! John F Kennedy's grave and the Eternal Flame there was a real highlight as was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - a very impressive amphitheatre built of local marble. We saw the changing of the guard there - very choreographed and quite over the top really!!!!
It was a very moving experience to see all those graves, a fantastic memorial to all those who have fallen while serving the USA.
From there we looked at the enormous Lincoln Memorial where a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln looks down the mall to the National Monument and on to the Capitol Building - it is all so impressive - the Americans have such pride in their history and have marked it in their inimitable style.
Next was the Vietnam Veterans Wall which was engraved with all those who perished in Vietnam. We were quite surprised to see that the USA were involved in the Vietnam War as early as 1959 - way earlier than Australia. Once again it was very emotional to see all those names.
By this time it getting late in the afternoon and it was very hot but we jumped on another tour which took a different route out into the suburbs, passed all the various embassies, and we saw the Australian Ambassador's home which naturally is one of the most expensive in the city!!!!!!!!!!! No wonder it is a plum job here in the US!
The National Cathedral was a highlight of this tour, but we didn't have time to stop and will try and see it properly tomorrow.
We caught the train back to our hotel and were delayed for ages by an electrical fault on the line and it was after 7pm before we got back. We were absolutely beat by then then but over a couple of beers reflected on the tremendous day we have had and all the famous landmarks we had seen.
SATURDAY
Drove the car to the station as parking is free on the weekends and once again were in the city in minutes ($1.35 each). Stopped at a Starbucks for a coffee and marvelled for the umpteenth time that we were actually in Washington DC, let alone sitting on Pennsylvania venue having a coffee!
We walked along the Avenue towards the White House and got some photos of the front of this landmark - we couldn't get over the security - cops and agents everywhere and all the roads have been blocked off since 9/11. We went around the block to the front and found a huge queue of people and found that the actual White House gardens were open today! (one of the few times each each year it happens apparently) So we joined the throng and after being searched and x-rayed found ourselves standing on the path outside the front door of the White House!!! Bloody amazing!!! After seeing the the spot on the TV for all my life we were actually there. We snapped off dozens of photos and wandered the gardens looking at all the trees planted by various Presidents and the putting green and walking path where George W does his "thang"!! The security was over the top - agents all over the place and troopers with machine guns!
From there we walked back to the US Post Office Building and took the elevator to the look out on top for a great view of the city. Had some lunch and then caught train out to see the Pentagon, but were disappointed to find a very big very plain building that has tours only on weekdays. No photos are permitted anywhere and there was security everywhere again. The front of the building where the plane flew into is still under repair and we could not see any of it. All the same it was amazing to be close to where such an event took place and that combined with the all the CTV's made it a spooky place.
Once we got back to our car we drove to the National Cathedral and had a look inside to find a wedding being held. It is a truly magnificent building - took 83 years to finish - and the stained glass windows were a sight to behold. Drove back through Georgetown which is a posh shopping area and saw all the boutique type shops with the trend-ites all meandering along looking trendy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow we hand the Hyundai back and fly to Buffalo and the Niagara Falls. Washington has been simply unreal and we have seen and done so much - very pleased we made time to come here - the yanks are just so patriotic and proud of their country - which makes me feel a little ashamed that we don't take enough time to remember our achievements. It is a huge city, but we saw no dingy areas and no graffiti on any walls and the subway especially was immaculate with no vagrants or trouble anywhere. Saw a few beggars (or panhandlers as they call them) in the streets, but we never felt unsafe anywhere. The trains - which were quite old - were in immaculate condition unlike our brand new ones in Perth that have every window scratched.
- comments
ALEX R.I.P ALL THAT HAVE DIED TO PROTECT US AND OUR COUNTRY
ALEX I HEARD THAT THE FLAME NEVER GOES OUT NOT EVEN IN RAIN . I AM SO STUPID OF COURES THE ETERNAL FLAME
ALEX Look it How CUTE..........
ALEX WHATS UP OBAMA
ALEX WHEN MY TEACHER WENT SHE FOUND THAT THE SQUIRRLS WERE SO CUTE BUT THEY JUST WANT YOUR FOOD