We're back on the road - in Washington, DC. We managed to just *happen* to get into town *just* before the "Snowmageddon" 21-inch snowfall hit. We just holed up yesterday and this morning, "Van Monroe" was still pretty-well parked (and snowed) in - and the roads were still kind of snowy and icy in unpredictable places - and we were worried about finding parking anywhere - and we knew that nothing was open yet. SO! We set out on foot. Walked down toward the closest subway station and found a stranger "high centered" in a Honda - stuck in the snow. 2 guys were already helping her, but we jumped in and helped dig her out enough that she was able to back out - and it was a good reminder that it was very difficult to tell which roads were navigable and which were *not* so I was again glad that we had decided not to try to drive.
On to the subway station right behind the headquarters of the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives". Uhhh... WHAT? I'd never heard the last one as part of the mix. Hmmm... Anyway. This subway station is above ground so it was locked up tight: only underground Metro stations are open. Ack. Walked back to the Courtyard right next door and were told that the closest station was another mile away. OooKay. But we were bundled up really well, so as long as we were in the sun - it was OK. We were constantly walking *into* a light breeze (ALWAYS coming from the West) and that made it chilly to any exposed skin (read "the 4 square inches around my eyes"), but we generally had a nice walk - hand-in-hand. Not much of anybody out on the streets so we constantly stopped in the streets or on the sidewalks to take photos. A really-nice day.
So we finally got to Union Station and went in to figure out where we wanted to go. And concluded that we were very close to the National Mall already - which is where I wanted to be. So we just bundled up again and walked on past the Capital building, Indian Museum, and down the National Mall. Lots of photos. I'll post a whole new set to Flickr soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63304483@N00/sets/72157623375479750/
Just a REALLY nice day strolling past the Smithsonians - the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, all the way down the reflecting pool (except that it was slush instead of a pool) and right up to the Lincoln Memorial. They had the steps cleared, but still weren't allowing anybody actually up to sit in his lap - but that's OK - we got "close enough" since we'd both been there before anyway. We accomplished what I really had wanted to do: walk the whole National Mall buried in snow. A wonderful day and it was only 2PM (it took us about 3 hours to walk all that way).
Now. My *plan* at that point was to somehow magically flag down a taxi, have it take us over to the Jefferson Memorial and then back to the hotel. But I'm a big wussy and I don't know how to find an empty cab. Soooo... we wandered over to Constitution Ave and began to amble back. We stumbled onto the Albert Einstein statue in front of the Academy of Science. I'd read about it, but it was cool to see it and sit in Albert's lap. And we found that we *finally* had the wind at our *backs* (constantly - since the wind was still ALWAYS coming from the West) - so it wasn't so bad. So we strolled back East - down the North side of the National Mall. Through all of this, we hadn't seen *any* open businesses - so we still hadn't had anything to eat or drink since breakfast at 9AM. Then Kathy noticed a couple passing - with a McDonald's bag - and was quick enough to ask where they got it. They happily *gave* us the bag (with 3 cheeseburgers) and told us where the McDonald's was (probably a good mile away, still) - so we thanked them a lot and turned up 17th street - right past the DAR building and the Red Cross building - and the White House - and found the "Ahhhhh!" (golden sunlight illuminating the golden arches) OPEN McDonald's. Yeah. OK. It was McDonald's - but it was *open*, was warm, had a place to sit - and had food and drink. Woo Hoooo! By the way, the new Angus burgers are actually pretty darned good. So we sat and warmed up and had a place to study the *map* and find out that we were only one block from a subway station (now). So bundled up again and set out for the subway station.
Except that I noticed that we were right on Pennsylvania Avenue - so I couldn't resist turning around and walking down - right past the White House. Kathy saw somebody in an upstairs window, but they were gone by the time I zoomed the camera in. It looked really pretty - and very *white* with the lawn all white around it. Yeah... we'd been there before on Segway's - but really cool anyway.
So we kept walking - intending to find a taxi (finally) - but then noticed that New York Avenue was *right there* and our hotel is - eventually - on New York Ave - so all we had to do was "just" keep walking.
So we did. Stopped at a Safeway to buy some apples. Walked by the NPR building and XM radio and Fedex - and finally made it back to the ATF building - then only another 600 yards to our hotel. Good thing it has a cool 2-person heart-shaped hot tub. That hot water sure felt good. And now we're watching the commercials for the Super Bowl.
I plotted it out and we walked about *** 9 MILES *** today. So I may just vegg out for a week or so - but we accomplished everything I wanted to today. Photos coming soon.
Happies!
Pete
On to the subway station right behind the headquarters of the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives". Uhhh... WHAT? I'd never heard the last one as part of the mix. Hmmm... Anyway. This subway station is above ground so it was locked up tight: only underground Metro stations are open. Ack. Walked back to the Courtyard right next door and were told that the closest station was another mile away. OooKay. But we were bundled up really well, so as long as we were in the sun - it was OK. We were constantly walking *into* a light breeze (ALWAYS coming from the West) and that made it chilly to any exposed skin (read "the 4 square inches around my eyes"), but we generally had a nice walk - hand-in-hand. Not much of anybody out on the streets so we constantly stopped in the streets or on the sidewalks to take photos. A really-nice day.
So we finally got to Union Station and went in to figure out where we wanted to go. And concluded that we were very close to the National Mall already - which is where I wanted to be. So we just bundled up again and walked on past the Capital building, Indian Museum, and down the National Mall. Lots of photos. I'll post a whole new set to Flickr soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63304483@N00/sets/72157623375479750/
Just a REALLY nice day strolling past the Smithsonians - the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, all the way down the reflecting pool (except that it was slush instead of a pool) and right up to the Lincoln Memorial. They had the steps cleared, but still weren't allowing anybody actually up to sit in his lap - but that's OK - we got "close enough" since we'd both been there before anyway. We accomplished what I really had wanted to do: walk the whole National Mall buried in snow. A wonderful day and it was only 2PM (it took us about 3 hours to walk all that way).
Now. My *plan* at that point was to somehow magically flag down a taxi, have it take us over to the Jefferson Memorial and then back to the hotel. But I'm a big wussy and I don't know how to find an empty cab. Soooo... we wandered over to Constitution Ave and began to amble back. We stumbled onto the Albert Einstein statue in front of the Academy of Science. I'd read about it, but it was cool to see it and sit in Albert's lap. And we found that we *finally* had the wind at our *backs* (constantly - since the wind was still ALWAYS coming from the West) - so it wasn't so bad. So we strolled back East - down the North side of the National Mall. Through all of this, we hadn't seen *any* open businesses - so we still hadn't had anything to eat or drink since breakfast at 9AM. Then Kathy noticed a couple passing - with a McDonald's bag - and was quick enough to ask where they got it. They happily *gave* us the bag (with 3 cheeseburgers) and told us where the McDonald's was (probably a good mile away, still) - so we thanked them a lot and turned up 17th street - right past the DAR building and the Red Cross building - and the White House - and found the "Ahhhhh!" (golden sunlight illuminating the golden arches) OPEN McDonald's. Yeah. OK. It was McDonald's - but it was *open*, was warm, had a place to sit - and had food and drink. Woo Hoooo! By the way, the new Angus burgers are actually pretty darned good. So we sat and warmed up and had a place to study the *map* and find out that we were only one block from a subway station (now). So bundled up again and set out for the subway station.
Except that I noticed that we were right on Pennsylvania Avenue - so I couldn't resist turning around and walking down - right past the White House. Kathy saw somebody in an upstairs window, but they were gone by the time I zoomed the camera in. It looked really pretty - and very *white* with the lawn all white around it. Yeah... we'd been there before on Segway's - but really cool anyway.
So we kept walking - intending to find a taxi (finally) - but then noticed that New York Avenue was *right there* and our hotel is - eventually - on New York Ave - so all we had to do was "just" keep walking.
So we did. Stopped at a Safeway to buy some apples. Walked by the NPR building and XM radio and Fedex - and finally made it back to the ATF building - then only another 600 yards to our hotel. Good thing it has a cool 2-person heart-shaped hot tub. That hot water sure felt good. And now we're watching the commercials for the Super Bowl.
I plotted it out and we walked about *** 9 MILES *** today. So I may just vegg out for a week or so - but we accomplished everything I wanted to today. Photos coming soon.
Happies!
Pete
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