Hehehe, it looks that I'd be cramming in all 3 days and 2 nights stay in DC into one single post. I'd rather do that than take a couple more days to sum up DC.
I flew into DC via BWI (Baltimore Washington airport) because that was the cheapest option flying out of Raleigh. Besides, I'd be arriving by 10am, so I'd have an ample time to make it to DC before checking in into the hotel. Nak dijadikan cerita , I left my small bag at the train station and I only realized it after I boarded the MARC train. Yikes! My brother's Luna sandals are in it. I'd be dead if the bag was gone. I mean, I don't think I'd be able to get the replacement ones shipped before I leave in 4 nights' time. So I had to disembark at the next station (Odenton) and wait for the northbound Penn Line train to take me back to the BWI airport station. The entire 25-minute period felt like forever. Lots of questions played in mind but I had no answers. I prayed hard for it to still be there.
As the train was approaching the BWI station, I looked through the windows and Alhamdulillah (Thank God), the bag was still at its place on the seats. Phewww! I shouldn't have been that careless. It was my first time using that bag in this trip because my big luggage was reaching the maximum allowance.
I stayed at the Hotel RL by Red Lion, which is located on 18th and L. I was so blessed during this trip that it was the only accommodation that I had to pay for.
While waiting for my friend Julia to meet me after work, I walked to the White House past the Farragut square.
I remembered in 1996, we could go as near to the fences. But now, there's a whole street in between the barriers. Oh well.
Next up was the Washington Monument. I wasn't able to get my hands on the free tickets online because I didn't reserve them ahead of time. When I was online in mid April before I left for my trip, the next available slots were already July 26th! Fortunately I had gone up the monument before. There was nothing much really. You could take a peak outside of the two tiny windows on each side of it. And that was it :D.
So I walked to the National Museum of Natural History and decided to check it out. I don't think I've visited it before. Admission was free anyway ;). Some might say it may not be as grand as that of New York, but hey, I wasn't complaining :)
From the Natural History museum, I headed towards the Hard Rock cafe and the International Spy Museum shop, which are 2 (big) blocks away. The museum's entrance fee was a hefty USD21.95 so I decided to give it a skip. They do have some cool souvenirs, like handcuffs keychain and what not.
As I was walking back to my hotel, Julia left me a text and said that she'd be free for a meet up after work. Since the Teaism cafe was already closed (I guess people don't drink tea in the evening?), Julia took me to the Off the Record bar at the nearby Hay-Adams Hotel. Julia and I both worked at the kitchen as student workers when we were in college, and we last saw each other during our 10th reunion in 2008. The 20th is coming up in 2 years time. Man, we're old :D
If it was hot and sunny the day before, it was the totally opposite on Day 2. It rained for most of the day. If I had my way, I'd stay in the hotel, but where was the fun in that right? Hehe. I took the Metro from Farragut North to L'Enfant Plaza, to get me as close as to the National Air and Space Museum.
When I told Julia that I'd be going to the museum yesterday, she quipped - Yeah, yeah. You're a boy. And boys like planes.. Hahaha. I have also jumped out of one :'D.
It was still raining when I left the National Air and Space museum, so I decided to skip the Capitol building and I went straight to the Renwick Gallery, as recommended by Julia. Too bad the insect exhibit and a couple others were closed for renovation.
So I returned to my hotel to get my tummy filled and legs relaxed for a short while. Then I went out at around 6-ish to head towards the Lincoln Memorial.
I stumbled across the Korean War Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial as I was wanting to take a picture of the Jefferson Memorial.
On the way back to the hotel, I came across the World War II Memorial
Okay, that wraps up DC. I did a lot of walking because it's a big city with wide blocks. Sure it has other things to offer, but it was nice to revisit the same places after all these years. 20 years is a long time.
One more post, and I'll be done. Hehehe.
I flew into DC via BWI (Baltimore Washington airport) because that was the cheapest option flying out of Raleigh. Besides, I'd be arriving by 10am, so I'd have an ample time to make it to DC before checking in into the hotel. Nak dijadikan cerita , I left my small bag at the train station and I only realized it after I boarded the MARC train. Yikes! My brother's Luna sandals are in it. I'd be dead if the bag was gone. I mean, I don't think I'd be able to get the replacement ones shipped before I leave in 4 nights' time. So I had to disembark at the next station (Odenton) and wait for the northbound Penn Line train to take me back to the BWI airport station. The entire 25-minute period felt like forever. Lots of questions played in mind but I had no answers. I prayed hard for it to still be there.
As the train was approaching the BWI station, I looked through the windows and Alhamdulillah (Thank God), the bag was still at its place on the seats. Phewww! I shouldn't have been that careless. It was my first time using that bag in this trip because my big luggage was reaching the maximum allowance.
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| The BWI airport station |
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| Waiting for the train in the cold |
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| The bag that was left on the platform :P |
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| The MARC train |
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| Washington's Union Station |
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| Farragut North station, which is near my hotel |
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| An Indonesian food truck close the hotel. By the time I got down from my room, it had left for the day. Doh! |
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| My room |
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| LOL |
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| Yet another room too big for one person :) |
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| [added]: Day 1's walking route |
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| Farragut Square |
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| There was an anti-male infant circumcision protest |
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| Cue Flo Rida's Welcome to My House :) |
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| :D |
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| US Department of the Treasury, next door to the White House |
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| It's so tiny from here |
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| The crowd in front |
I remembered in 1996, we could go as near to the fences. But now, there's a whole street in between the barriers. Oh well.
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| 25th March 2016 - Man, that was 20 years ago! |
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| With the other Brown gang on the 1996 roadtrip from Providence |
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| A kinda sad looking National Christmas tree |
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| There it is, the Washington Monument |
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| The Lincoln Memorial in the distance |
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| The Capitol building |
So I walked to the National Museum of Natural History and decided to check it out. I don't think I've visited it before. Admission was free anyway ;). Some might say it may not be as grand as that of New York, but hey, I wasn't complaining :)
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| National Museum of Natural History |
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| You'd be greeted by this elephant statue once you've cleared security |
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| Obligatory shot dedicated for my sister :D |
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| Yay for Bears. Hahaha. Brown's mascott is the Brown bear. |
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| The triceratop in the dinosaur exhibit |
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| Pretty spectacular photographs ever taken |
From the Natural History museum, I headed towards the Hard Rock cafe and the International Spy Museum shop, which are 2 (big) blocks away. The museum's entrance fee was a hefty USD21.95 so I decided to give it a skip. They do have some cool souvenirs, like handcuffs keychain and what not.
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| HRC cafe |
As I was walking back to my hotel, Julia left me a text and said that she'd be free for a meet up after work. Since the Teaism cafe was already closed (I guess people don't drink tea in the evening?), Julia took me to the Off the Record bar at the nearby Hay-Adams Hotel. Julia and I both worked at the kitchen as student workers when we were in college, and we last saw each other during our 10th reunion in 2008. The 20th is coming up in 2 years time. Man, we're old :D
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| The Hay-Adams at the background -- before we said goodbye |
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| With the Washington Monument |
If it was hot and sunny the day before, it was the totally opposite on Day 2. It rained for most of the day. If I had my way, I'd stay in the hotel, but where was the fun in that right? Hehe. I took the Metro from Farragut North to L'Enfant Plaza, to get me as close as to the National Air and Space Museum.
When I told Julia that I'd be going to the museum yesterday, she quipped - Yeah, yeah. You're a boy. And boys like planes.. Hahaha. I have also jumped out of one :'D.
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| Neat! |
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| MAS advert for Kuala Lumpur |
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| The space module before the ISS |
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| Cycling and shower in space anyone? |
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| Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega |
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| I love this WW2 planes because I grew up watching Baa Baa Black Sheep tv show and Battle of Midway movie |
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| I'd like a case of these fighter jets models, please |
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| Okay, I'd like these too :D |
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| Look how big they are! |
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| :o |
It was still raining when I left the National Air and Space museum, so I decided to skip the Capitol building and I went straight to the Renwick Gallery, as recommended by Julia. Too bad the insect exhibit and a couple others were closed for renovation.
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| wet, wet, wet |
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| Gabriel Dawe's Plexus A1 |
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| I love this one |
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| Patrick Dougherty's Shindig |
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| Janet Echelman's 1.8 |
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| Few ways to enjoy the art :) |
So I returned to my hotel to get my tummy filled and legs relaxed for a short while. Then I went out at around 6-ish to head towards the Lincoln Memorial.
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| [added]: Day2's evening walking route |
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| The Lincoln Memoria |
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| Phewww... I can confirm that I'm not on the Planet of the Apes :) |
I stumbled across the Korean War Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial as I was wanting to take a picture of the Jefferson Memorial.
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| Statues at the Korean War Memorial. It has an eery feeling especially close to sundown on an overcast day |
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| The entrance to the MLK Jr Memorial |
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| Jefferson Memorial in the distance. Never had the chance to go there all this while :D. |
On the way back to the hotel, I came across the World War II Memorial
Okay, that wraps up DC. I did a lot of walking because it's a big city with wide blocks. Sure it has other things to offer, but it was nice to revisit the same places after all these years. 20 years is a long time.
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| Flying over the Pentagon from Dulles airport |
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