Escape: When We Walked Off Washington DC
I grew up watching American films set in Washington D.C. - The American President, Independence Day, Dave, In The Line of Fire, National Treasure and so on. On the background, were landmarks I never thought I'd see in real life. And to walk off Downtown D.C. was unquestionably amusing. There's something in store for everyone. Alec enjoyed National Air and Space and Natural History Museums. Cathy was like a kid inside National Gallery of Art. I enjoyed taking pictures of everything. My favorite, though, was the Lincoln Memorial. There's a lot of places to go to, no doubt, but the best thing about everything is almost everything was free. Now, to make sure you cover almost everything this place has to offer, it wouldn't be a bad idea to print out Google Maps. But if you have those navigation apps on your phones then that would be a plus. Various company tours can help out: trolleys, bikes, segways and cruises. Just be ready to shell out extra cash. But for the budget traveler that we are, walking was the best option. Well, at least it was for the first two days, eventually we took the train to cut at least half the walking distance and to relieve our aching feet.
So, here's my take on Washington D.C.: THE WHITE HOUSE. Ideally a visit to this place should include a tour inside. But to get a permission is kind of a tedious process (see www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events). We took pictures as souvenirs instead. WASHINGTON MONUMENT. Thrilled was the best word to describe how i felt upon seeing the 555 feet massive obelisk. We weren't scheduled to go to the Washington Monument yet. Well, not at least one more day. But being constantly impressed by what's going on around us, our feet brought us to it. What's more thrilling though is what's inside. A 360 degree view of D.C., a rundown of history of the monument and the life of George Washington and commemorative stones from each state mounted on the walls can be seen for a quick peek when riding the elevator. To know how to get your tickets, click here. OLD POST OFFICE AND TOWER PAVILION. This might not be the best place to go to but inside were lots of food and souvenir stalls. What's nice for us was the fact that most of the stalls are owned by Filipinos. Barbecues and fried chicken with gravy were a reminder of restaurants in SM mall foodcourts. We got most of our souvenirs here including a Lincoln bobblehead for a discounted price. In the tower pavilion, we saw the Bells of Congress which are played every Thursday evening and on special occasions. This tower also gives you a 360-degree view of D.C. and a better view of the Washington Monument.
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL. Among the landmarks, this perhaps was the one I'm not most familiar with. I should say the 19-foot tall bronze statue was rather imposing. The facade was a reminder of the famed Roman Pantheon. The inscriptions under the dome was the probably the most moving from all that I've read in D.C. The best time to visit this though is around March and April when cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin are in full bloom.
LINCOLN MEMORIAL. This remained to be my fave among the places we have been to. The hefty presence of Lincoln will definitely leave a mark on you. Definitely quiet yet ironically moving. The whole structure was a sight to behold, especially when lit at dusk, truly picture perfect. Unfortunately, the only bummer was seeing the reflecting pool under construction (courtesy of Megatron and his evil Decepticon comrades in Dark Side of The Moon). Unfortunately, we weren't able to go to other landmarks - Iwo Jima, FDR Memorial, among others. One thing's for sure though, this trip has given me a whole new perspective about US history.
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