What I love about Washington DC

First I should start with what I don't love about Washington DC and that would be humid Heat!  Yes we arrived to 110 degrees and 80 percent humility.  I don't think my skin would survive three showers a day but that is the LEAST amount I would need to take to live there.


Far away daughter, not so far away, picked us up in her nice air conditioned car.  That was a relief and she worked to make our whole trip comfortable.  We really appreciated that.

I don't have any photo's for our first day in DC.  We arrived after a very bumpy flight. We got the car washed, my first trip to a car wash in my 50 something years.


That evening we met Meagan (Lyndy's friend for as long as I can remember) at the famous Gadsby Tavern 1770.  They were wonderful to us and we didn't even have a reservation.  If you are ever in Alexandria look them up, make some reservations and enjoy the history and great food, George Washington did and so did some other historical folks.  We loved the peanut soup, the service was the best ever and the candle light was soft and lovely for catching up with old friends & a daughter we don't get to visit often!

The rest of the trip I have photos for so I will let them help with the story. 

Friday was a get up get going day...Off to the many security stops on our way to the certificate ceremony.

The comments were encouraging, the certificates were given out, a formal  photo taken with  Raijiv Shah, head of U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, and then this big group photo.  I was not using flash so as not to interfere with the formal photographer so my colors are slightly off. 

We enjoyed meeting the families of the other new foreign service officers 

and I can say with a smile, those were the best

little cupcakes I've ever had and I'm sorry I only tried two! 

I'm sure my family doesn't know this but I LOVE old buildings

I think my time in design classes gave my eyes a sensitivity to design in everything including buildings.  This is outside the window at the Reagan building. I don't know what was in that beautiful building but I had a great view from the USAID window!

Nothing like a bunch of Reagan's pointing at the Reagan sign on the Reagan Building!

Now I had goals, goals I had on my last trip that never worked out.  Everything I wanted to see most was closed due to the 9/11 attack.  After the ceremony we headed out into the heat and humidity armed with water bottles!  First lunch at a Potbelly sandwich shop.  It was noonish and lines were long, you had to know what you wanted  and be willing to quickly say so.  Ask for extra peppers they are so tasty and you must have a shake... This was good food to arm ourselves for a long day.

Here we are!  At last!  Finally I'm going to get to see the National archives.  

We picked up the only tickets left (for late in the day) for the Ford Theater

and decided to pass our time here. 

It was breath taking to see these actual documents of freedom.  

The Declaration Of Independence, The Bill of Rights, The Constitution, all there, protected in a lot of glass and very dim lights.  I know why, the ink is nearly gone, faded and weak looking but the words we know them, I hope, I had to memorize many of them in school.  It didn't seem real to be looking at them. 

The Ford's Theater tour was done by the National Parks Dept.  Most all the theater has been redone,  Seems that what we consider important "stuff" to save was not always the case in the course of history.  Yes I think that is true today also.  It gives me pause to even see a redone baloney that held President Lincoln.

My hair looks terrible in hot and humid weather!

We made it over to the American Indian Smithsonian. 

My spinning friends know what these tools are. 

I was too tired from the heat to really enjoy this museum.  There were lots of stories of the native people and their lives today.  We did manage to read everything about the native Americans of our state but soon headed back to the subway hoping for an air conditioned subway car!

Spinning whorls from South America

This is the mall area and as you know if you live where there are subways

You must look for a way down, or under the ground level.

  We know there is one along here somewhere. 

 This is looking the other direction, that tall tower in the back ground is the Washington Memorial.  You can see it from all over the place!  It's a landmark you can use to...............get lost I think. 

Okay that's the first two days more on the rest of our trip later