With only a few days left of Kyla and Tere's visit here in the East, we decided to skip town overnight for a change of scenery. Look no further than the nation's capital Washington, DC for a true taste of culture and history and it's only four hours away. At the crack of dawn Tere, Kyla and I headed for the City to catch the 7:30 am DC-bound BoltBus. I figured why not leave the driving to someone else, when we all know how traffic can be horrible and like NYC, DC can be a hell of a place to navigate and park. The naming convention used for the streets never made any sense to me.
With most of the riders plugged in to their iPods and some glued to their Macs, that made for a really quiet trip. Except for the overnight accomodations, I was totally unprepared for this adventure in DC, no itinerary, no maps, no clue as to how far the bus depot is from the National Mall. We had no choice but to wing it; the last time I visited was maybe a decade ago and many things have changed. I knew that if Kyla was able to master the NYC subways, then the Washington Metro system would be a breeze for her. And it was, yet I'm not a bit surprised!
First order of business as we got off the bus was lunch, what else? A taste of authentic Spain, we had an assortment of Tapas at La Tasca near the Gallery Place station. Hasta luego. From here Kyla took the lead on the Metro system - learning how to purchase a fare card and navigate the red, blue, yellow, orange, etc. lines, at one point even ending up at the Pentagon not by choice! Did you know that there's no photography allowed even at the Pentagon station of the Metro?
So, here she is with some highlights of the visit with The President. In the 90 degree weather and Auntie as a tour guide, mother and daughter were pushed to their limits walking the entire length of the National Mall and the gorgeous Reflecting Pool. So much history within a few miles radius, but with no Segway in sight we pounded the pavements and enjoyed the graceful dignity of the museums, memorials and monuments.
First stop was the Smithsonian Castle, shown here is the breathtaking display of flowers at the Enid A. Haupt Garden.
At the Ripley Center, wall to wall display of art work and studio editions of handblown glass by the famous artist Dale Chihuly. He is known for his art installations in many botanical gardens, museums, etc. Awesome! Be sure to check out these Chihuly Exhibitions. Click on Installations. Not something to drink out of, but definitely great pieces.
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the perfect place for the weary tourist/traveler. A quick break for some trail mix, pretzels and drinks, we enjoyed the outdoor collection of some of the best modern sculptures available.
At the Hirshhorn, The Crouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois. No need to be scared of this gigantic eight-legged arachnid, Kyla; it's a magnificent work of art!
What any child would give to see the National Air and Space Museum - How do things fly? How much would I weigh in another world? Aerial photography and spying! Apollo to the Moon. Space and Beyond. Black Holes. The right stuff!
Dedicated in 2004, this is part of the National World War II Veterans Memorial. So much too see but so little time. Our final destination for the day was the White House. Kyla was disappointed that we were not able to see the inside, reservations in advance required, but it was worth the looong walk from the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
At the Arlington National Cemetery after visiting the gravesite of Pres. John F. Kennedy, we witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Learn more about this ceremony The Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns. With almost three hours spent in Arlington, and a hearty lunch that followed in Chinatown, there wasn't much time left to see the rest of the DC sights. Our bus left for New York at 4;30 pm. I'm sure it was an experience Kyla will not forget and for her return trip, she can explore Georgetown and Mount Vernon. On her own!
It was not about proclamation of victory, but rather a learning discovery for a child as bright as Kyla. She can now say "I came, I saw ... and learned a lot in DC."
