Woohoo Washington Monument
DC Flashback:
A majority of the trips we took as kids had my sister and I sleeping in the back of the station wagon as Dad drove us down at stupid o’clock in the morning.
We left at that time no matter where we were in the car, or who we brought with us, to prevent wasting the first day. I remembered the trips being five hours. Checking with Mom and Kim, they confirmed this. However, direction checks were listing the trip as under four hours whenever I entered the hotel address. Some new roads must have opened.
Settled in with plenty of time, we left the hotel and walked south for the first excursion, expecting to see the White House, which was only a block or two away. For street layout reasons we wouldn’t comprehend until later, we only saw the Treasury Building as we passed along side of it on the way to Anabelle’s beloved Washington Monument.
Such as:
“It is made entirely of Styrofoam”
And
“That section (the security entrance) wheels away when it is ready for launch.”
On our Eighth Grade Washington trip, on the bus ride home, Jesse and I sang all manner of song parodies, inserting the word “obelisk” into all of them. The most frequent was using the tune of the Sid and Marty Kroft, drug trip like Bugaloos.
“The obelisks, the obelisks
They’re in the air and everywhere.
With a fork,
In each hand...”
We didn’t realize the Principal was sitting right behind us until a few days later when he subbed a class for us, and we jokingly asked if he was ready for the Washington trip. He smiled, and said, “I’d be happy to go again…
*glares directly at us* as long as there are no obelisks this time.”
And he was right.
He straight up called him a traitor.
As he should.
A) freakin enormous
B) George Washington.
And
C) made from an actual cast of the Father of our Country’s face.
Until a couple of months later when the Eiffel Tower was completed.
(White House),
east
I figured the strong visual cues
would help Rosa to overcome her genetic inability to navigate by compass
directions.
(Spoilers- It did not.)
(Spoilers- It did not.)
For once, Anabelle’s
“Be Real” social media timer went off at a perfect time to allow “real time
bonus photos” of this location.
We viewed, we cross referenced the guide
pictures, and we enjoyed ourselves until our various, differently activated
fears of heights compelled us to take the stairs one floor down to the museum
level.
The history of the structure was highly
interesting. The “little crown” method used to prevent the giant pointy thing
way out in the open from being destroyed as a constant target of lightning
strikes was also interesting. I did remember the 2011 earthquake, as it was
highly unusual. I never thought about what it would do to a free standing stone
structure in the middle of a city not designed to be earthquake proof. There
was another informative section about what was damaged and repaired as well.
On the way down, the elevator walls went
transparent from time to time. The purpose of this was to give Anabelle and I a
major case of the willies.
I mean, the purpose was to reveal the
various bricks donated by all the different states. In the early days there was
more freedom as to the material choice and size, but they quickly (see “free
standing stone structure”) settled on requirements. The guide did mention that
the Wisconsin brick was made of cheese.
HA HA!
The gift shop was our first exposure to
the vast amounts of Cherry Blossom merchandise on sale everywhere. Rosa
wondered where we could see them. (Spoilers- It wasn’t a matter of “where” so
much as “when.” The “On Sale” should have been a clue.)
It was also our first exposure to stamps
connected to the various National Park run locations, monuments, and memorials.
Collecting things are big in our family (See any EPCOT death march) yet so is
rational shopping. Instead of the massively overpriced “passport” books, Rosa
bought an oversized postcard and Anabelle grabbed a Washington Monument
(naturally) notepad. The two of them happily stamped away the locations
represented in the shop.
DC Flashback:
One of our first childhood trips to the Nation’s Capital came in the summer when Kim and I were medicated for one of our frequent bouts of strep throat. We visited the (much easier to access at the time) Washington Monument. Mom pointed across the reflecting pool stating, “The Lincoln Memorial is ‘just over there.’ We can walk to it.” As we dragged ourselves along the much longer than expected reflecting pool in the sweltering heat, we realized that the Lincoln Memorial was not “just over there” but, in fact, was freakishly massive and much further away than it appeared. Mom’s suggestion of attempting to walk to the Jefferson Memorial afterwards was instantly shot down. I didn’t get to see it until my Eighth Grade class trip, where I almost got stranded because the busses moved after they unloaded us. The same thing happened to Kim on her trip, and Anabelle on hers. Therefore, the Curse of the Jefferson Memorial and references about things being “just over there” are a key part of my family’s inside joke arsenal for Washington.
Checking maps, the view from Anabelle’s
beloved Washington Monument, and the subsequent walk straight south ended up
proving that the Jefferson Memorial was, in fact, “just over there” and a
shorter walk (Spoilers- following that path) than the Lincoln Memorial.
It’s probably good we did go to the
Jefferson Memorial on the first day. It’s nice and all, but compared to the
rest of the city, it’s not nearly as impressive. The views from it looking back
toward the main part of Washington were gorgeous, however. And while not
reaching Anabelle’s obsession levels, I did agree that the Washington Monument
is kind of like the Castle in the Magic Kingdom. It’s hard not to take a photo
of it from every single angle it is seen from.
Taking in that impressive view on the
side of the Jefferson Memorial steps without construction, we checked online if
there were any reservations available for the Cheesecake Factory. Rosa had a
coupon, and it was a block away from our hotel, meaning we knew we’d be there
eventually. As it was Mother’s Day, we figured that was the reason there were
no reservations.
Partially because it was a beautiful
day, partially because Anabelle told us how much she liked some of the “newer”
memorials on that route, partially because we were questing for where Anabelle
took a pretty photo on her Eighth Grade trip, and partially because it would be
the only chance to pass some stamp locations…
But mostly because “it’s us” (still a powerful driving force) we decided to take the long way around the entire Tidal Basin back, instead of the straight shot north to the Washington Monument.
It was at this point that after a
lifetime of almost always wearing shorts on vacations, I decided that was
something I should continue to do following taking this trek in jeans. Therefore,
I wore shorts the entire rest of the trip.
We walked into the Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Memorial, and it was just as impressive as Anabelle (and the rest of
our family) had told us. The statues were very compelling and life like, and
the abstract areas and waterfalls were cool as well.
I was kind of surprised at one of the
quotes given a large amount of focus.
“We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.”
It’s a fantastic notion, but considering the Japanese Interments were under his watch, and they got no mention, it felt a little weird.
In the gift shop was a display explaining
this and other choices based on how the entire memorial was specifically to
focus on the positives and the symbol FDR became. Things like him smoking and
Eleanor’s furs were also left out of the statues. The small statue of
Roosevelt in a visible wheelchair was a last minute addition.
Ah.
In between the sections of the FDR
Memorial, we did find Anabelle’s photo spot, allowing more pictures of…
What else?
The Washington Monument.
We knew we were hitting these on the
Night Bus tour but I’m really glad we gave them a double shot. Besides being
differently impressive during the day, (Spoilers- and less bug infested) between
the gift shops which doubled as mini-museums and the multi-sectioned nature of
the presentation, we needed the extra time to take it all in.
Next door was the Reverend Doctor Martin
Luther King memorial. It was a contrast to the FDR one, being a single
location. Therefore, while the overall effect of the FDR layout was more
impressive, the MLK was more hard hitting as a single focus, hewn out of the
living rock.
It was in the associated gift shop where
we learned we were a couple of months too late for the Cherry Blossom blooms
and had been walking next to, and frequently under (or in my case, into) Cherry
Blossom trees all around the Tidal Basin.
Curving back around toward the central
section, it is possible (Spoilers- or probable) after four and a half hours in
the car and walking all day we were getting tired. We could see the flowers and
fountains of the George Mason memorial across the street. Our thoughts:
“It’s pretty!
It’s also way over there.”
Therefore, we were stunned later on when we saw a photo of it that included a statue of Mr. Mason we could not see from our side of the road.
The John Paul Jones Memorial was
similarly located and before I could finish saying, “I regret that I have but
one life to give for my country,” Anabelle said, “It’s ugly” and we moved on.
Yes, I know that’s a Nathan Hale quote. As mentioned, I was tired, and I didn’t get to have a four hour coma in the car.
We did a quick “fly by,” peeking at the
“War Memorial” through the trees. While walking we discussed that it was for
World War I, but we thought we saw a larger one on the map.
(Spoilers- We did… then we walked through it almost every day.)
HA HA!
We exited the Monument and walked down
the little hill to the gift shop. Anabelle naturally walked backwards longingly
looking upward. While it was a short trip down the grassy hill to the little
stone building, there was no direct way to get there, leading the three of us
to awkwardly hop down a couple of feet to the sidewalk that entered the little
shop.
One of our first childhood trips to the Nation’s Capital came in the summer when Kim and I were medicated for one of our frequent bouts of strep throat. We visited the (much easier to access at the time) Washington Monument. Mom pointed across the reflecting pool stating, “The Lincoln Memorial is ‘just over there.’ We can walk to it.” As we dragged ourselves along the much longer than expected reflecting pool in the sweltering heat, we realized that the Lincoln Memorial was not “just over there” but, in fact, was freakishly massive and much further away than it appeared. Mom’s suggestion of attempting to walk to the Jefferson Memorial afterwards was instantly shot down. I didn’t get to see it until my Eighth Grade class trip, where I almost got stranded because the busses moved after they unloaded us. The same thing happened to Kim on her trip, and Anabelle on hers. Therefore, the Curse of the Jefferson Memorial and references about things being “just over there” are a key part of my family’s inside joke arsenal for Washington.
But mostly because “it’s us” (still a powerful driving force) we decided to take the long way around the entire Tidal Basin back, instead of the straight shot north to the Washington Monument.
“We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.”
It’s a fantastic notion, but considering the Japanese Interments were under his watch, and they got no mention, it felt a little weird.
Ah.
What else?
The Washington Monument.
“It’s pretty!
It’s also way over there.”
Therefore, we were stunned later on when we saw a photo of it that included a statue of Mr. Mason we could not see from our side of the road.
Yes, I know that’s a Nathan Hale quote. As mentioned, I was tired, and I didn’t get to have a four hour coma in the car.
(Spoilers- We did… then we walked through it almost every day.)
On the way back north to the hotel, we did figure out how to pass the White House. As we walked through the ellipse, Anabelle pointed out there was a guy with a sniper rifle on the roof again, like on her school trip.
We decided that he must be part of the “Not Very Secret” Service since he and his armament were clearly visible.
In front of the White House was the
National Christmas Tree!!!
TA DA!
It was kind of stumpy looking.
We were all extremely concerned that it was going to need a massive growth spurt before December.
When we first arrived, there was an
interest in every plaque, memorial, and statue we passed. However, Washington
raises expectations quickly. Near the park by the hotel, Anabelle pointed out,
“Oh look, its Guy on a Horse with a Hat volume Seventy-Three.”
DC Flashback:
On one of our earliest family trips to this location, Kim’s favorite thing about the entire trip was…
The statue of a guy on a horse outside our hotel.
Anabelle did not inherit those genes.
We did a large amount of homework about
what restaurants were around our hotel, including which ones had gluten free…
And then quickly forgot it all.
We decided to stop by the Cheesecake Factory on the way home and see if the wait time for the place listing no online reservations wasn’t too insane.
“Hope for the best, expect the worst.”
Our discussions would make little sense
to those rested and fed, and we had broken things down to plans A, B and C,
none of which also made much sense. We were pretty sure it was closer to Plan T
by the time we reached the restaurant.
Luckily, the gods of tired travelers
smiled on us and there was exactly zero wait time to get a table.
Anabelle’s Ahi Tuna Nachos, Rosa’s
Gluten Free Burger (cooked until it was “very dead”) & Fries and my Grilled
Fish Tacos were the perfect cap for the day. The Cheesecakes to finish it off
didn’t hurt either. (I do not know why I am capitalizing food. Perhaps because
we were very hungry. Will it continue? Who can say?)
Nearby in the hotel, we washed up, plugged
in the Roku (which we surprisingly remembered) to catch the final, excellent
episodes of Muppets Mayhem, (YAAAAY!) and figured out what time we
should get up to make it to breakfast before the next day’s fun.
Before succumbing to our exhaustion,
Rosa and Anabelle hunted online for the location of as many stamp locations as
possible.
15090 steps
6.3 miles
We decided that he must be part of the “Not Very Secret” Service since he and his armament were clearly visible.
TA DA!
It was kind of stumpy looking.
We were all extremely concerned that it was going to need a massive growth spurt before December.
On one of our earliest family trips to this location, Kim’s favorite thing about the entire trip was…
The statue of a guy on a horse outside our hotel.
Anabelle did not inherit those genes.
And then quickly forgot it all.
We decided to stop by the Cheesecake Factory on the way home and see if the wait time for the place listing no online reservations wasn’t too insane.
“Hope for the best, expect the worst.”
6.3 miles
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