Columbus Day Weekend, 2017
After much hee-hawing and hum-dinging, we set off on a quick overnight trip down to Washington DC. The grandkids were finally old enough to appreciate and understand some of the sights down there, our only concern was keeping young Jeremy in check, as he was liable to dart out into traffic with all the foresight and caution of a Pekinese dog chasing a tennis ball. It was a cool and somewhat unpleasant day as we set out down I-95 for the capital. A brief stop outside of Baltimore for a McDonald’s breakfast and bathroom break, and then we got to the city just after noon. I found a parking garage off 4th Street, and we came up to the street level just across from the Dept of Education Building and FEMA. The National Mall was north of us.
First Stop : Flowers
We headed over to the Capital end of the mall first, and then got our bearings. We were right next to the National Arboretum and since neither of the kids knew what that meant, we decided to give them the grand tour of the place. It’s not a bad spot, but it falls short a little compared to our local Longwood Gardens.
We finished our tour of the Arboretum, and then sat down for a minute outside. The local birds were a treat, since they were sooooo different from the ones back home. The kids were exhausted from having to WALK everywhere. They wanted to know why we couldn’t just drive from spot to spot…
The Museum Named after Congressional Skulls : Air & Space
A Walk down the Mall to the Smithsonian
After the A&S M and a quick snack, we headed down the mall towards the Smithsonian Institution main buildings – since there are about a hundred ‘leven Smithsonian Museum buildings in toto, you had to be rather specific about which one you wanted to hit first. The main building is a large and imposing red limestone thing. An interesting walk to it. Jeremy reminded us of why we should have brought a leash.
The Smithsonian – Way too Quick a Visit
The only problem with visiting the Smithsonian that late in the PM – it was about 3 or 3:30 – is that the kids were pooped. They just weren’t used to walking more than about 50 feet in a day. We saw a couple of big old skeletons, took a run through the Gems & Minerals exhibit, and then of course had to visit the dinosaurs. I wish we could have spent more than 45 minutes there. . .
End of Day 1
By now, it was about time to head to the hotel. We had a room over in Crystal City, so a last hike up the mall to where we’d parked, and then a quick run to the Marriott. We watched the sun go down on Alexandria, and then walked to a local burger joint restaurant. We explored around the underground in the area, and then headed back to the Hotel.
Day 2 – Washington, Lincoln, and Georgia O’Keefe
Next morning was even greyer than Saturday. Kamryn bitched about me snoring all night. I played back the recording I made on my phone, of HER rattlin’ the drapes and she shut up. Our agenda today was to see the Washington Monument area and the stuff near the west end of the National Mall and then walk back up along the north side of the Mall to see what was there. We drove back over the river, after making a quick pass around the edge of Arlington National Cemetery. I wanted to impress on the kiddies all the hundreds of thousands of people who’d fought and died so they could have the life they do. Seeing that place is always a very sobering time, even though I have no close personal connections to it, so far as I know.
We took the Arlington Bridge back over the river and then drove up Constitution Avenue and decided to park about three quarters of the way up the mall. We walked back down to the big knoll where the Washington Monument stands. I told the kiddies about the 1984 Fourth Of July concert I attended with my buddy Don Biancamano from NCSS. Just him, me and about 200,000 of our closest friends to see the Beach Boys. 
The Monument was closed for renovations, it was still damaged in spots from that minor earthquake that hit the eastern seaboard a few years ago.
The new-ish World War II memorial
We did as much as we could at the Monument, and promised to come back at some later day so the kids could go to the top. But I had my fingers crossed. Then we walked down the way a bit to see the World War 2 Memorial. I did not know much about it but it was an interesting spot. One odd thing I noticed that I should have mentioned to somebody. There is a row of tall columns ringing the side of the monument, one for each state, and so far as I could tell, they seemed to be there in the order that the states joined the Union. Delaware was first up, as expected, then came New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut – WAIT! I hear you cry. Isn’t there a state missing between Delaware and Jersey? Yeah, dammit. I swear to all that’s holy and profane that there was NO column there for Pennsylvania. I knitted the brow and furrowed the forehead. Odd. Anyway, it was a very interesting little park, and the kids ran around and wanted to go wading in the fountain. I discouraged it.
Not a good Reflection on Us
Our next destination was the Lincoln Memorial down at the west end of the Mall. The kids wanted to know why we couldn’t drive there. The reflecting pool was a little disappointing, it was sorta green and algaeified a lot, and there was much more trash and garbage in it than I would have liked to see. Plastic water bottles were everywhere. I had to cuff Jeremy alongside the head a few times, as he thought the railing along the pond was there for him to jump up and down off of and run along. I suppose in nicer, sunny weather the RP is more impressive but I was a little bummed. We wandered down to the Linc.
It was nice and dignified and somewhat somber, even with all the kids running around. I got some pics of ol’ Honest Abe and then had Kamryn do the touristy thing with the palm of her hand and the far-off Washington Monument. She didn’t understand what I was trying to do . . . and it wasn’t quite the effect I was trying for.
The Black Mirror
After the Linc, we headed north-northeast towards the Viet Nam memorial wall. Again, a sobering reminder of that horrible time in our country’s history, and a more personal reminder of all the people from my generation who fought and died in that idiotic conflict. I made the kids go up and touch some of the names there and reminded them that every one was someone’s son or brother or husband or father. I think it sank in, hopefully.
Donald wouldn’t come out to play
We exited the area of the Viet Nam wall and walked up Constitution Avenue NW along the side of the mall. About half way up, of course, was the Ellipse and the view of the White House. I called out to Don but he didn’t come to the window. We also passed by the Federal Reserve building. I checked for loose coins scattered along the way but didn’t see any.
Art on the Wall
Next up along the Mall was the National Gallery of Art. The kids thought the huge marble columns in side were kinda neat. We took in all the art work. I was especially looking for works by one of my favorite painters, Albert Bierstadt, who painted the West around the 1870s. We saw the famous Peale works of Washington & Jefferson too. Then Melissa wanted to go across the way to see the modern art work in the newer wing, and she found herself some Georgia O’Keefes. Then we hit the gift shop. We tried to impress upon the kids that they should pick out a souvenir that actually meant something, that actually represented their visit to the museum and DC as a whole, not just some dumb piece of junk. Jeremy wanted a plastic lizard and Kamryn picked out an intertwined-string bracelet.
The sun actually even started to come out, so that was nice.
The underground mall area there had some interesting work, including a rather mesmerizing Timothy Leary-designed people mover that combined the worst of Disney with the bizarre Federal grant-dispostion of the 90s.
We made our way up out of the Catacombs and headed back to the car. The kids wanted me to go get it and come back for them. I politely declined. We headed back out towards I-95 and US-50 and home. I casually mentioned to the kids buckled up in the back seat that next time they see pigs fly, we’ll take them somewhere on a trip together. I kept it from you, dear reader, but Melissa and I spent too much of the weekend having to admonish the youngsters for their behavior in public, and towards each other. I think their exposure to the outside world was far too limited, growing up as they did in the boondocks of the back of beyond and even pretty far from the sticks, in Salem. They just didn’t know how to act, except up.