My DC Trip

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DC Free
While many east coast cities, namely New York, and Boston, can be quite expensive, Washington, DC is more affordable. Why? Because many attractions in the city are free, easily accessed by public transportation, and appeal to wide range of ages. Here are a few to consider on your next trip to our nation's capitol. The National Mall, and all of the monuments and memorials are free. You can visit President Biden at the White House, if you make arrangements through your US Senator or Congressman. All of the Smithsonian Museums are free. I love them! The Kennedy Center has free tours, as well as free daily concerts. The Library of Congress does not require a library card! It may be difficult to get into the US Capitol Building after the trump inspired insurrection, and the lone terrorist who stabbed two capitol police officers. I would stay away for a while. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving will show you how money is made. The Maine Avenue Fish Market, though not free, will cook and season your seafood to order. Though my hero Ruth Bader Ginsburg is no longer there, the Supreme Court may be visited with free 30 minute lectures in the main hall. The place President Lincoln was assassinated, Ford's Theater, is still here on Tenth Street. The most popular memorial on the mall is the Korean War Veterans Memorial. A personal favorite is the ML King Memorial, with quotations from his "I have a dream" speech. Georgetown is free, but I guarantee that if you hang around long enough, you will buy or eat something. Choose wisely, as you will soon realize that there are more places to visit than hours in the day. My personal favorites are: National Japanese American Memorial Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Union Station Eastern Market The cherry blossoms in the Tidal Basin (my reason for going again) National Museum of African American History and Culture (featuring Lemoore's Tommy Smith) Clyde's of Georgetown (I always have lunch here, brings back fond memories of previous visits) What are some of your favorites? Hidden DC If you have been to Washington, DC as many times as I have, it becomes increasingly difficult to write an email about anything new. Of course, we have new residents in the White House, as well as in Congress. And I will say it is for the better. I found the last four years to be contentious, with a disturbing rise in White Supremacy. The enabling of hate, and hate crimes should have ended long ago!But moving on, what is new, unknown, or undiscovered here?There is no "J" Street in DC.Seattle gets less than annually than DC (39 inches), very surprising.DC has the second busiest Amtrak station after NYC.DC residents consume more wine per capita than anywhere else in the US.The Capitol Dome, where the insurrection of Jan. 6 took place, consists of almost NINE tons of cast iron.Washington, DC is named for both George Washington, and Christopher Columbus.The White House has 35 bathrooms. No comment! And 28 fireplaces.Jimmy Carter watched more movies in the White House, 480, than any President to date.DC is home to two endangered animals, the dwarf wedgemussel, and the Hay's Spring amphipod.The Library of Congress is home to more than 170 million items.The DC Metro is the second busiest (5 million annually) subway transportation system, after NYC.<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" />DC has some rather famous people born here:J. Edgar Hoover. Al Gore, JW Marriott, John Philip Sousa, Duke Ellington, Bobby Kennedy, Stephen Colbert, Connie Chung, Samuel L. Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Kevin Durant.There is a typo on the north wall of the Lincoln Memorial (I will not tell you!).President William Howard Taft is credited with starting the 7th inning stretch at baseball games.The District of Columbia has 706,000 residents, more populous than Wyoming and Vermont!. Not only George Washington never reside in the White House, but he also never lived in DC.The Washington Monument was once the tallest building in the world (1884).The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of only four non-Presidents honored on the Mall.The Capitol building was designed by a British doctor, William Thornton.There were more members of the media at the 1963 March on Washington, than Kennedy's inauguration two years earlier.Both the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers started out as Washington Senators.A law degree is not a requirement to be a Supreme Court Justice, 57% have not!There is a basketball court on the top floor of the Supreme Court building.Over 30 million of us visit the Smithsonians each year.Our nation's Capital is a wonderful place to visit. Even when the Smithsonians are closed!!! There is plenty to see and do. Should it become the 51st state? Why not?
Post Insurrection DC
I was saddened to see Washington, DC covered with fencing, and a strong law enforcement presence around government buildings. Both the Capitol and the White House are completely surrounded by fencing and National Guard troops. Even Lafayette Park, across the street from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was fenced off. I could get no closer than a block from the White House or Capitol. I also observed numerous vehicles entering the Executive Office Building of the White House, completely with armed guards, bomb sniffing dogs, and metal detectors. It saddened me beyond words. Many tourists I spoke to are still in chock regarding trump's insurrection on Jan. 6. They are embarrassed and upset that he did not call-in additional law enforcement sooner. I also spoke to many law enforcement officers from nearby Fairfax County (west of DC). They received the emergency call and were told to expect the worst. When they arrived, the riot had already subsided, though many officers were injured. I thanked them for their service, for risking their lives to keep our nation's capital safe. The first photo is taken from just north of Lafayette Park, as close as I could get to the White House. The bomb sniffing dogs (second photo) were used at all entry points to the White House. The third photo of the Capitol Building indicates how close or how far I could reach via bicycle or on foot. And the fourth, a sad reminder of President Lincoln across the street from Ford Theater. On a brighter note, I had waffles for breakfast at the Lincoln Waffle Shop across from Ford. I bought a big breakfast for Carlton, a homeless African American man who was panhandling out front. He wanted money for a tent, and some ibuprofen. I bought the ibuprofen for him. I bought a big bowl of noodles for a DC police officer on my first evening. He wanted me to know that the force appreciates the support of both residents and tourists. I noticed that law enforcement officers seemed more willing to engage people, and talk. I also saw that the Black Lives Matter movement is alive and well, as is DC statehood. Maybe in our lifetime? Mostly, I am happy that Washington, DC has returned to normalcy, decency, and dreams for a better, less contentious four years.

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