Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum & National Christmas Tree

This is our last full day in DC so we tried to make the most of it. We got moving at our usual "crack of noon" - hey, we work hard when we're working, so we relax hard when we're relaxing! The snow was still melting off from yesterday, it's nice to see other things besides me got snowed on.

We walked through a great Sculpture Garden on the way to the Air and Space Museum.

This was a Rodin, but SOMEbody had to steal the limelight . . . .

This was my favorite of the Smthsonian Museums last time I was in DC, and still is - I love WW II planes and used to make models of them when I was a teenager. I desperately wanted to go to the Air Force Academy and be a fighter pilot and was pretty crushed when my color vision wasn't up to par to allow me to follow that dream.

We spent the afternoon in the Museum, eating at McDonalds at the food court - hey, it had been 18 months since we last ate at a McDonalds, it's a rare treat!

I just can't get enough of the Washington Monument - I can see it from my apartment window as I type now, and it is always popping into view throughout the day, and I can never resist snapping a photo or two as the light is always changing, or there is a different tree in front of it . . . . .

We walked over to the National Christmas Tree by the White House where they had music performances on the stage. There was a tree from each state surrounding the main tree and we found the Maine and Alaska trees.

This is a new favorite thing for me to do - wander around and take time-lapse pictures in the city, holding the shutter open and seeing what I get. I'm looking forward to doing it some more in New York and Boston - I think the architecture looks its best at night.

The moving car headlights create those rivers of light down the streets . . . .

And an open shutter is the only way to capture subtle lighting like Christmas decorations.

Okay, I'm heading off to bed, tomorrow we catch the train to New York and a new temporary "home". I'm going to miss this place, the National Mall is starting to feel like an old friend and I wish I could figure out how to pack the shower up and take it with me - I have a feeling there may be a bathroom remodel in the near future back home . . . . cheers!

Great Day but Not for Photography

Just a couple days before leaving Alaska we heard back from our Congressman on our request for a White House tour while we were in DC; we were scheduled for 11:30 this morning. One of the requirements of the tour was the only things you could bring into the White House were keys and a cell phone - no pictures of any kind. Since we are just relying on public transportation while in all our cities - that's one of the rules we made for ourselves when we were planning our vacation - we were going to have to walk out the door of the apartment with just bare bones essentials.

My little pea brain decided my minimum requirements were jeans, a dress shirt, the key to the apartment, my subway pass, and my ID. Goldfish added a nice puffy parka to her ensemble. VERY quickly it became apparent I was underdressed as DC got a nice wet snow. By the time we walked from the subway to the line through security I was basically soaked. One kind old lady shared her umbrella with me until she got hyperthermic and had to be ushered to the front of the line. I'm guessing we were in line for maybe 40 minutes, and by the time I was inside the White House I was one cold individual. Despite dripping all over the White House floors the whole time I was in there, Goldfish and I had a great time. So much history, and all decorated for Christmas - a really unique experience.

When I got home it was hot fluids and under the covers where it took a couple hours to get warmed up again. We cooked dinner at home and watched the Alexandria Parade of Lights from our balcony as boats of all sizes - from 20 feet to 120 feet - went up the river decked out in amazing Christmas light displays. I couldn't get a good photo to save my life - it was almost dark, so it required a long exposure, but the boats were moving, so they were blurry. The one above is kind of the best one, unfortunately. I took a little video that is a tiny bit better but not worth posting.

After the Parade of Lights we chilled out "at home", making some calls and getting caught up on news from home. Unalaska just had a HUGE storm with sustained winds of 120 mph and unconfirmed gusts of 170 mph causing all sorts of mischief, including blowing over the huge APL crane used to load and unload container ships. Friends that have lived there over 20 years say this is the biggest storm they have seen out there, so it was a bit above the average winter storms, common out there for the next few months.

It was good news/bad news for Goldfish and I - we were very happy our house came through unscathed, confirming its excellent construction, but a bit sad we were not on the island for the storm - we LOVE a good storm, and would have enjoyed snuggling inside listening to the violence rage. I like bundling up and going for a walk in it - sometimes Chico is game to join me but more and more he elects to do his business and get back to the comforts of home.

For details and photos on the storm check out several of the excellent Aleutian Blogs linked on my sidebar, the Anchorage Daily News or KUCB website (for the best coverage).

Smithsonian Museum of American History

We started the day by heading uptown to the National Geographic Society Museum, hoping to see the fabulous new Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit we had heard so much about. Turns out it is new enough that tickets are sold out until Monday - unfortunately the day we leave DC and head to New York.

We got over our disappointment quickly once we got our sandwiches at DC landmark Potbelly Sandwich works. Great place to people watch as well.

We headed back down to the National Mall to the Smithsonian Museum of American History and spent the rest of the day there, only seeing maybe a third of the exhibits. The place is HUGE!

We spent a lot of time in the On the Water exhibit which traced maritime history and culture from early times to the present. Goldfish and I met almost 15 years ago in a maritime setting and Unalaska is the quintessential maritime community.

There was a scale model, looping video, and crew gear exhibit area of the F/T Alaska Ocean, a factory trawler that works out of Unalaska.

Lots of great exhibits covering the history of travel and commerce through the years.

We watched Julia & Julia in Idaho so seeing the Julia Childs kitchen was a must.

This is the mortar and pestle the husband gave the wife in the movie (and in real life).

The Icons of Modern Culture exhibit had a few gems in it, and the display rotates frequently.

This was the exhibit hall housing the American flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the national anthem in 1814. Housed in low light and and low oxygen display case, photography was not allowed. Since it was the honor system, I think I was the only one in there not taking pictures . . . .

When we got out of the museum, from the front steps we had these views of the Capitol Dome and the Washington Monument - love the trees!

We headed back to the apartment to freshen up then headed to Jenny's Asian Fusion on the waterfront for a great meal to end a fun day!

Today's Observations from DC:

1. Lots of helicopters in this town, very important looking helicopters.

2. Washington DC is supposed to be one of the most expensive cities to live on the East Coast. Coming from Unalaska puts that all in a totally different perspective.

3. We've walked the streets in many different areas of the city; some areas are almost completely black, and some areas are almost completely white, with other areas of varying degrees. As a rule, we have found the folks in the predominantly black areas to be more open and friendly.

4. Goldfish and I knew this already but this vacation continues to reinforce that we are perfect traveling partners - we don't try to do everything, we make time to relax, and we'll try pretty much anything (as long as I "go first").

5. When you are living even temporarily in an area that makes the national news regularly, then the news becomes more relevant. I think if I lived outside of Alaska I would probably watch more television that the couple hours a week I watch at home. Normally I am much more interested in what is happening outside my window than what goes on in Washington, and I've always considered that a character defect.