A Weekend In Washington D.C.
This past weekend the fam and I drove into the Reston area of Washington D.C. for a weekend with extended family catching up and touring some local attractions.
To start, I am not familiar with large cities, which I personally think makes blog entries about big cities really fun ( or super nieve) but I like to think that even those familiar with areas like the chance to see it through newbie eyes. I have a bunch of little comments to make, and even some pointers for those looking for an idea of what to expect.
Standing in front of The Capitol Building in Washington D.C. at the National Mall
My most favorite part of this trip was being a commuter ( to me, extreme passenger princess treatment) and using the metro system. It was super confusing for me at first, but then a passenger explained to me that the routes are named by first stop and last stop. It all started to come together and I even completed a few transfers between the lines ( whoo hoooo!)
Oliver standing in front of the silver line in Washington D.C.
The worst part of the metro system for me was not understanding the card system. I was super nervous about not having enough funds, and not knowing what to do if there aren’t enough funds on your metro card so……I purchased a day pass the day before and then was not sure the hours of the day pass ( 24 hours or just until closing) so the next day I checked my balance and it was $0 so I purchased another day pass but didn’t get a receipt. I checked the balance and AGAIN… freaking thing said $0 so I purchased ANOTHER DAY PASS. Then Oliver needed a day pass….I ended up purchasing a few days passes before finding someone and asking them WTF was wrong with my card..haha. It made sense once I knew, but this really bummed me out. No time to be sad though…..let’s keep going!
A photo of The Washington Monument at sunset
Oliver poses in front of The Washington Monument at Sunset
We got to the National Mall a bit later in the day, and were able to see the monuments and building at golden hour. At this point, looking at my photos I am thinking “geez I went monument crazy!!” but then I realize “ yes, this is what we all came to see”
A silhouette against the sky of The Washington Monument
At this point I really realized how much walking was involved, even after being told “ bring your walking shoes” and I am glad I did, because the walking was legit. I put in about 20,000 steps each day of the trip.
A photo of Jon taking a video clip of ME with the Washington Monument in the background.
We ended the night at Glory Days Grill in Reston, VA and what a fantastic way to end! I sadly did not get photos of this because I was absolutely starving and the service was so fast that I didn’t even have time to snap photos. Everyone loved what they ordered, especially our app of boneless bites. I had the chicken grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli…and i’d do it again!
I am going to take this section and the time to give my opinion on the electronic scooter and bike situation. I think everyone needs to try it at least once! I was thrilled to get back on a scooter after using Lime Scooters around the Baltimore Aquarium area a few years back. This was not that though.
The first 2 VEO scooters that I picked up and unlocked did not work, and wouldn’t move. The charged me about $2-3 bucks just to unlock them. I wanted to get my money back, but the sun was setting and 3 other people were waiting on me and the only way to get a refund/ or report a problem was to fill out a form at the present time. I did not have the time to waste to do this. Also, there will be no way to do this later since they ask you to scan the bar code of the problem bike/scooter. LAME!
I unlocked my 3rd VEO ride, and it worked. It cost .50 a minute….but it worked. At this point, everyone is going to get into these scooters…..if one person has problems with theirs, your family is going to zoom around while you figure that shit out….this is going to cost you a pretty penny.
After we all got situated, the entire group was able to enjoy a goof 5-10 minutes before realizing that the friends who rode while waiting had incurred a bigger bill than expected and oh shit…..your own is getting pretty high too!
My advice…try it. Don’t plan on using it a lot unless you budget for it.
Oliver looking at The Gardener Vallier painted by Paul Cezanne at The National Gallery of Art
The next day we started off at the National Gallery of Art and I fell completely in love! It was very cool to see such beautiful and famous works in real life! I had to keep telling myself that these were the real deal. Newbie tip: don’t bring a big bag or book bag, you have to wear the backpack on one shoulder only and it can be really uncomfortable. Travel light!
I also have to make the note that I noticed early on how kind the people are in Washington D.C. which I was not expecting from a city of its size. People will hold doors, smile, and say hello. The workers at the National Gallery of Art are also super nice about their rules, and pleasant while they check your bags. We even had employees ask if we needed help locating anything in particular and even hooked us up with some maps.
From conversations on the metro to walking on around the National Mall….the people are super friendly.
Indoor garden at the National Gallery of Art
My son Oliver is 12, and he couldn’t last extremely long in the museums and art galleries, so plan take breaks either outdoors in the park or at one of the many indoor cafes. Thankfully, there are also a few interactive things to do. At the National Gallery of Art, Oliver enjoyed this computerized art activity that was set up
Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Edgar Degas at the National Gallery of Art
Oliver eating the best chicken sandwich he ever had
After the National Gallery of Art, Oliver really needed some brain food. You’re seeing this large photo because I believe that this was the best part of Olivers day. He chose to get a chicken burger from a food truck, he talked about how good the chicken burger was for the next few days.
Our next visit was to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I thought that this would be more pre teen speed and the location was close. At this point, Oliver was completely OVER all the walking, and if we didn’t find something moderately cool…and quick.. he was prepared to go back to the room and watch television.
The entrance and building of The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The Smithsonian is super cool! It was also my first time there, and there is so so much to see! We were able to take quick glimpses and walk throughs of most of it. I feel like the best way to experience it would be to live close and visit often seeing one exhibit per trip and taking the time to read all the descriptions and note tiles. How lucky the people of Washington D.C. are!
I thought that my favorite exhibit would be the ocean…and although it was up there and rankings and really cool! I have to say I enjoyed the Hall of Human Origins the most. They have a section showing human bones and it describes their death or injuries that they had by examining the bones. There was a 3 year old that got carried away by a large bird and you could see the talon mark in the eye socket of the skull and another human that suffered a crocodile injury to their hand.
We saw Lucy, and the little rodent where we all came from. There were massive elephants in the lobby, tigers jumping in the air, and a shark suspended from the ceiling. We saw some really cool rocks and a very large diamond. The butterfly and plant exhibit was not open…and I feel like that is something that I really need to see. There’s just too much to talk about really….
Looking down from the 2nd floor into the lobby of The Smithsonian
the shark suspended from the ceiling in The Smithsonian
After reaching our walking, reading, and learning limit for the day we worked up an appetite. Andy took us to this really great pub called The Dubliner. Most of the table ordered the corn beef and cabbage. I had the Shepards pie with a hard cider. The atmosphere was cozy and the food was yummy.
I lied about reaching our walking limit… it didn’t matter! Washginton D.c. is a ton of walking and we had just refueled. Though, my old hip bones were getting pretty sore. Did I mention to wear comfortable walking shoes?
This is the last leg of the trip and we wrapped it up by seeing the White House and Eisenhower Executive Office Building. I loved being around the people in this area. There were protestors and picnickers, tourists, and locals. Everyone just mingling and doing their thing.
The White House
For me, the night ended on a more magical note… I had broke off from my group while looking for a bathroom ( another long walk) and during this time the park area around the White House started to close and you were asked to make for the nearest exit area. I had a good 15 minute walk over to the Washington Monument.
I found my way over there, Hooray! the bathrooms were open. I had a few moments of silence by myself as I relaxed and stared up the Washington Monument once again at dusk. This gentleman rode by on his bicycle waving his wand of bubbles that seemed to encapsulate us in time. I felt so much joy, as I took a deep breath and then held the camera to my eye to click
The rest of the trip consisted of the late night / early morning drive home to Northeast Pennsylvania. We were happy to be home, and in our own warm beds. We’ve already started planning our next trip to Washington DC though!
