DC - More of Day One

Let me say one thing about DC… When you go, and I’m saying you should definitely visit, make sure to take your checkbook. Or maybe that black American Express card you’re hiding in your wallet but whatever you do, take money and lots of it. We rolled into town with a huge laundry bag full of dirty clothes so the minute we finished setting up, I gathered up the stinky stuff and headed to the laundry house only to have to turn around and head back to the 5’er for more change. Now, I’m not sure what prompted Brian to bring 21 pairs of BVD’s on this trip, other than the fact he was too lazy to pack them before we left Phoenix, but I only brought a weeks worth of skivvies and to tell you the truth, after looking at $2 a load to wash and $1.50 to dry, I was tempted to go commando. And of course luck would have it, just about everything we brought on this trip (with the exception of Brian’s BVD’s) was dirty.

Then there was the $3 a day charge, per person, for the shuttle to the Metro but we did the math and figured it was actually cheaper to pay the $6 a day for the shuttle rather than drive a vehicle that only gets 7 mpg to the closest Metro station which was a good 12 miles away. Next is the Metro which is actually fun to navigate once you get the hang of it and there’s always someone close by to help. The fares can be a bit confusing since they have different prices dependent on various stops. The fare even depends on what time of day you travel but the easiest fare is $9 a day (yes, per person) for unlimited rides. What we should have done but didn’t due to the fact we didn‘t realize we were going to stay an entire week, was pay the weekly fare of $45 (again, per person.)

Julia Childs Kitchen

And make sure you pull out that black American Express card again for meals because you can easily spend up to $30 a day for lunch alone. Our first day we ate at the Museum of American History. It was expensive and the food wasn’t all that good. All the museums have cafés in the basement level and it appears they all have the same menu and prices but we did find a great little café in the National Archives where they house the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta. Their salads are absolutely fantastic and their clam chowder was the best I’ve ever had. And to top it all off, their prices aren’t all that bad. Definitely not the same company which operates the cafés in the other museums. And speaking of the Constitution held at the Archives, if you decide to go, go early as the line to view these documents can get fairly long.

After the Iwo Jima Memorial, we took the metro (subway/train) back to the Mall area (no, not for shopping) and decided to start with the Museum of American History. Lot’s of interesting stuff in there, inaugural gowns of first ladies, Abe Lincoln’s coat and top hat, the original (and very huge!) Stars and Stripes flag that flew over Ft. McHenry and even Julia Child’s original kitchen which was donated to the Smithsonian.

Lady O's gown

We started out in the area which housed the inaugural gowns, and no, Brian wasn’t at all thrilled about this part of the museum but later decided it was worth it just for the laughs. As I’m looking at the inaugural gown of Helen Taft, I slowly looked around to see what other gowns were around me. In unison, the girl standing next to me did the same thing. At the same time our eyes fell on the inaugural gown of Michele Obama. To tell you the truth, the gown is much prettier in person than what appeared on television but as I’m thinking to myself, the girl next to me blurts out exactly what I was thinking but wouldn’t say out loud (I know, so unlike me!), “God! Michelle Obama is huge!” We looked at each other and burst out in giggles. Come to find out, Lady O (as I’ve been calling her) is 5’11” which accounts for her size and she’s not fat, she’s just, and as they politely put it in the South… Miss Michelle is big boned. And yes, you guessed it. With that 5’11” frame, also comes feet that even Sasquatch would be proud of. But the saddest part is the fact she wore Jimmy Choo shoes with her inaugural gown. Very, very expensive shoes that were most likely worn once and put in the back of the closet until donated. I’d be surprised if they even saw an hour worth of wear. Unlike other shoes worn by First Ladies, Lady O’s Jimmy Choo’s showed no sign of wear inside or out. Our tax dollars at work again.

The Star Spangled Banner

A couple of interesting tidbits from the Museum of American History. The flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” is huge! I pictured a much smaller flag but this thing is anything but small. It’s original size was 30 by 42 feet but is now down to 30 by 34 feet after pieces were cut away as patriotic keepsakes in the 1800’s. And this one, although not as informative, is somewhat comical yet intriguing. In a display showcasing the luxury cruise liner, United States, you’ll find a pair of women’s evening shoes which were found in a ceiling light fixture in one of the deluxe passenger suites. One can only imagine how they got there.

After a full day in DC we hopped the metro back to the 5’er for the night.