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Weekend in Washington DC

November 4-7, 2004 By Adam Reich
Part 2 of 3:  Washington DC Area

Day 1- November 4, 2004
(continued)

After arriving at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Crystal City, Virginia, we found that we were not happy with the location of our two rooms, until we were given two that were adjacent to each other.  After unpacking, we went to dinner around 5:30 PM.  We ate in the hotel, I had a Marriott Burger for dinner.  After dinner we went to look around the mall below the hotel for a while.  We went back to the rooms at 7:30 and I watched TV until I went to bed around 11:00 PM.

Day 2- November 5, 2004

I woke up around 7:30 AM, and showered before we went downstairs for breakfast.  After breakfast, we went back to the rooms for a little while before leaving around 10:00 AM.  We took the Metro to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where we spent the morning touring the various exhibits and watching an IMAX Show in 3D about the construction of the International Space Station.  For lunch we ate at the McDonalds/Boston Market in the museum.  At first we were going to head over to the Capitol for a tour, but instead decided to spend some time at the Museum of American History.  Among the exhibits were photos of the Beatles and the American Presidency.  After, Dad and I headed over to Union Station, while Mom, Jeremy, and David headed back to the hotel.  We had dinner at America in the station, which was not a good meal, although the service was decent.  After dinner, we had coffee and took some pictures, despite earlier threats from a security guard about doing so in certain parts of the station without a permit.  (Later we were told by others that we didn't need a permit...if we took pictures in the main hall.  I'm of the opinion that to require permits for picture taking, especially when not clearly posting/advising people of such a policy is a stupid and wrong thing to do.  Union Station is a hub for tourism, and having security guards threatening tourists that if they take pictures in the station their cameras will be confiscated is shameful.  Union Station Management, which is not Amtrak, but rather the company managing the mall shouldn't even bother with such a policy for non-commercial photographers.  In my opinion there are few reasons that justify such a policy, in a public area.  If it's security as the reason, then there's little point to it because anyone can just walk in and out freely anyway, a photograph in a public area won't jeopardize security when it's a public place.  I'm of the same opinion in terms of the policies of public railway agencies such as NJ Transit with areas open to public access.)  Afterwards, we took the Metro back to the hotel and got back at 8:30 and went to bed around 10:00 PM.

1. Southbound Metro Blue Line Train at Crystal City, Virginia
2. "The Spirit of St. Louis" at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
3. American Airlines Douglas DC-3 at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
4. TWA Northrup Alpha at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
5. AA Douglas DC-7 at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
6. Tomahawk Missile at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
7. Various Rockets at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
8.  Washington Union Station
9.  Washington Union Station Arrival/Departure Board

 

Day 3- November 6, 2004

I woke up around 7:30 and we headed down to the buffet breakfast downstairs again.  We went back to our room for a few minutes before leaving around 10:35 AM.  We took the Metro to Fords Theater.  We were there only briefly because they were doing work on the stage and weren't giving tours.  After quickly seeing the theater itself, we headed downstairs to the Lincoln Museum.  Afterwards we headed across the street to the house where Lincoln died.  Our next stop was to see the outside of the White House.  After we took a few pictures, we headed to the Washington Monument, however, it was closed for construction. (Seems like its always closed for construction).  Next we went back to the American Museum of History to replace some old currency that David had lost.  Afterwards we took the Metro to the Hard Rock Cafe by Fords Theater.  My parents and brothers had trouble entering with their Metro passes, which the attendant told us were demagnetized from my fathers magnetic money clip.  I didn't have that problem because I had held on to my pass in my wallet.  For the rest of the day my parents had to show his passes to the station attendant in order to enter and exit the subway.  When they tried to seat us at a table that was too small, we left, choosing to head to the nearby ESPN Zone.  It was a long wait, but well worth it in my opinion.  To pass the time, we went to the arcade downstairs.  When we were finally seated for a late lunch.  I ordered a Burger and Buffalo Wings.  Both were great, but my parents thought their Mahi-Mahi tasted fishy.

After lunch we headed to the Shopping Centre at Pentagon City on the way back to the hotel.  There I had some coffee while we visited some of the shops.  Overall the mall was beautiful, but it had too few escalators that were poorly planned and laid out.  Afterwards we returned to the hotel.  At Crystal City, we purchased our cards for the next days subway trip to Union Station.  We got back to the rooms around 6:30 PM, and again, like the Metro passes, my dad had to get a new room key.  For dinner, we ordered room service, which arrived around 8.  I had a Chicken Caesar Salad, and watched Anchorman in the room.  The meal was pretty good, and the movie was very funny.  By 9:00 PM we were packed and ready to go home.  I went to bed around 10:30 PM.

10-11.  US Capitol
12.  Washington Monument
13.  White House

 

Day 4- November 7, 2004

I woke up around 7:30, showered and finished packing.   We left the hotel around 8:30 AM and took the Yellow Line to Gallery Place/China Town, where we transferred to the Red Line.  That day the Red Line was terminating at Union station because of track realignment north of it for the new New York Avenue Station.  When we got to the station, we sat down at the Au Bon Pan for breakfast, around 9:30 AM.   I had a chocolate croissant and coffee.  My mother got a Chicken Caeser Wrap to have for lunch on the train.  We got to Gate K around 10:30 AM and waited to board Regional #88.

14.  Interior of Metro train
15.  Metro Car #5403 after completing its run on the Red Line to Union Station

 

Remainder of the Trip Continues in Part 3