When I start to plan this trip I had looked at options to stay for a couple of days in Washington, DC. However, the cost of doing so seemed a little expensive, and I figured I could do that another time. But then I found that I could take one day out of my time in New York and take a day to Washington, DC. It is never an easy choice to take a day away from one place to visit another, but I am very glad I did.
New York To Washington
It is never an easy choice to take a day away from one place to visit another, but I am very glad I did. There is a lot of hassle this tour solves, and I get to see most of the famous sights. The tour is a rather early start leaving New York at 7.00 am in the morning, for the four-hour drive to Washington, DC. The tour takes you through five different states or districts including New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
There is a good portion of the trip that is rather uninteresting. After you pass through Newark the following hour and a half is pretty much just highway. About halfway there is a stop made to stretch the legs at a rest stop. Before continuing onto Washington. There is some lovely scenery along the way, but to maximise the day, there is just the one stop on the way.
Washington Memorials
The first stop in Washington is made at a relatively famous memorial, the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial was built for the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
Nearby is the Vietnam War Memorial, built to remember the 54,000 lives lost in the 20-year war fought in Vietnam. Alongside is also the Korean War Memorial for the 3-year war fought in Korea to remember the soldiers lives that were lost.
Washington Monument
From the Lincoln Memorial, you have a good view of the Washington Monument. The monument is an Obelisk which was built to commemorate George Washington, the first President of the United States.
Between the Washington Monument and the Reflection Pool (currently undergoing renovations) is the World War II Memorial. I had to walk quickly but was able to make a short visit there while at this stop.
It was while at this stop we got to see a surprise daytime fireworks display. The display was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese Flowing Cherry Trees.
The While House
The next stop was at possibly the most recognisable house in the world, The White House. In real terms, it is virtually impossible to visit inside The While House. But you do get a much better view from the fenceline anyway. The first thing you notice is that it does not seem anywhere near as big as it is portrayed in movies or on TV.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
To a great extent, I tend to avoid the overly touristy sites. In all the countries and cities I have visited I have never visited something like Madame Tussauds Was Museum. However, since it was included as a part of the tour here in Washington, I figured why not check it out.
In the end, I did not mind visiting the wax museum at all. It did have a heavy focus especially on US Presidents, which considering we are in Washington, does make sense. Looking at many of the models the realism is rather impressive, in fact, some it was different to tell they were just a wax model.
Air And Space Museum
Another interesting museum visit was to the Air And Space Museum. The stop here gave time for a look around and lunch, albeit just an hour to split between the two.
There were many interesting exhibits, and I did get to see a lot of them. Although due to fitting in lunch as well, I did not pause at any for too long. Included are numerous different aircraft from the last hundred years, spacecraft, a lunar lander and a piece of space rock (pictured above).
Us Capitol Building
The last stop for the day in Washington is at the US Capitol Building. The building stands in a direct line with the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument which we visited this morning. The building itself does hold a commanding position where it is. I would say the picture does not do the building justice in size or presence, though.
Returning To New York
The tour today turned out to be an excellent choice, allowing me to see many of the landmark buildings in America’s capital city Washington, DC. While also getting to hear a lot of the history as well. It made a lot more sense than the couple of days that I had been trying to squeeze in to stay here. Even though I enjoyed the tour, I doubt I will be rushing back to spend more time soon.
Tomorrow is my last day in New York City. I do have something of a plan for the day, and hopefully will be able to fill the day without having to waste to much time.
