For spring, and my first vacation, I chose to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC! As you may or may not know, I love cherry blossoms. I even have sheets and cushion covers with them! Lol. Anyway, DC as you can see is very urban, chic, clean and very much a chronicle of America’s history.
I chose to travel via Amtrak! Back when I got my Amtrak membership 3 years ago, I thought I’d barely use it! Almost 10 trips later, I think it’s a good thing. So, I’m not sure why I decided to travel the very next morning after my last ICU shift. I remember finishing my shift, picking and choosing some things, throwing it into my haversack and going to bed.
I had an early train so woke up early. It was only during my long train ride, I had a chance to remember all the things I had forgotten to pack. A toothbrush, toothpaste, pajamas, slippers, makeup, a comb 😲 and a whole bunch of other things.
When I got to Union station, DC, it was windy and cold. I chose to live downtown within walking distance of the sites I wanted to visit. I was quite tired with the journey. The nice thing was that I was given free breakfast vouchers for Johnny Rocket. The next day, after breakfast downstairs at the hotel, I took my bag and went walking. I tried to get the bus app but it was a long procedure and complicated registration. I gave up on that idea.
First Stop: The White House
A lot of areas were cordoned off, so I could only get a picture from a distance. Needless to say, it was still winter in DC. I was freezing! There are so many people and tour groups here that it can get hard to get a picture.
I continued my walk to the Tidal Basin.
Tidal Basin
Due to the weather, I caught the end of the season. A lot of the flowers were already on the ground. There were other trees, all in their blooming spring pinks and whites. It was beautiful. Only if it wasn’t so cold! 🥶.
Hop on-Hop off
I took the hop-on and hop off for the rest of the tour. I picked up the bus from outside the Jefferson memorial. There were lots of groups here so it was crowded. After, I took the bus, there were multiple stops. The Space and Science Center, The Museum of Art, the US Capitol Building, The Wharf, The Washington monument, Lincoln Memorial & Korean War Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, City Center & Chinatown and finally the Willard Hotel. These pictures from DC are all a mix of everything, the Chinatown shops all written in Chinese and red, the memorials, the statue of Einstein, the museums that I didn’t get to visit. A mix of this and that!
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
I had a chance to hear mass and the Tuesday St. Anthony’s novena at the Cathedral of St. Matthew. This is the place where the requiem mass for President JFK was held. The church is a Romanesque Revival and Byzantine-influenced cathedral. It was designed by C. Grant La Farge. It features a red brick exterior, a massive dome, and intricate mosaics. The interior is richly decorated with marble and semiprecious stones. The cathedral is shaped like a Latin cross. I spent some time here before heading out to eat.
Meals
Since it was Lent, my options were very limited. I chose to try a few local places. However, DC is expensive. You’ll be paying twice as much for any cuisine you choose. I chose to eat Indian as the vegetarian options were more diverse.
Museum of Natural History
I spent one of the afternoons at the Museum of Natural History. I did want to go to the Space museum but the line was 2 hours long so chose to go to the former. The museum has several exhibits. Dinosaurs, mammals, gems, etc. I loved the exhibit on light pollution and their efforts educate people about reducing light pollution were eye opening.
Just like that my week long vacation was over! 😔My impression of DC is that it’s busy. The crowd is very business like. The traffic can be unpredictable. So while on the tour bus, the President was leaving the WH. So, we we waited forty minutes for the motorcade to pass. The hotel I stayed at, had an international team of some sort heading for a game. There’s a constant bustle. The whole city is just busy.
What I loved about it, was how walkable the city is. Having lived in smaller towns with no sidewalks in Pennsylvania, I have come to appreciate sidewalks. DC is very walker/cyclist friendly. There’s plenty of sunshine! And its’ well connected by bus or metro. Having seen my pictures from DC, what do you make of the city?