Washington, D.C. is the Capital of the United States of America. Tourists flock there to see , of course, The White House among other things. In our case, the hubby and I wanted to visit the Smithsonian Museums. So we made this small but very powerful city a part of our road trip.
It was raining when we left Hershey’s, Pennsylvania that day. And traffic was bad as we were entering D.C. The rain and the fog proved to be a beautiful backdrop to the fall foliage before us.
When we left I-70, we entered I believe , the security road. We saw this NSA sign there…
Interesting right? 🙂 You just hear about it on the news or while watching a movie. I know, I’m so shallow, but I found that cool. ha ha
A few minutes later, we found our hotel. Check in was very fast. The Holiday Inn staff are awesome. From the moment we entered the hotel, someone assisted with our luggages. And made sure that we were okay. We were also given tourist maps which helped a lot during our 7 day stay with them.
After settling in, we familiarized ourselves with the neighborhood. Using the map, we walked a block or so away. And found this Smithsonian Information. I’m glad that I chose the right hotel. Holiday Inn is just a block away from the Smithsonian Museums and the National Mall.
On our right , I saw the Indian Museum. But we didn’t go in.
Instead , we walked towards the park which is famously called “The National Mall”.
When I was researching about Washington, D.C. through google maps, I saw this wide strip in the middle of the city. I thought this was an underground mall. You know, where one can shop, etc. ha ha… Only to realize later on, that it’s a national park connecting Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. 🙂 Why it’s called a “mall” , I do not know….
Okay, this strip looks near. But when we walked to both sides on different days, believe me , it is far. That’s several blocks away! So make sure that you are wearing a comfortable shoes when you go there.
Needless to say, this area of D.C. can be enjoyed more by walking. Seriously. 🙂
The U.S. Capitol behind me.
I love these pigeons! They just roam freely in the park.
Imagine how healthy the environment is, considering that this is a busy city! I even saw squirrels at the Smithsonian Castle’s garden.
The Washington Monument from a distance.
Found the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
And the Smithsonian Castle! 🙂 The Smithsonian Information Center is here. So make sure that you go here first to get more details about their museums before proceeding somewhere else.
The garden at the back of the castle has a lot of squirrels. There are benches all over the place , so we rested here for a few minutes.
On our way back to the hotel, I saw the Duck Tours, on the road. 🙂
Then this train track … Yes, that’s still being used now. 🙂
And this “Car2Go” parked on the road. If you’re a member, you just swipe your card. Drive this car to your D.C. destination and leave it at the designated parking space nearby. Awesome right? 🙂 It’s like renting a car by the hour!
Here’s a google map, showing the national mall area. The Smithsonian Museums and the Holiday Inn, where we stayed.
For more details of the hotel , here’s their website –
http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/washington/wassm/hoteldetail
Our first day showed us a little of what Washington , D.C. has to offer. It gave me an inkling too of how much walking I will have to go through in the next few days. ha ha I’m glad though that we can do such at a leisurely pace. You know the old people way. 🙂 Walk a little, rest a little, savor each moment and enjoy the experience as we go along.
Thanks again for reading my blog. See you next time! 🙂
Lea C. Walker
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