JimmyandPatti’s Weblog

It was part-family reunion time last weekend, John was in town with a buddy who ran in the Marine Corps Marathon. We had a great time getting back together, although it was too short for sure.

The weather was very nice for the marathon and we enjoyed watching the beginning, middle, and end over a 4 hour period.  With our leisurely pace we arrived at the National Mall just as the leaders were reaching the Capitol (about the 17 mile mark) …wow, what a pace!

Nice morning stroll on the Mall

The Air & Space Museum opened at 10:00 am, perfect timing for us as we waited for Brad to make the 19 mile mark.  It was fun to go back to the Air & Space museum with John – we could have spent most of the day here. 

John had a good eye and saw Brad in the crowd, which by now was 10 people wide and thousands deep.  He hollered out to Brad and we got a great smile…looked like he could run forever!

 We were fortunate to find Brad again, just prior to the finish line.  He ran great, broke the 4 hour mark, and then he and John spent the rest of the weekend touring DC.  I guess I shouldn’t complain about being tired while walking the Mall!   Watching the race again this year gave me another “twinge” of motivation to run the Marine Corp Marathon next year…it is a great fundraiser for the International Association of Firefighters Burn Foundation.  I’ve been postponing my marathon training every year since 1987.

Great finish

On Tuesday, we toured Arlington National Cemetery with John and watched the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns.  It is still amazing to think that they have been guarding the tomb every minute since 1937.

Our Tuesday adventure continued and we took in the Reynolds Center, National Gallery of Art, and the US Capitol.  Time went so fast but we were able to score tickets to sit in the gallery of the Senate chambers.  That was a neat experience, especially after seeing the movie “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” a few weeks ago.

The flight home for John came way too quick, but we had a nice Metro ride with him to the airport on Wednesday morning.  Reagan Airport (aka National or DCA) is becoming pretty familiar….collectively we have been there 22 times!  It’s really not a very big airport, especially when you compare it with Johannesburg or Beijing.

Gate time (reminds me of the Wizard of Oz building)

…a bit more than our typically Wednesday walk!

Our original plan was to rent a car last weekend and drive the Skyline Drive (in Shenandoah National Park), but with the weather calling for cold, rain, and snow, we bagged that option and waited a few days. We were glad we did – our trip on Wednesday was blue sky, sunny and 70’s.

Fall foliage in the Shenandoah Valley

This part of Virginia is very popular during the fall, the Skyline Drive travels the backbone of the Blue Ridge Mountains, winding through 105 miles of scenery.  We took time to stop at many of the 75 overlooks that give great views of the valleys on the east and west slopes.  We also took two hikes, one up-up-up and one down-down-down.

On the hike up to Hawksbill, the highest peak in the park at 4051 feet.

Top of the world (east coast style)

Although the Pacific Northwest has “spoiled” us when it comes to the natural wonders of the outdoors, it was great to get out of the concrete acreages of DC and spend some time enjoying the park.  We met a nice couple from Germany who were spending a few weeks exploring the US.  We told them of our roots in Oregon and the gentleman replied… “Portland??….Portland, Oregon has the best beer in the world”.  LOL …. and he’s from Germany!

There are 9 waterfalls in the park, most of them quite a ways from the road, but we found the trailhead to Dark Hollow Falls – a quick downhill hike (and slow return to the car) that was about 1.5 miles roundtrip. 

Not a "Multnomah Falls" but very pretty nonetheless

As the sun headed toward the west, we exited the park at the Swift Run Gap entrance point and also headed west in search of I-81 and the Outback Restaurant located in Harrisonburg.  The drive through the countryside and small towns was equal in beauty to the park – lots of colorful trees, acres of grasslands, and quaint homes.

We split our favorite steak at Outback, the Victoria’s Center Cut Filet, and then traveled north to Front Royal for an after-dinner coffee at Starbucks. The evening sun painted the landscape along the way, making the fall colors appear even more beautiful.

The trip odometer read 281 miles when we dropped the rental car off at the garage and we were home in just 5 minutes (the Enterprise car rental is only 1 block from our apartment). Another whirlwind adventure!

Columbus Day is a federal holiday in DC so we took advantage of the day off and the nice crisp weather to take a hike through one of our favorite memorials (FDR) and then into the heart of DC for a wonderful DC hotdog.

George Mason (the big version)

We hiked through the FDR memorial in a different direction this time and were surprised by the nice memorial for George Mason (well known in this area for George Mason University) that we found on the south end of the tidal basin. It was interesting to read that George Mason was considered to be one of the great patriots of the time and was also known as one of the founding fathers of the Bill of Rights.

Our hike today was great, just over 6 miles on foot, nice temperature, blue sky, and a great dinner from one of the many hot dog vendors.  Compared to the NYC dogs, we find the DC dogs much better. We’re not sure if it is the half-smoke (spicy) seasoning or the sauerkraut, but we love ‘em.  Anyway, 6 miles of hiking took us about 4 hours, not too fast but lots of sights along the way.

Last Wednesday, on my “every-other-day-off“, we headed back to the American History Museum to see the original Star Spangled Banner.  During earlier visits to this museum the line into the exhibit were extremely long so we postponed that part of the tour.  Last month, during our visit to Baltimore, we toured Fort McHenry, the site where the original flag flew and the location that our national anthem was penned by Francis Scott Key. That visit was so amazing that we just had to get back to the location of the original flag…..amazing.

The American History Museum also had a great new exhibit entitled “America on the Move” and we had a great time touring (pun intended).  One of our favorite parts was a restored Chicago Transit Authority train.

Just made it!!

The train wasn’t actually moving, but after we jumped in we enjoyed a great video projected on the end wall of the car that was set during the early 1960s time, which was life size and fun to watch.  The conductor made announcements over the tinny little speaker in the car, highlighting streets and businesses (Carson-Pirie-Scott, Marshall Fields, Goldblatts, and Wiebolts) that were very familiar to Patti (her home town).

Back home in Chicago...kinda

 With the cooler temps and shorter days the fall foliage is nice……looks like we may have to take a road trip this weekend to take it all in. Rental car……..here we come!

…. in New York City.

We stepped off the bus about 2:30 pm – refreshed after the enjoyable bus ride from DC.  We were both glad that we had experienced the hub (and bub) of busy cities before arriving here – you definitely need to hit the ground running in NYC (or be run over).  Our initial weather was rainy (as projected) and we shared a small travel umbrella as we dodged the crowds, who also dodged the rain.  Our hike to the hotel was pretty quick, and we stayed mostly dry (except for the umbrella runoff, which found it’s way directly into our backpacks!).   The hotel staff was great and we quickly found our way to the 16th floor of our skinny little hotel.

Base Camp

 There were only 5 guest rooms per floor, what it lacked in width, it made up for in height. The rate was great (free!!) – I had acquired bonus points over the year during my travels and was able to redeem them for 2 nights stay.  This hotel was located just off 5th Avenue, very close to Times Square and Broadway.

Rockefeller Plaza

The rain tapered off Saturday evening and we had fun seeing the sights. Our maps got a good work out as we zigged and zagged around 5th, Broadway, and Avenue of the Americas. The side streets around Broadway had more security staff than tourists and we passed Mark Wahlberg (aka Marky Mark) on the sidewalk.  He didn’t recognize us so we just moved on. As we hiked, we accidently discovered the FDNY Fire Safety Center, designed as a drop-in attraction for kids (and old firefighters of course). We spent some time looking at fire department patches from around the country and posed for a quick picture next to Vancouver Fire’s patch. 

FDNY Fire Safety Learning Center

After dinner we enjoyed watching another episode of the PBS special on the National Parks and poured over the tourist maps and guides to get ready for Sunday’s exploration.

Radio City Music Hall

Central park was only a few blocks “uptown” from our hotel and we meandered up the streets, passing Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral (amazing inside), Carnegie Hall, and the Waldorf-Astoria.  The street views brought back lots of memories from shows and movies over the years, and we could “see” scenes from You’ve Got Mail,  Crocodile Dundee, DieHard, Home Alone II, Miracle on 34th Street, Seinfeld, Hitch, and Friends. 

Central Park was amazing.  The total area is 843 acres and it is well designed and very well maintained.  We “discovered” some great treasures and enjoyed the trails, benches, bridges, and performers. It is estimated that 25 million people visit the park each year. Click this link for a virtual tour of the park.

Central Park

After our time in the park we bought two “all day passes” for the subway and set out to understand the layout and find our way.  The subway system is larger that DC with multiple lines, depending on your destination.  With Patti’s intuitiveness, we were soon on our way and made it to the southern-most part of Manhattan, arriving at Battery Park just before lunch time.

At the south end of Manhattan

NYC Hotdogs (....but DC Dogs are better!)

The weather was perfect and we spent an hour or so in Battery Park watching talented street performers and walking the streets in the area.  Patti found the Merrill Lynch bull on the map and we headed that way, finding Bowling Green Park on the way.

Bowling Green - Established in 1722

A few steps later, we arrived at the famous Wall Street Bull and we tried to get a picture of us standing in front of it, but the crowds were unrelenting.  We settled for a picture of the crowd and then ambled down (or “up” I should say) the road in search of more New York City.

The Wall Street Bull (apparently at feeding time)

We visited Ground Zero and saw the area of massive construction and the small memorials that are currently in place.  It was hard to fathom the magnitude of the collapse – and the tremendous loss of life.  After leaving Ground Zero, we took the subway north to the FDNY museum and saw an amazing amount of department history and the more personal side of 9/11.

FDNY Museum

I have seen (and read) a lot about the 343 firefighters who died during the rescue attempts at the World Trade Centers, but was most moved by the collection of everyday FF tools found in the debris.  Broken flashlights, concrete encrusted helmets, and destroyed airpacks made me realize the individual sacrifice of September 11th. 

FF tools from Ground Zero

The NYC Subway

Just south of Greenwich Village we found a very busy park (Washington Square) on our way to the site of a famous fire that occurred in 1911 (Triangle Shirtwaist Fire).  The park was packed, not by tourists, but by the local crowd, out to enjoy the perfect weather and the last days of summer. We stopped for time to enjoy another great show by the talented street performers.  You would be amazed at how fast this guy spun his twin brother on his head – nicknamed the Helicopter. 

The Helicopter

The building at the corner of Greene and Washington looks like most others in New York with the exception of the 2′ x 2′ bronze plaque that commemorates the fire that occurred here on March 25, 1911.  The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire resulted in the deaths of 146 people, mostly young, mostly women, who worked on the 9th floor factory.  The fire was a turning point in the development of better fire and life-safety codes – but more than that – a tremendous turning point in workplace safety and worker’s rights.

Site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - 1911

After about 7 hours on the streets, we retreated to the hotel to rest up and watch another segment of the National Parks PBS special.  It was great to stretch out and relax for a few hours – we had to get our strength up to tackle Times Square after the sun went down (and the city came to life!).

Times Square

Taxi!

We took the time to grab a New Year’s Eve smooch (a few month’s early) – we both decided that being in Times Square was busy enough, without having a million more people for the New Year’s Eve celebration.

United Nations

After checking out of our hotel, we had about 6 hours to wander before we needed to meet our bus at Madison Square Garden.  We were amazed by the inside of the NYC Public Library……….

NYC Public Library (shhhh)

………and Bryant Park located next door.

The Empire State Building (from Bryant Park)

 Only in New York…..

I bet they don't sleep through the night!

 Our afternoon of wandering allowed us to work up an appetite for a NYC pretzel (not too hard with fresh pretzel vendors on every corner) as well as some NYC cheesecake (never hard to get in the mood for cheesecake).  We enjoyed a nice slice of cheesecake with strawberries in a comfy little diner in the Penn Station complex.  It was old school, nothing fancy, vinyl tablecloths and naugahyde covered booths…..and Willie Nelson’s greatest hits playing on the stereo!

Does your neck hurt yet?

The time went by quickly and before we knew it we were onboard the Bolt bus for the ride home, 49 hours since we stepped off the inbound bus.

Bye NYC

There are numerous ways to get to NYC, the bus lines are pretty competitive and offer “door to door” service.  We opted for the Bolt Bus, which makes the trip in around 4 hours.  The price was right – $19 each way (per person). 

Our "Motorhome"

The only thing we didn’t check off our list was a ride in a NYC cab …. but we both think it would be pretty tame after riding in taxis in Shanghai (although catching the “Cash Cab” would be awesome!).

This week feels like two…well not the week part but more of the weekend part.  After spending Wednesday at Mount Vernon, it felt strange to be out and about again so soon – but the weather and the dogs of DC were calling our name so out we went.

At the Renwick Gallery

We have managed to see most of the Smithsonian Museums (16 out of 19) and enjoyed the distinct differences that each has to offer.  The American Art Museum has an additional locale, the Renwick Gallery, which was first on our list for Saturday. I had taken a sneak-peak of the place online and was intrigued by the information on Game Fish.  What a surprise when we actually got to view this huge “fish” up close.  The artist used a variety of game pieces and toys to create this sailfish, which must be about 7′ long.

Game Fish

Up close

We have found that the best way to find the most popular exhibit in the museum is to go to the gift store first and look at the post cards.  The best and most unusual displays will usually have a special post card or book and we have found some great discoveries this way.  While in the Renwick gift shop, we asked about Game Fish postcards, but the clerk said they were sold out.  She did say that they had postcards of the “Ghost Clock” and asked if we had seen it yet.  I had seen it online, but it didn’t seem too impressive.  She told us we had to see it …. but didn’t elaborate on the details.  She was right. At first, it looked like any other grandfather clock with a sheet thrown over it …but on closer look, and closer, and closer (as close as we could get without setting the motion sensor off) we finally came to believe what was written on the information sign.  The entire sculpture, including the white sheet, was all carved from a single block of mahogany.

Ghost Clock

The texture, shadows, and details of the sheet are incredible.  We still wanted to reach out and touch the sheet just to confirm in our brains that it was wood and not fabric. Incredible.

After our standard (and again delicious) lunch of DC dogs with sauerkraut, we walked to the Marian Koshlan Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences. The museum is small, but interesting in its display of current scientific studies related to safe drinking water, infectious disease, and lights at night.  Click on the link above to view some short video clips and interactive exhibits.

Dragon

On Sunday we headed to Chinatown for the 11th annual Chinese Cultural Festival. After spending 2 weeks together in China in July, it was fun to revisit the sights, sounds, and smells (without the 14 hour flight!).  We loved the Kungfu performances by the youngsters as well as the traditional Dragon Dance. 

To wind up the weekend(s) we stopped off at the Pentagon City Mall for some groceries and a few gadgets from the cooking store.  With all of our traveling, we have gotten “hooked” on the great foods of the world and will try our hands at making wontons, pierogies, empanadas, manti, dumplings, and dim sum. Although each culture makes them a little differently (with unique names) they have the same basic ingredients.  We’re looking forward to discovering and testing some new recipes.

Even though the weekend is coming to a close, we are excited that the next one starts in only 5 days and we’ve already got the adventure planned.  Hint: it starts with a 3 1/2 hour bus ride!!

We have been planning a visit George and Martha Washington’s home at Mount Vernon for quite awhile – just wanted to wait until the crowds (and temperature) got smaller. We picked one of my mid-week day’s off to go to Mount Vernon and had a great time.  Access was easy, we took Metro to Huntington Station and then a bus ride to the front door.

Hiking the woods of Mount Vernon

The original estate was 8000 acres, much larger than the current 500 acres, and has a blend of farm land and woods.  It was interesting to learn that George Washington was an innovative farmer.  One of the most impressive inventions was his 16-sided Threshing Building.  The site of Mount Vernon has been wonderfully preserved and renovated thanks to the efforts of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (a non-profit formed in 1853).  This is one of the first museums that we had to pay admission to, but it was well worth it and we stayed all afternoon, enjoying the formal exhibits (such as the inside of the home)  and the by-our-self time in the gardens and wooded trails.  It looks like this place gets plenty busy during the peak tourist times.

Mount Vernon

The original house was quite a bit smaller -  the Washington’s added on a few times over the years (before and after his 8 long years commanding the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War).

George and Martha had a great view of the Potomac from the "porch"

The museums and restored building were great.  We enjoyed many exhibits and displays of original tools, weapons, writings, and everyday elements of life at Mount Vernon.  One special treat that caught us by surprise was at the Little Theater.  The site has lots of video opportunities and we thought we were going in to watch a movie about Martha Washington.  Once we entered the quaint little theater we actually were face to face with Lady Washington, and she did a great job “introducing” us to the famous first lady.

Martha and Patti

The estate at Mount Vernon has many gardens and we enjoyed sitting for a time in the flower garden.

The gardens of Mount Vernon

So by now, you’re probably wondering about “Snowing in Virginia”.  One of the theaters had an awesome short movie about the famous battles of the revolutionary war.  The theater was new, modern, and equipped with the special effects elements that allowed you to “feel” the effects of the war.  The floors and chairs would vibrate during the battle scenes and booms of the cannons.  During the winter scenes at Valley Forge, it actually snowed inside the theater…brrr. It really added the effect and help to understand the conditions that they had to endure.

After the estate closed for the day we enjoyed a fun trip back on the bus and Metro and then enjoyed a great dinner at the apartment (with some of Patti’s homemade Key Lime Pie!).

Hooray for mass transit!  We have been wanting to spend the day at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and reading the weather forecast for Saturday (70 degrees, zero clouds, all sun, no humidity) was all it took for us to quickly devise a transportation plan to get there.  Although Baltimore sounds like it would be a long way from DC, it is actually only about 45 miles – depending on which part of Baltimore you want to land.  Our deal was pretty good … Orange Line Metro to L’Efant Plaza, transfer to the Green Line to Greenbelt (end of the Metrorail), transfer to the 30B Metrobus to BWI (Baltimore Airport), transfer to the MTA Light Rail rail for the final leg into Baltimore, ending at the convention center (Grand total = $6.45 a piece).

Tickets in hand - waiting for the MTA light rail

The train ride was nice – we visited with a couple from Norfolk, VA who were headed to Camden Yards for the baseball game (Boston Red Socks vs the Baltimore Orioles).  Judging from all of the red jerseys on the train and in town, the “away” crowd definitely outnumbers the home team supporters. 

Our first Baltimore fountain

We have heard a lot about the Inner Harbor and enjoyed the lively crowds and family atmosphere.  Equally entertaining were the street performers who juggled, joked, and unicycled to the crowds delight!

Good thing he has short hair (juggling fire on a 6' tall unicycle)

We enjoyed lunch overlooking the USS Constellation in the harbor below and then hiked up to Federal Hill Park for a great overlook of the Inner Harbor.

Overlooking the Inner Harbor

Pride of Baltimore Memorial

We happened across this memorial, established after the Baltimore Pride was lost at sea in 1986, during a storm near Puerto Rico. The Captain and 3 crewmembers perished.

As we walked along the waterfront we enjoyed frequent benchsittings and found a nice map of the attractions in the area.  We have heard of Fort McHenry and seen many signs pointing the way, but until we read the short synopsis about it being the birthplace of our National Anthem, we had no idea of the significance of this fort or the history of the monumental battle. We set our sights (and feet) toward Fort McHenry and soon found that the small print on the map (not to scale) means “5 times farther than you think”!

A short stop on the long hike to Fort McHenry

We were glad that the temperatures were mild for our hike and enjoyed a nice break at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, posing for a picture (above) at an unusual sculpture made of parts and pieces from some heavy-duty machines.  We were encouraged along our hike when we saw bus stops…that meant that after the hike to the fort we would be able to ride back into town.

We made it!

Regarding the historical significance of Fort McHenry, we had either forgotten (or never really picked up on the fact) that this is the site of the famous battle against the British during the war of 1812, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write our National Anthem. It was an amazing place to be, not as large as I would have imagined, but huge in the impact that it had for our country.

Our tour of Fort McHenry finished in perfect time to catch the #1 bus back to the Inner Harbor – next stop …. ICE CREAM!  While looking for the ice cream shop we found a fun candy shop (The Fudgery) where the fudge chefs entertain the crowds with songs, jokes, and amazing techniques. The free sample was nice too!

Sing-a-long time at The Fudgery

We found a great frozen custard ice cream shop and sat in the amphitheater and watched another fun juggler.  The crowds were amazing in the Inner Harbor, half were baseball fans, half were there for a concert at the Pier Six Pavilion, and half were just out for a nice day (I told you…an amazing crowd!).

The USS Constellation

Sunset at Inner Harbor - Baltimore, Maryland

After watching the sunset and splitting an order of tacos from Chipotle, we hiked over to Camden Yards where the Redsox (and some other team ) were playing.  We had contemplated catching the last hour of the game, but thought we would save it for another trip – the day was wearing long and we were ready for the train ride home.  We also had to ensure that we made the transfer from MTA light rail to Metrobus before the last run or we’d be stuck in the BWI airport overnight.  Our ride home was nice, we worked on a crossword puzzle together and took turns yawning .

We’re never at a loss for spontaneous, so when Patti suggested we leave right from work and hop the Metro for a free concert I was A-OK with that plan (especially because it included a DC dog for dinner….ala ‘kraut )

Fine dining at it's best!

We have been to this building before, it is part of the Smithsonian Museums – the concert was held in the Kogod Courtyard, a beautiful domed area that joins old and new architecture.  We enjoyed some great jazz with our dinner, listening to the Airmen of Note, the USAF’s premier jazz band (created in 1950).  Patti and I are both USAF vets, so it was good to be with the Blue again.

The Airmen of Note

It was such a nice night out that we took the long way home…. well, at least the long way to a Metro stop.  The pace of life was slow (by DC standards) and we wandered along some new streets and new high rises.  One interesting find was Pershing Park, which had a nice fountain and memorial for John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, General of the Armies.

Hanging with Black Jack

All alone (together) in the middle of DC

By the time we made it back on the Metro, we had missed the rush hour period, which is good for two reasons.  First, the crowds are much smaller…and B) it’s 50 cents cheaper!   (work with me…it’s a line from a movie)

So anyway…..

 ……into the wild blue yonder! (and tomorrow is Friday )

… and more!

Last year, the 18th annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival was rained out…but this year the weather was perfect for an outside concert (and an outside lunch).

I’m not sure which part we enjoyed most… the concert (featuring the Spanish Harlem Orchestra ) or the dish of carne asada that we bought from the street vendor (ok…let’s be honest….the food always wins!).

Table for two ... or should I say "dos"?

Spanish Harlem Orchestra (Grammy winners in 2004)

Although we could’ve spent all day at the Gateway Park, Patti had read about a neat “sneak peek” of a documentary that was showing at a library not too far away (by bus that is).

After studying the maps and checking the routes we found a seat on the bus to Shirlington and enjoyed the short ride on the bouncy seats in the back.

My other car is a bus.....wait...we don't have a car...

The “village” of Shirlington was very nice, fairly new, and had tons of restaurants. With the temperature warming up and 30 minutes to kill before the movie started, we indulged in a smoothie from Robeks (excellent by the way) and hung out by the fountains.

All hyped-up on an "Outrageous Raspberry" smoothie from Robeks

The “sneak peek” documentary was great!  We got to be part of the local PBS station’s showing of Ken Burns new documentary entitled “The National Parks – America’s Best Idea”.  We were able to see about half of the first episode and can’t wait for it to air at the end of the month.  If you are a fan of the great outdoors, you should definitely put this on your calendar.  There are 6 episodes, each 2 hours in length. Although we don’t have a TV, we’re going to try to see it upstairs in the community room (plan B – they will also show it online …. guess we could drag the chairs a little closer to our 14″ big-screen computer monitor)!

On Sunday, we walked through Arlington National Cemetery (again) and made our way to the Arlington House, home of Robert E. Lee.  The view from this place was amazing and we enjoyed looking over the places in DC that we have explored.

Holding on to Patti so she doesn't blow away!

As  we visit these historic places, I am amazed how much I don’t know about history.  I think I am finally understanding the US Civil War a little better…but I’m sure not a scholar by any means!

The area around the Arlington House is beautiful with many gardens, flowers, and gazebos.  In addition to the famous Tomb of the Unknowns ( a few hundred yards away) there is also a monument for the US Civil War Unknowns at the Arlington House.  It was interesting to read that this was the first monument at Arlington dedicated to unknown US soldiers.

Civil War Unknowns - Dedicated 1866

After an enjoyable (and long) hike we boarded the Metro and rode over to the Courthouse stop (located just a few blocks uphill from our apartment).  The ride was premeditated….Patti knew there was another Robeks smoothie store here!  We went with a Cranberry Quest this time (hold the old folks jokes please!!) and sat by a new fountain that just opened next to the Marriott Residence.

Not as quaint as a Montana stream...but nice for these parts

 Best news of the day….it’s all downhill from here!

We took advantage of the 3-day weekend/holiday to revisit some of our favorite fountains in DC and also tour the most famous theater in the United States.

...but first stop lunch (a couple dogs at the Sculpture Garden Fountain)

We had visited the Navy Memorial last week and got some intel on a free concert by the Navy Band for Labor Day.  What a performance and what a perfect day to be out enjoying the outdoors.  The concert was a blast…. a few traditional military marching tunes….but mostly modern renditions including Elvis, Earth Wind & Fire, and even Jimmy Buffett!

The Navy Band

Although we had been to the Navy Memorial fountains many times, we finally took time to visit the inside displays and had a great time touring the exhibits.  One interactive exhibit was the Navy Log - you can research friends and family that have served in the Navy.  

Inside the Navy Memorial

National Archive (home of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence)

Ford's Theater - site of the assassination of President Lincoln

The Presidential Box at Ford's Theater

We also revisited the National Air & Space Museum today, one of our friends from Montana had mentioned a new display that included art from Alan Bean, one of the astronauts from Apollo.  The display was great!  We enjoyed the interesting exhibit, which features paintings from Bean.  The art is unique and includes impressions from moon boots, textures from “moon rock tools” and even bits of moon dust.  Here is a link that you should find very interesting. (Thanks for the tip Susan!!)

Alan Bean the astronaut (check out the "rabbit ears")

Alan Bean the artist

The day was nice – cooler temperatures, smaller crowds, and even a chocolate break at the Smithsonian Garden!

Hiding out on our bench at the Smithsonian Garden