Dorchester (Boston, Massachusetts)

Now I've Seen Everything

October 6th was my last of 5 full days in Washington D.C. On each of the days prior, I HAD done SOMETHING...

Day 1: Saw the White House and went to the Smithsonian Museum Of Natural History.

Day 2: Went to the Museum Of American History.

Day 3: Went to a Renaissance festival in Maryland (!)

Day 4: Went to the National Zoo and saw many things, but most notably A PANDA! (I'll try to do an entry about that later on.)

Day 5: Everything???? What a day! Here are some of the things I saw:

*The Washington Monument
*The Jefferson Memorial
*The Lincoln Memorial
*The Potomac
*D.C.'s WWII Memorial
*The Smithsonian Sculpture Garden
*The National Arboretum
*The President Of Germany

Yes, the President of Germany was visiting D.C., and my friend Wes and I happened to be at the Lincoln Memorial while he and his posse were there also. Since Germany was my first stop on this whole crazy trip, that was especially cool.

Here are a few photos from Day 5 in D.C. Now I am off to catch a train to Boston for a quick stopover. Thursday, I fly home.

Mixed emotions.

And The Streets Are Paved With Cheese

America! I'm back in America! Okay, yes, I've been back for several days, but you know when it really hit me? It wasn't seeing the White House. It wasn't beholding a giant American flag made of Lego. It was when a clock in D.C. struck noon, and the bells began chiming, playing -- and I am not making this up -- Yankee Doodle. You don't get more American than that. Heck, that even wins over Denny's Red, White & Blue pancakes, by gum.

I'm having a pretty good time in D.C. so far. Aside from the rain. Well, rain is fine. It's the wind that turns umbrellas inside out and the puddles that drench your socks and the slippery surfaces that try to kill you... those things aren't so great. Oh, and I keep getting temporarily lost. But when I'm not getting lost or getting drenched or falling down, I'm taking in the sights. Some sights I plan for, like the Smithsonian Museum Of Natural History and the Museum Of American History. Others... Like the parking garage where Watergate secrets were spilled... I've happened upon by accident.

 I've been blessed with many little happy accidents on this trip. The good has far outshined the bad.

The Magic Has Landed...

The cruise has ended and I am back on dry land, and guess what? I'm actually pretty bummed about  that. Surprise! Aside from the days I felt dizzy, I had a pleasant time. It was really relaxing and fun, and I met some great people, tried new foods, and participated in all sorts of crazy activities. I'll post a few pictures below, and promise to put together a detailed trip report with 100 photos (at least) when I'm back in Oregon, in front of my laptop.

SO. Remember before this trip began and I was talking about the things I wanted to do? Well, I knew I'd have to be flexible and that I couldn't do everything. One thing that did change is that I decided not to stay 2 nights in Miami after all. In changing the dates on my train ticket (Miami-Washington) I also opted to save some money and get a regular seat instead of a sleeping compartment.

I don't regret bypassing Miami, but I AM sorry to have missed out on that private compartment, especially considering the people I had to share a train car with last night. We had...

*Old guy who kept getting phone calls that he'd let ring 4 or 5 times, and then answer with, "Hello???" as if his phone didn't have caller ID. Or perhaps he had given out his # to random lunatics.

*Lady who sprayed Bath & Body Works' Vanilla Sugar spray at least 5 times. It sounds delicious, but it is most certainly not.

*Ladies who spent half an hour discussing the differences in taste re: possums, raccoons, and other specimen.

*Seat kickers.

*Amtrak announcers who believe they need to repeat everything four times. "We're coming upon our next stop, Jacksonville. I repeat, we are about to pull into our next stop, Jacksonville. That's Jacksonville, ladies and gentlemen. Does this PA make me sound cool, guys? Jacksonville Jacksonville Malkovich."

Annnyway, I did enjoy some of the views of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. Sorry to say I slept through Georgia and the other Carolina. I saw ducklings, cranes, and what I thought was a lizard, but was told by possum lady that it was an iguana.

And now I'm just outside of D.C., ready and waiting in case the President needs saving.