Miles today: 7 (in a big circle!)Miles to date: 394
Where are we again? Washington DC, still.
Fun fact: A common misconception about the White House is that it is painted white as a symbol of the nation’s purity of intent. In fact, it was first painted purple, but had to be painted white to cover up the scorch marks after the British attempted to burn it to the ground in 1814.
The Day’s Events: Ok, after a good night’s sleep, we booked tomorrow’s hire car and a flight from St Louis to Salt Lake City – so we’ve made a definite commitment to doing the next bit. Then at about 10.30 we set off, in our shorts and flip-flops, to do the town! So, we went to the White House – George wasn’t there, and they wouldn’t let us in without the personal word of the British ambassador, but we did bump into Bill Clinton (see above). From there, we walked all the way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol (i.e. Congress) – a long way but we got to see the FBI Headquarters and lots of other impressive federal government buildings. They wouldn’t let us into any of these either, but we did get to go inside the Supreme Court building, into the Court itself, and into the Library of Congress. We also managed to cram in the American Botanical Gardens, and the National Museum of Art, but by then it was after six o’clock and we were exhausted, so we walked back along Virginia Avenue, picking up a six-pack of Bud and some Jamaican meat patties on the way back to the hotel.
We’re going to chill out tonight but we hope to see the Vietnam Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Pentagon on our way to pick up the hire car at the airport tomorrow. We have decided that Washington DC is one of our favourite places in America, and that we would like to come again and do it properly, but maybe in Spring or Autumn rather than when it’s in the 90s and really sticky.
All in all, we’re having quite a good time.
Ted's photo blog
A picture of me, Ted, on guard at the White House.
A picture of me, Secret Agent Ted, about to...well I can't tell you, cos then I'd have to kill you.
3 comments:
Good thing you weren't photographed with the current President, or I would have had to stop reading and go and throw up.
P.S. Bud? Yuk. Didn't they have any beer?
Please report all microbreweries and brewpubs encountered on your travels, by the way.
Just caught up with all this, and had to create an account, so..
Memphis, as you (totally unreasonably I feel) aren't going to Mobile, you'll have to send me a postcard/ Ecard saying Stuck Inside of Memphis With the Mobile Blues Again.
Oakland? Didn't Gertrude say "theres no there there". And wasn't it the place that Dr Hunter S Thompson got his face stomped by the Angels?
In LA don't forget the Capitol "Stack Of Records" building.
Savannah, if you haven't read it pick up a copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, tells you a lot about the place, the film sadly is rubbish (as is 1900, but I'll come back to that some other time)
Have Fun
Nickxx
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