TR - Spirit of America 09/08 ~ Chapter 2 - Photos Added!

[wsapooh]

9/4/08-9/11/08
Spirit of America: Philadelphia – Washington DC – Williamsburg
DH – Dan age 38
Me – Laurie age 36
This trip was to be a celebration of our 15-year wedding anniversary
Adventure Guides: Karen & Elizabeth

Chapter 2 – Washington DC

9/6

Sleepy but not as fuzzy as I was the day before. Another lovely breakfast at Keating’s as thick clouds announce Hanna’s arrival. The clouds hang so low that the tops of the buildings in downtown Philly are obscurred.

We boarded the bus at about 9:00am for the drive to DC. Fred, our bus driver, welcomed us with bottles of water. The rain began to fall shortly after we got underway. Fred had brought us warm pretzels that we munched on while we watched “National Treasure”. Karen and Elizabeth were constantly up and down the aisles offering even more snacks and picking up garbage. We made a stop in Maryland for restroom breaks and any other food item that anyone could possibly want. Most of us were in line at Starbucks. The entire trip went very quickly as we watched the movie and chatted with our fellow Adventurers. The closer we got to DC, the harder the rain came down. It eventually became a driving rain. As we arrived at the ESPN Zone in DC for lunch, I patted Fred on the back and thanked him for getting us there safely under such difficult driving conditions. We had a private room at the ESPN Zone with a hearty buffet of sports bar-style foods. The storm kept most people away so we had the game room almost to ourselves. We were given token cards to play a few games before we got back on the bus.

Normally, we would be leaving for our Bike Tour of the National Mall at this point but Hanna had other plans for us. Karen assured us that we would not be missing out on this experience that a lot of us were really looking forward to. They just moved some things around. Our local guide, Greg, boarded the bus with us and we did some of our Panoramic City Tour that had originally been set up for the next day. We made stop at the Smithsonian Castle and spent some time looking at the small displays that showcased the various other Smithsonian museums.

The famous Mayflower Hotel was to be our home for the next few days. Completed in 1925, President Harry S Truman gave the hotel its famous tagline, “The second best address in Washington DC.” Second only to the White House, of course. Presidentail events continue to be held at this magnificent hotel. While we were at the ESPN Zone and doing our short bus tour, Elizabeth had been at the Mayflower getting our keys and delivering our luggage to our beautiful rooms. Travel days take a lot out of me even when I’m just sitting there doing nothing. So, we spent some time relaxing in our room before meeting up with the others at 5:15pm for our trip to Union Station for dinner.

Hanna had blown through by now and the rain had stopped. When we arrived, we had some time to ourselves to explore this absolutely gorgeous building. Some went shopping and while a few of us followed Greg outside. He talked to us about the magnificent statue of Columbus in front of the station. Photos were taken, as was expected. We all met up for dinner at B. Smith’s. It was an excellent meal with the excellent company of our fellow Adventurers. People had started relax by now and became more comfortable around each other. We were no longer strangers. Our guides decided on the spur of the moment to take us on a short nighttime tour of DC. We made stops at the Capital building and the Jefferson Memorial where I was able to get some great night photos. Back to the hotel for the evening. Boy, are the beds at the Mayflower comfortable!!

 

[OurDogCisco]

Great Trip report... I can't wait to hear the rest...
TFS...

 

[wsapooh]

9/7

My bedside table lamp turning on all by itself awakened me at a very early morning hour. A few minutes later, I heard the sound of paper rustling. I had heard whispers of the Mayflower Hotel being haunted. Was a guest visiting us from long ago?
Probly not. But it certainly got my attention and made it difficult to get back to sleep!

It was a Sunday morning and the Sunday breakfast buffet was beckoning. It was scrumptious! Elizabeth had raved about the omelet station and the banana bread so I made sure to try both. I am not usually a fan of orange juice but this was the best orange juice I had ever tasted in my life. And the berries! Huge beautiful berries that were deliciously sweet.

The group met in the lobby at 8:45am for the short drive to the White House. All remnants of Hanna were gone. She had thankfully taken the heat and humidity with her. It was comfortable 82 degrees with a beautiful blue sky. We took lots of photos in front of the White House including a group shot.

We continued our Panoramic City Tour. We drove a short section of the route that American Airlines flight 77 flew on its way to hit the pentagon on 9/11/01. This was poignant considering the anniversary date was so near. Greg pointed out buildings that the plane nearly hit on its way down. Fred was trying to get us over to Arlington National Cemetery, but the “Freedom Walk” was taking place that day in memory of 9/11. So, we took a detour to the Iwo Jima Memorial. Quite by accident, Greg bumped into Mr. Thomas W Miller who authored (what he calls) a pamphlet titled, ”The Iwo Jima Memorial and the Myth of the 13th Hand”. What a rare and special treat. This man had been at Iwo Jima and Pearl Harbor! He told us fascinating stories. We stood mesmerized as he told the tale of the flag raising depicted in the Memorial. Incredible. Such a pleasure.

P.S. Since returning home, I have found this article from the Washington Post online about Mr. Miller and his story of the flag raising.
One Marine's Moment
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45559-2005Feb22.html

Our Adventure Guides, Karen & Elizabeth

The “Freedom Walk” was now over so we went to Arlington. As we stepped off the bus, Fred was there with water for us. Karen and Elizabeth were passing out red and white carnations so we each had a flower to lay on a grave. How incredibly thoughtful. We visited the gravesites of JFK and RFK. We watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns which some Adventurers found particularly moving bringing tears to their eyes. DH and I placed our flowers on the memorials of those astronauts who died onboard the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles. What a powerful place.

In a park on the Potomac next to a marina and in the shadow of the Pentagon, we all filed into a white tent for lunch. Burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, beans, cole slaw, chips, water, soda, popsicles, and ice cream sandwiches were piled high. If anyone had high hopes for loosing a few pounds with all the walking we were doing, they were going to be disappointed. No one would ever go hungry on this tour! It was such a lovely day and we could not have been happier.

It was time to work off that ice cream sandwich by taking our bike tour around the National Mall. What a blast!! Some chose to take this same tour via the bus. The rest of us were divided into two groups. Each group had an Adventure Guide and two guides from Bike and Roll. Our first stop was the Washington Monument. At each stop, one the guides from Bike and Roll would tell us a little bit about each memorial then we would have time to do a little exploring on our own. The World War II Memorial was next. Later that day, DH and I discussed how wonderful it was that we visited that particular memorial with some new Japanese friends. We moved on to the Vietnam War Memorial and the Albert Einstein statue. We got a really fun group shot with Mr. Einstein. Off to the Lincoln Memorial. I took a photo of the Abraham Lincoln statue with my phone and sent it to a few friends saying, “Abe says, ‘hi’.” I couldn’t resist! Hanna ended up blessing us by rescheduling our bike ride for a day that was cooler and not so humid. It was a delightful ride. I probly took 50 photos just on this bike tour alone.

We had the rest of the day to ourselves. With Elizabeth’s guidance, we took the Metro from the Mayflower to Chinatown and a restaurant she recommended called Jaleo. It was our first time at a Spanish restaurant dining tapas style. A very tasty experiment! Wonderful sangria. We chatted about our day and all the cherished memories we were making. Back to the hotel and off to bed. Another great day ahead!

 

[wsapooh]

9/8

My bedside lamp flickered a bit but never turned on completely. I should have unplugged it before I got into bed! Breakfast was once again at the Café Promenade at the Mayflower. The same buffet was laid out as before minus the omelet station. Glad I took advantage of it when I did! DH was not so lucky. More orange juice, berries, and banana bread for me along with some much needed coffee.

We had an early start and met in the lobby at 815am for the drive to Mount Vernon. Another lovely day but a bit warmer. As he had done all along whenever we were on the bus, Greg pointed out places of interest and told its stories. We toured the Mount Vernon mansion. Amazing to see things that were originals to the home. Things George Washington touched with his own hands. The Mount Vernon Inn offered us a tasty lunch of honey-fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn muffins, salad, cherry or apple pie, and iced tea. General Washington’s valet (I think! I can’t remember his exact title) entertained us with stories of the general as we ate. We were on our own now to explore the gift shops, museums, and the grounds of the estate. DH and I visited the general’s tomb, the surrounding gardens, and quickly passed through the museums.

Back on the bus and headed to DC, Elizabeth and Karen asked us which Smithsonian Museums everyone wanted to go to. Tallies were taken and Fred dropped groups off at whichever museums they wanted. We had the rest of the day to ourselves although only about 3 hours before the museums closed. DH and I started at the Air and Space Museum. We tried to stick with some other Adventurers but it was just too difficult when time was constrained and people had different things they wanted to see. Highlights included seeing Friendship 7, Glamorous Glennis, pieces of the Wright Brother’s plane, John Glenn’s spacesuit, the Apollo 11 Command Module, and the Spirit of St Louis. A speed walk across the Mall and down the street brought us to the Museum of Natural History. The evolution of the earth and its inhabitants were seen through thousands of artifacts, animals, insects, gems (including the Hope Diamond), and creatures of the deep. We would have very much liked to see the Museum of American History, but it has been undergoing a major refurbishment for nearly two years. All the same, we saw as much as could possibly have been seen in 3 hours time.

We took the Metro back to the Mayflower. We stopped to pick up some dinner at a nearby Au Bon Pain. When we arrived back in our room, we were pleasantly shocked to find a beautiful strawberry and cream cake with strawberry puree. It was decorated with a “Happy Anniversary” chocolate and a “15” piped on the top in chocolate. Plates, silverware, napkins, and an anniversary card signed by several members of the Mayflower Hotel staff. Wow. How nice!!

It was our last night at the Mayflower so we spent a quiet evening in our room with our sandwiches and cake. My feet were really starting to complain but we were having so much fun that it was totally worth it. We packed up for 7:45am luggage pick up.
Pandas tomorrow!! And Williamsburg too!!

 

[sandybobandy]

Hello neighbor! We're in Bloomington

My husband and I have only been married 4 years but are anxiously awaiting a superb big anniversary trip like you just had. I'm looking forward to more of your trip report!

 

[wsapooh]

Bloomington is my hometown! I still work in Bloomington but we live in Richfield. Hello to you too, neighbor!

 

[lvanleer]

Glad you enjoyed your visit to Washington and your meal at Jaleo....it's one of our favorites....I live right outside of DC and my Dad worked for most of his life right near the Mayflower.

 

[wsapooh]

Photos added!

 

[abbyjt]

Elizabeth was our guide in on the ABD trip to Spain last summer (07). So, she would know good tapas. We loved her. Am loving your report. We live close to Phili and have been to most of the locations on your trip. Sounds fabulous with Disney

 

[wsapooh]

Oh, yeah! I remember Elizabeth mentioning that she had led the Spain Adventure! She was so sweet and always entertaining.

I know that this was Elizabeth's last Spirit of America Adventure so who knows where she will end up next?!