Greek's Folly on the Great Loop: Washington D.C. Sept. 11-15, 2016

Sunday, September 11th, Washington DC

Church at a Methodist church started off our busy day. As we strolled along the Mall of our nations' capital, a constant reminder of September 11th was visible in all the flags were at half mast. We decided on lunch from a food truck, as they line many of the areas and on the Mall. On a Sunday afternoon, this is a very busy place, filled with families, couples, dogs and owners, sightseers, local residents, and us- first time visitors. We walked the length of the mall and enjoyed the sights of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. Seeing the many memorials to the founders of this great nation and those who fought to defend that freedom is awe-inspiring and inspirational. On the walking route back to the boat, we passed the open fish market and Tom was mesmerized by the fresh fish, crabs, and oysters. Once back to the boat, we had a planning session to organize our visit here in DC to be sure to see the things that interest us. I'm excited!!

Monday thru Thursday, Sep 12-15, Washington DC

The boat was on a mooring ball for three nights in the Washington Channel. Early every morning the helicopters start making shuttle runs to the airport. They vary in size and kind but all fly low over the water and are very loud. The waterfront is also under construction and renovation so other sounds include trucks, cranes, motors, hammering and pounding. There is a lot going on here. One morning about 645am, a skulking team paddled by. Another day there was a run which was in the park parallel to the boat. Each day seemed to bring something new.

Each day different things were planned, usually in different geographical areas. One day we landed in the northwest quadrant and visited the Ford Theater ( where Lincoln was shot), the National Portrait Gallery ( with portraits of each president) and walked to the White House ( which we could not view because of an auto accident). Another day we went on a personal tour of the Capital building escorted by an intern, Aaron, of Congressman Adam Kinzinger( this was a great tour thru the many underground tunnels to the House of Representatives chamber); then into the Library of Congress and saw Jefferson's personnel book collection. The nights were busy too. One evening we enjoyed a baseball game at the Nationals Park; with the next night being spent on a tour thru DC seeing the sights light up at night. They were beautiful. On a third day we went into Virginia to Arlington National Cemetery. The highlights were visiting the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Here there is a 24 hour guard and we watched the changing of the guard. The procedure is very patriotic, solemn, and honorable. It is respectful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and our country. The cemetery includes the many tombstones, it took our breathe away, as well as the Kennedy gravesites. On our final day of sightseeing we did the Smithsonian Museums. The Air and Space Museum was outstanding. The advancements which have been made in the air and space programs are unbelievable; from the Wright flyer to the Spirit of St. Louis to the drones of today; from the Mercury capsules, to landing on the moon, to privately funded rockets. What is next?!

During our visit, we developed proficiency with the Metro system as we used it for the ballgame, our trip to the northwest quadrant, and to the cemetery. The other form of transportation was our two feet as one day we walked over 10 miles with a five day total of over 36 miles. It was always nice to rest and put our feet up at the end of the day! Washington DC is a great place to visit. We have planned for this visit from the beginning of the trip and are pleased things worked out so well.