Friday
I decided to go to DC on Tuesday. Picked Crystal City to stay. Figured that it would be better than driving into
the city - and cheaper and I could Metro in. I booked the Marriott Crystal City, after finding that some of the other
hotels were full. As it turned out this was a bit of luck.
I left work at 2:30 on Friday and made good time until about 6 when I got into the DC area. I misread the directions
and ended up at the other Marriott in DC - the Crystal Gateway. In the lobby one of the bell men pointed me in the
right direction (which is like 3 blocks away). There were people dressed up in weird costumes - I asked and found
that there was an Anime convention at the hotel! Katsucon 11 to be exact.
To the correct hotel, tucked my car in the underground parking deck, checked in, found my room and settled in.
Both the Marriotts’ are connected to a warren of underground shopping called Crystal City shops.
This would be good if most of the places to eat were open at night - they are not. There is though a Safeway
supermarket, where I got a box of crackers and a can of Easy Cheese - munchies for the room. Needless to say
I didn’t do much on Friday night.
Saturday
Up and at ’em. Caught the Metro to Pentagon City where the mall was
shut up tight - I had the idea I could get a good back pack, but no. Had breakfast. I was wearing the NCSU
cap my friend Anne Burroughs gave me, which would prove to be a good idea. A fella walking past, says “Great cap,
I’m a NCSU grad.” We exchanged pleasantries and he was off. And so was I, to DC proper. Please note that I had not
yet been outside of a building till I got to DC, and the way it would be through out my stay!
Anne and the hat
Decided, on a whim, to go to the Building Museum.
This being a wonderfully obscure museum,
it fit my personality perfectly to go,
it's also next to a Metro station. The Museum is one of the most attractive buildings
I have ever seen. BUT!!! there was a NASA sponsored event, "The ZOOM™ into Engineering Family Festival!" There were
displays and robot competitions! VERY COOL! I took like 150 or so pics. This was part of a series of robot
competitions where they could try out their bots, often for the first time. There was also a Lego robot competition
for the younger engineers.
At one point, as I was hanging over the balcony with my camera and a NASA photographer, named Debbie, introduced herself -
asking where I was from - she thought I was with like a paper or something. We talked a few min, she wished
me good shooting. Well after about 2 hrs there I decided I had my coverage - you be the judge of that - and was off.
A brisk walk to the International Spy Museum. I found a Penn Camera store on the way - “eh <shrug>”.
The Spy Museum was booked till 4!!! 4!!! Piffle!! I wandered into a brewpub called “Gordon Biersch”, had a beer
and a fabulous lunch.
Trucked down to the National Archives - where, on the way I met a family from Chapel Hill, thanks to my Hat.
At the line into the archives I met and conversed with a family from Durham - again thanks to my Hat. There is a
lot of waiting in line at the Archives. But after many exhibits and standing I did get to see the Declaration of
Independence, The Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Also the Emancipation Proclamation and the treaty that sold
the Louisiana Purchase to us from France.
I sorta got choked up at the Declaration, after all my name is on it!
Over to the Mall and some unusual sculptures. In the middle of the mall I was asked to take a pic of a,
judging from their accents, eastern European couple with the capitol in the background. I took some pics of
the Smithsonian Castle
and went off to the Natural History Museum. Lots of stuffed critters.
To the American History Museum. Saw the Bunkers chairs from “All in the Family”, the Nairobi Trio masks
from Ernie Kovacs Show in the 50's, and the Martini Glasses used on MASH. Also saw - and walked on -
a stretch of concrete that they insist is the actual pavement from a stretch of Route 66 in Okalahoma.
Also Julia Childs kitchen.
I was trucking along and saw a video of actor Derek Jacobi
performing as Allan Turing,
talking about intelligent
computers. I, of course, found this fascinating. But when I turned around I exclamed “Yeaaa! Fat Man!”. The is
a full sized replica of the second atomic bomb,
called Fat Man.
Saw lots of computers that, while cool a
dozen years ago, really are museum pieces.
I zipped off to the Commerce Department,
where the National Aquarium is located - and missed getting in by
1 minute!!!!!! Ok, ok. So I wander off to the White house, pictures from the south side, pictures from the
north side, including pictures of Blair House.
The walked up and caught the Metro back to Crystal City.
Blair House
After a moments rest and reflection - and downloading my pics of the day - I, and my camera, wandered off to
the Anime convention at the other Marriott. These folks are so nice, you ask some one, or group, dressed up in
costume, if you can take a pic and they say yes and pose, very good poses too. I had a ‘circuit’ I would prowl,
I would say to myself, “just one more lap around the hotel” and then end up doing it again -
must have spent a couple of hours.
I am going to follow when and this convention, which is advertised as the biggest anime convention in the country,
is going to be next year and possibly schedule another trip where I ‘happen’ to be staying at the same place.
Sunday
I only got about 6 hrs of sleep – up too late and up too early. But ready for the day and by about 8:30 Metro’ed
to Federal Triangle. Walked over to the National Aquarium.
It’s small, (I have a thing for aquariums – been to huge
aquariums in Las Vegas,
and San Francisco and the big one down at Fort Fisher south of Wilmington NC.) but the
displays are very complete, viewable and fun.
I then went to the National Geographic – “eh <Shrug>” It was ok. I walked through the lobby of the
Mayflower Hotel, where my dad and I stayed in the 70’s. Then back to Crystal City and checkout.
Drove off to the Smithsonian Air And Space Museum,
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, at Dulles Air Port.
Quite a drive, with toll roads. But there were lots of air planes and the space shuttle Enterprise.
A very tired me got on the road and headed south – and home.
