More Washington DC

Thunderstorms had disturbed our sleep during the night and dawn broke cloudy and very overcast but dry. However, the breakfast TV weatherman was giving all sorts of dire warnings about the day ahead.
After another really cheap and filling American breakfast at a Mexican restaurant, we caught the Metro to Arlington National Cemetery for the first tour of the day.

This is one of the country’s oldest national cemeteries and its 624 acres is the final resting place for more than 14,000 veterans, including those who fought in the Civil War.
Our first stop were the Kennedy graves and the Eternal Flame.

On the hill above this site stands Arlington House the home of General Robert E. Lee for many years. It was here that he wrote his resignation from the United States Army on the eve of the Civil War after refusing a command and moved south to Richmond a few days later. His wife soon followed. The Lees never returned.

Next stop was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under permanent guard 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We witnessed the changing of that guard with all its sombre military ritual.

One particular soldier buried in Arlington is well known.

It had started to rain a little by the end of the tour but we made our way by foot across the Potomac towards the National Mall. Half way across the Arlington Memorial Bridge the heavens opened up. Our umbrellas and ponchos were no match for the torrential rain (and the spray from the cars crossing the bridge). We were all 100% soaked to the skin by the time we reached the Korean War Veterans Memorial. There were a few grumbles until the co driver mentioned that the soldiers commemorated here had gone through a whole lot worse that being a little bit wet.

So we made our way down the National Mall past the World War II Memorial to the Washington Memorial, a short detour for a distant view of the White House (9/11 security was tight) and eventually onto the Capitol Building.




After 'drying off' in the American History Museum cafe' during lunch, we decided that were memorialed and museumed out. The weather had improved so we took the Metro to the DuPont Circle area to find a 'listed' yoga shop. This was a really lovely part of DC with leafy streets and some pretty smart houses with beautiful small gardens. By this time the sun had made an appearance and it was warm and steamy. We retired to a local bar for a few glasses of Bitburger Pils from the tap before heading back to Roslyn.
Our travelling companions were leaving for home the next morning so where to have a farewell dinner? Where else but where presidents (and vice presidents) eat ie. Ray's Hell Burgers, a favourite of the Obamas.
And it was all is was cracked up to be. Best burgers of the whole trip and sweet potato fries and onion rings to die for. And did I mention the really cheap bottles of genuine Lowenbrau beer?

Back at the hotel, we heard that some areas surrounding the city the had had 16 inches (400mm) of rain in the last 24 hours, flooding had reached disastrous levels in many areas and lives had been lost. We decided we had had it easy.
Next morning was sunny and dry. So off we headed by Metro and local bus to Mt. Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington for over 40 years.
We walked through the nearly 50 acres visiting his (and his wife's) tomb and slave memorial, looked at many of the original structures including stables and blacksmiths shop and enjoyed the military reenactments.


The highlight was a tour of the interior of the house with many original artifacts still in place.
And the Washingtons knew a good piece of real estate when they saw it. The view over the Potomac from the front veranda is spectacular.


On the way back to Roslyn we stopped off at Alexandria.
The first settlement was established here in 1695 in what was then the British Colony of Virginia. It is now largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government.
The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town. It has quite a concentration of boutiques, restaurants, antique shops and theaters, which are a major draw for tourists of whom we were just two of many on that day.
And it was here we had the best Mexican meal of the trip at the Austin Grill.
So that was our trip to the capital over.
We put in an early morning wake up call to catch a flight to Chicago with a connection to Nashville.

New York City to Wasington DC

Pouring rain, traffic jams, a lack of vacant taxis and a difficult hotel location transport wise did not make getting to Penn Station very easy for our train trip to Washington DC.
But the Amtrak journey to the capital was fast and comfortable despite some flooding on the line.
We faced yet another traffic jam getting to our hotel in Arlington. The weather was beginning to play havoc on the east coast. It would seem that the combination of remnants of tropical storm Lee to the north, tropical storm Nate in the Gulf of Mexico and hurricane Katia in the Atlantic was going to produce heavy rain over a number of days.
First task in DC was the get Kelly to Georgetown for her DC Cupcake hit.

Then it was back to Union Station for a quick bite to eat and onto a night Monuments Tour. The weather was not conducive to a pleasant evening but the guide did the best he could. In any case it was a great orientation tour for the following days. We drove past the White House, the Capitol and other grand public buildings as well as the Pentagon with stops at the Iwo Jima and Lincoln Memorials. Passengers had the chance to visit the Korean and Vietnam Memorials but the rain was now torrential so there were not many takers. The Jefferson Memorial and new Martin Luther King Memorial were already cut off by flood waters and the Washington Memorial had been damaged by an earthquake the month before and was closed.



Next morning during breakfast we agonized over whether to do our outside or inside agenda due to the weather conditions. We selected the latter which in hindsight was the completely wrong decision.
We bought our Metro tickets and headed for the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums. Again we all had different 'interest zones' so split up.
The first stop for the co driver and me was the National Museum of American History.
The first exhibit to catch our eye was the Star Spangled Banner. Mary Pickersgill's flag is much bigger than I expected (30'x42') and considering what it has been through since 1813 is in fairly good condition. One could imagine the sight of it flying over a smoking Fort McHenry in Baltimore the morning after the British failed to take the port and withdrawing inspiring Francis Scott Key to write what was to become the USA national anthem.

Then we were off to see the Julia Child's kitchen. Watching the videos of her can be mesmerising in a weird sort of way.
Then I headed off to see "Americans at War" concentrating on the Revolution and Civil War, "Science in American Life", 'The American Presidency" and "The Struggle for Civil Rights". You cannot imagine how wonderfully comprehensive and informative these exhibitions are. Mental overload was creeping in so we met up for lunch in the museum's cafe'.

A short walk away was the beautiful National Archives building. Here we did a quick stop to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the magnificent rotunda. Security getting into this building was the strictest we came across.
From there we went our separate ways again, the co driver to the National Gallery of Art and me to the National Air and Space Museum.




I had had my fill of planes and space vehicles in a shorter time than expected and still had two hours to fill before meeting up.
The new National Museum of the American Indian was next door and apart from being a distinctive building the tribal exhibits inside are magnificent. I was surprised when suddenly it was closing time and they were politely clearing visitors out. Time had just flown!

We took the Metro back to Roslyn and met the other two returning travellers on the long long escalators that bring commuters up from the platforms to the station concourse. They are the third longest in the world.
I wondered what would happen if they were ever out of service. Next day we found out. You walk up!!!!!

It had been a long day with LOTS of walking. 'Tired' is a five letter word.
That night we had a rather good chain restaurant meal at Ruby Tuesdays across the road from the Hyatt plus a couple of bottles of wine before heading for bed.

More New York City

Saturday meant a change of hotels and meeting up with Mark and Kelly who were flying in from Sioux Falls in the afternoon.
Before heading over to Murray Hill, we caught the subway to Washington Square in Greenwich Village for breakfast.
Being a child of the 60s, the park was all I had imagined it to be and not over run with people at that time of the morning.
The Washington Arch at the 5th Avenue entrance to the park is very impressive.

After dropping off our bags at the Eastgate Tower Hotel, we took the subway up to Central Park and sat a while people watching before visiting the Neue Galerie to see a Gustav Klimt exhibition.
Then it was back to Grand Central Station area for lunch (reasonable Mexican) and a look in and around that impressive building.


It was either the remnants of jet lag, the Saturday crowds or the sauna like conditions of the subway stations but we soon were back in the air conditioned comfort of the hotel room.
Kelly and Mark arrived on time and that evening we were soon on our way to Times Square.
The whole area is lit up like a Christmas tree with thousands of people milling around cheek by jowl. Street entertainers are everywhere as are the hustlers and touts. We had a good burger and beer at a pub just off the square and visited the huge Toys R Us store. After this frenetic scene we retired to our apartment for the night with a few bottles of wine.

Next morning we were off early to catch the ferry to Ellis Island.
After airport type security at the wharf, we sailed over to the Statue of Liberty were most of the passengers except us disembarked and then onto the Ellis Island National Monument.
We virtually had the place to ourselves for the first hour or so.
We took the free guided tour with the park ranger who led us through the process that over 12 million immigrants experienced. Following that we toured the museum and watched a movie on the history of the island. Turned out to be a pretty emotional time.
The island is still in the process of being restored but what is open to the public is a 'must see' on any trip to New York City.

The World Trade Centre site with the new construction slowly emerging from a giant hole in the ground was next on the agenda.

That night we were back on Broadway for the show 'Chicago'. A good production in a smallish intimate theater with great leads and orchestra (band?).
A late dinner at a Greek restaurant near Times Square finished off a very busy day.

Next morning we were back in Greenwich Village for a walking food tour.
We ate in pizza shops, delis, bistros, cookie shops and cafes. In addition we given a history of the area as we walked the busy commercial and peaceful residential streets with their very smart houses.




That evening we walked around the Rockefeller Center area. It's here you become aware of the immense skyscrapers. We had appetizers and a good bottle of Rioja Tempranillo Rose' in a nice restaurant overlooking overlooking the Rockefeller Plaza.


Next morning the heavens had opened up so we made our way early to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for opening time. It was relatively uncrowded when we arrived and after the ever present security check, we split up and headed for our 'interest zones'. I spent the first two hours mostly alone in the European Art Section and, after meeting up with the co driver for morning tea, another 2 hours in the Modern and Contemporary Art Section. There is no way you could 'do' this place in less than a week and as visual overload (and now the crowds) took over we both waved the white flag.

It was still pouring and as we stood under a small awning wondering where to go to eat, we found that awning belonged to a French restaurant called 'Demarchelier'. What a find! Wonderful genuine French food, good wine list and easy going attitude. We spent 2 hours there over a main, a dessert and a bottle of Sancerre and never felt the need to 'move on'. Obviously one of the few places in New York not in a hurry. It's on the corner of 86th and Madison if you are ever in town.
That night we caught a cab through still driving rain back to Greenwich Village to a Cuban restaurant recommended by our tour guide the previous day. The menu initially did not look too exciting but the flavours were quite different and tasted great, the service attentive and a good experience to have on our last night in New York.

Sydney to New York

The flight from Sydney to San Francisco, as usual, was long but uneventful. We each had spare seats beside us which made things a lot more comfortable.

We were quickly through immigration and customs and had a three hour wait for our on going flight to JFK.

The five hour flight to New York started with a delay. One of the spark plugs used to start the engine (who knew jet engines had spark plugs?) was faulty and needed replacement. Then at cruising altitude we experienced some wake turbulence from an aircraft in front of us which caused a few anxious moment for the white knuckle brigade. Their trauma was not over as our landing was quite a spectacular one, all twist and bounce. When we deplaned the pilot had already left the cockpit. A bad day at the office for him.

It was then a high speed taxi ride into Manhattan where we could finally lay ourselves down on the wonderful bed at the Trump Soho at 1am. That made the trip around 27 hours door to door. But the view over the city from our room on the 39th floor, especially from the bath tub with its huge picture window, made up for any discomfort.
It was spectacular to say the least.

Seven hours later we were having breakfast at a local diner. What else but bacon, eggs and pancakes for one and salmon and cream cheese bagels for the other.

Then it was off to explore some of the city using the subway system. We had the MTA map but it soon became apparent that finding a subway station entrance for the uninitiated was going to be a bit of a hurdle. They can be well disguised or hidden. But we have to say that the $29 New York subway pass valid for a week was the bargain of the whole trip and we really got our money's worth.

Finally we reached Battery Park and boarded the Staten Island ferry for a free return trip across the Hudson River. Here we caught our first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and the skylines of Manhattan and New Jersey.

After this very pleasant 'cruise' it was onto the Brooklyn Bridge. By this time things had really warmed up and the humidity had climbed. We were glad for the many vendors selling cold water on the bridge. We made it half way for a great view back over the lower Manhattan skyline.

In search of the New Museum we found ourselves in Little Italy and on Mulberry Street. The pic below is from the Ellis Island Museum of this street in the 1800s. Nothing has changed much except for the fashion and transport.

So many restaurants to choose from. We found one that had a beautiful outdoor garden in amongst the buildings and away from the traffic noise and the hustle and bustle of the city. Good Italian food, cold beer...an oasis.

The New Museum had an exhibition of the arts scene in eastern bloc countries from the emergence of communism to its decline called "Ostalgia". Five floors of paintings, films, sketches, cartoons and sculpture, some of it was very weird!

Jet lag had started to rear its ugly head by this time so we headed back to the hotel for a siesta to prepare for our dinner date.

The Tribeca Grill is co owned by Rober de Niro and has a good reputation. It exceeded our expectations with nicely prepared food, excellent service and an encyclopedic wine list. I found a great bottle of Sagrantino from Umbria to go with the filet mignon.

Our food budget was already blown on the first night.

Next morning we were up early (sleep didn't come easy that night) and headed for Highline Park and the Chelsea Markets. The park is built on an abandoned elevated railway spur and runs for over a 2km. A walk along the path between the high rise buildings after a cappo and a muffin was a pleasant way to start the day.

We had decided to 'do' a Broadway show and had selected Cole Porter's "Anything Goes". Tickets, however, were very expensive. We had been told to head down to the TKTS booth in Seaport for cheaper tickets and avoid the crowd that queues at the same establishment in Times Square. Being already one day veterans of the subway system we headed downtown (via a yoga shop in Chelsea) only to find a queue of at least 300 people standing there. No way, Jose'. Too hot and humid to stand in the sun for hours. Change of Broadway show plans!

Then it was back uptown to the American Folk Art Museum on Lincoln Square to see their quilt collection. They were in the process of 'moving house' so the exhibition was limited but the star quilts were amazing and the 9/11 National Tribute Quilt was very moving.

Time for lunch so we walked down Broadway through Columbus Circle to the Carnegie Deli for one of their famous sandwiches.

What can you say? We shared half a pastrami sandwich and could not finish it. All very touristy and rather OTT but a fun experience. The pickles were great.

Another long walk took us to a quilt store (the co driver had a list of quilt and yoga shops to visit in all our destinations) which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment.

So with spirits lagging and feet complaining we headed back to the Trump for another jet lag inspired nap and an early dinner in one of the many nearby restaurants in Spring Street, Soho.