DESTINATION... DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Some time after Rachel and I met we decided to take our first of what would be many travel excursions together; our chosen destination…Washington D.C. It had been many years since Rachel's last visit to the Capitol City, visiting only once just after college with her sister Leanna in the early 1990’s when Leanna was considering the idea of joining the Peace Corp. As for me, DC is a short three hour drive from Morgantown WV and I tend to find myself in DC quite often, exploring different museums, exhibits and memorials as they are opened to the public.

The whole premise behind this weekend trip is like many new couples we just wanted to get away from the everyday grind and delve into the compatibility aspect of our relationship as it turned out Rachel was very content with me making all the arrangements for our small getaway. What I needed to realize early on is that although Rachel does enjoy the travel she tends to leave the travel arrangements to me rather then get involved. Not to say she doesn’t bring something to the table as a matter of fact Rachel is very capable navigator, keeping me on course and preventing the occasional red traffic light violation from occurring. Anyone who knows me or has traveled with me will testify to my frequent wrong way on a one way street episodes and the occasional abrupt stops due to someone in the back seat screaming out “RED LIGHT!” just before I commit the violation.

Bearing this in mind if to date you have not visited the nations capitol by all means do so, it is a very accommodating city to both young and old. However, I would caution those that do venture driving within the DC city limits, be forewarned it is a beast all its own and highly detailed street map is essential. If driving in 100 degree heat is not to your liking I suggest taking advantage of the Metro Commuter system…easy to use, very affordable and most travel destinations are located within minutes of each station. If your trip is to two or more days I would strongly suggest day passes and not the individual passes. The day passes also reduce time between destinations.

Again as mentioned, I visit DC on a regular basis and know that great discount times to visit DC exsist during the cooler months prior to the Cherry Blossom Festival held each year in early April. If a weekend excursions is in your plans arriving in DC late Friday evening you quickly discover all museums are closed, so I would recommend a great way to see some of our more cherished memorials is to take a walk after dark from the Washington Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial along the reflecting pool. Along the way one can casually explore the WWII Memorial, Korean War and Vietnam War Memorial. Parking just walking minutes from the Washington Memorial afforded Rachel and me the ease of getting back to the car if rain were to set in. Surprising DC seems to have a very mild winter temperature and the walk was more like a spring evening then the colder climate we had just left behind in Morgantown.

In addition to the surprisingly fair weather is the unique way in which the memorials are lit for safety and the amount of visitors out and about after 10:00pm taking in the same sights we were enjoying. I might add at this point that the DC metro police and National Park Service(NPS) do a wonderful job of patrolling the national monuments. Patrolling from both car and horse back with additional NPS positioned at all monuments. Visiting our national treasures during the waning ours of the day can be very enjoyable. First, you beat the mass of sightseers you typically incur during the day, which then allows you to read what might be engraved on the walls around you. Secondly, it lends itself to some very interesting photographic opportunities and lastly it can and is very romantic with the skyline of DC and the quiet feeling associated with this time of evening.

The second day of our trip began with breakfast at the Hilton, again a great room rate for this time of year. I would suggest anyone planning to visit DC check on line with the Hotels.com regarding rates then call the hotel of choice directly. Bargains can be found and the hotel manager is the only one who may approve discounts and knowing the online rate in advance affords you a little bargaining tool. Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts even though you don’t belong to AAA or some other organization. Just ask! What’s the worst that could happen they tell you no? The best case scenario is you save $10-15 dollars or more a night… you could then apply those savings to nice bottle of wine or few cold beers at a local brew pub.

While were on the topic of eating make sure you stop and visit the brew pub located in the old postal building next door to Union Station, great food for both family and couples looking to escape the heat or prop up their legs after a day of taking in the sites.

Day two included visits to only two of DC numerous museums; Rachel in advance of our trip had chosen the Holocaust Memorial/ Museum and the Native American Museum. Rachel choose these two museums for several reasons, first she could study the Holocaust show path presentation for her own museum project back home and secondly it is one of the few museums to date I have not seen in DC.

Again a little planning is in order prior to visiting DC and it goes along way in making any trip enjoyable, thus taking the time to go online or make a phone call prior to visiting the museum of choice may save you some time and headaches later. As is the case with the Holocaust Museum, it helped to discover before our arrival that advance tickets are required in order to see the standing exhibit, not that these cost anything extra. As a matter of fact tickets for the exhibit are handed out once inside, but only during the off season during the peak season it is wise to get your ticket early rather then wait and miss visiting this museum while in DC. Tickets simply dictate when you are scheduled to see the permanent exhibits; when ordering your tickets online you may request different viewing times as well. I would advise you plan 2-3 hours once inside, this particular memorial offers a lot of visual material to consume and information to read. This is a must see museum for any novice historian or sheep skin carrying PhD.

Our second museum visit included a short walk from the hotel to the Native American Museum once inside you were greeted by numerous artic tribe displays; including kayaks and various polar bear and seal hunting gear. The exterior of the museum itself stands out among the other museums throughout DC lending itself more to the mountain region of New Mexico and the cliff dwelling tribes of the region…very impressive.

The interior of the museum was in my opinion somewhat disappointing offering very little of the heritage of the Native American , but rather building a case by a case presentation of the gradual assimilation of Native Americans into the American culture. Simply stated “this is who we are now” exhibit was the rule of thumb when constructing this particular museum. In all honesty this museum did little to appease my appetite for the Native American culture, the use of technology overwhelms the visitor distracting the eye with monitors and small visual aids throughout. Some years ago I had visited this museum with my children, thiers and my response to the museum is the same as it was then…it falls well short of being a museum high on my list to visit again.

Sunday arrives, breakfast is consumed and we hit the road after a short layover at Starbuck’s… regular coffee, latte and big brownie to go! On the road with hot beverages in cup holders we set out to find the National Cathedral. Traveling NW through the Embassy Row section of DC and just around the corner from the Vice Presidents home we find the Cathedral spires reaching out to us long before we reach the top on the hill on which the Cathedral is perched. Construction of the Cathedral began in the early 1900’s and was finally dedicated in the early 1990’s almost one hundred years later. If DC is to lay claim to one structure that should not go unvisited it must be our National Cathedral, offering seating for perhaps thousands at any one service, stained glass, and Gothic architecture second to none here in America, while offering a glimpe into European architecture. Service is performed by the Episcopal divinity and is open to the public, excluding major Christian holidays whereupon tickets for admission are needed. Contact your local House of Representatives member for advance tickets.

Spiritual and mentally full we make haste to get back to Morgantown before dark, however Rachel had other plans which in turn slowed the return trip. Unbeknownst to me Rachel has family in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia….but that’s another story for another day.