Getting there: We
reduced our suitcase load by three this trip.
One big grey case carried most things in compression bags, and our
carryon’s and backpacks the rest. We
learned a lot about packing by the end of this non-shipboard trip.
No matter what the lists tell you to take, these two
roundies did not get dressed up on this vacation. We did bring one good outfit each, but the
only thing we wore were the shoes. Happy
feet make a vacation every time.
Happy camera’s make a vacation too.
More than you wanted to know: Each day we wore fresh underwear. Three or more days on the pants, and two days
or less on the shirts - depending on spillage.
There were two shirts left to wear the morning we headed home, the good
clothes, and a couple of bra’s. Much to
our amazement, we packed about right.
Our first full day, we met Bee and Mikey on the mall. First to the Philip’s Collection in the
Philip’s house and four others combined.
We really enjoyed this stop tho I had to be the only one commenting on
the Mondrian’s rusting nails - holding the canvass to the stretcher bars on the
side, that was the only thing out of place in the whole museum. Later as we rolled to the Smithsonian Castle,
I was appalled at the acres of damaged grass on the mall. When we got further up by the Capitol, we saw
the ongoing, massive grass replacement program that should help keep the mall
greener for generations to come.
My one windbreaker was worn every day as were the two
scarves I brought. Always I wore my hat
to help keep the sun away from the cataracts and skin. (No great effort at style here anymore. Comfort and necessity win.) Washington offered us a quick bit of warmth
mid-days except for one day that reached 80.
And too, for me the museums were always cold. The two days with Bee and Mikey were spent
rapidly visiting chilly art museums: The
Philips - I highly recommend this, The Portrait Gallery, The Fine Art Gallery,
the Freer Gallery with good food to follow.
We do art well.
Midway through the Washington days, we FedXed our dirty
laundry home. This is the second time we
have tried this, and it certainly lightens our load.
Clothing dissolves into laundry with remarkable ease, and
laundry must vanish into the washer at the end of every vacation. This trip we have less than usual, and the
Great Geezer is doing it now.
What clever travelers you have become!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have the fine art of traveling down....and it all worked out. I do the shirts x2 days and jeans for 3 or 4 myself...I don't get as dirty or as sweaty as I used to when I worked... LOL.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots. At the end of summer, after the 4th of July and the International Festival and the Shakespeare on the Mall thing the grass is shot to hell. Summer heat doesn't help. The grass will be replaced and come back over the winter unless the farmers come back in spring and bring their tractors to protest the farm bill or something.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is always protesting and that plus the failure of folks to "Keep Off the Grass" plus other problems mean the Mall is mostly a mess.
Once we had regular side walks where now we have 12 foot gravel walks. I expect some day the Mall will be solid monuments and gravel walks.
I guess you could say its being loved to death...
Dianne
Looks like a great trip. I love DC. It's actually fairly close to Pittsburgh, but I don't get there often enough.
ReplyDeleteI saw a documentary about the grass on the mall and the poor Park Service staff try everything to keep it as green as possible. But every event puts tents and animals, etc. there.
ReplyDeleteThe last time David and I were in DC was summer 1987. Wonder how much it has changed...
ReplyDeleteI love that you Fed Ex'd the laundry home, how ingenious. It looks like a super vacation. Nice to see Tabor and you together. Friends and touring!
ReplyDeleteLove your pictures! CuzT
ReplyDelete