I had posted on Facebook yesterday, when we were at the National Postal Museum.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, my friend Shannon, whom I have known since grade school and who now lives in Napa, Calif., arrived in Washington for a work event, logged in to Facebook, and saw that we were in town, too.
Long-story-short, we met for lunch today, and then Shannon joined us on our tour of the west side of the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial. What an unexpected treat!
So, today we saw, on-foot: The White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the MLK Memorial, the FDR Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.
We finished off the day with at stop at the National Museum of American History, where we beheld Kermit the Frog, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Bob Dylan’s leather jacket and Michelle Obama’s stunning inaugural gown. Clare stood in front of the case and sighed, “I just can’t stop staring at it.”
We ate dinner on the patio of a Pennsylvania Avenue restaurant that offers an array of Indian dishes. Keith asked the waiter for a recommendation, and this is what he heard: “ ... fish ... over rice.”
“That sounds great,” Keith said. “I’ll have that.”
What he got, though, was some kind of seafood steamer teeming with whole, tiny squid, tentacles and all. For once, Keith was not pleased with his meal.
The temperature had dropped about 10 degrees through the afternoon, as dark clouds gathered to the southwest of the city. And during our Metro ride home, the skies finally opened up and poured forth.
Tonight is our last night in Washington. We have to pick Natalie up in Fairfax by 9 a.m. tomorrow. From there, we’ll head to the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, out by Dulles Airport, and then we’ll head up to Shepherdstown, W.V., where we’ll visit with my old friend and former St. Olaf roommate Guido and her family. On Sunday, we’ll drive the rest of the way home.
So, our 2012 adventure is coming to an end. I’m ready. These last few days I’ve been nursing blisters on my feet, and all of our clothes are perpetually damp from sweat and humidity. I’m looking forward to cooking my own meals and sleeping in my own bed.
It’s been a long trip. And a really great one. We’ve been blessed with fabulous weather and good health and smooth sailing (knock on wood; we’re not home yet).
Where are we going to go next year?
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