DC Diaries: Final Thoughts

Final Peregrinations

My final slug into DC got me into the city around 7:30. With most of the tourist attractions shut down, and with me needing to be at Union Station by 10:30, I did not have a lot of time or options. I sat on a park bench in Lafayette Square, working on a puzzle book, and watching the city come to life as the rising sun slowly lit up the White House.

After an hour, I rose and began wandering around Lafayette Square.  I had bought a Kindle ebook with six different walking tours of DC, but had not yet used it this week. I pulled out my phone, opened up the Lafayette Square walking tour, and began a self-guided tour of the area.

At the center of the park is a statue of Andrew Jackson. In each of the four corners is a statue of a different foreign general who aided in the American Revolution: Lafayette; Rochambeau; Kosciuszko; and von Stueben (respectively French, French, Polish, and German).

Laffayette

Rochambeau

von Steuben

Kosciuszko

My tour of Lafayette Square complete, I wandered over to a nearby Cosi and had one last squagel. I conducted one more walking tour in the Chinatown area, and then sat on the mall near the Capitol building one final time. At 10:15, I started to walk to Union Square, where I would catch an Amtrak train to BWI, and from there a flight home.

Following are some brief lists that encapsulate my thoughts on what I saw during the week. 

Highlights

Although I would like to highlight everything, I am forcing myself to choose my five favorite sites or tours. In no particular order:

1. National Portrait Gallery
2. American History Museum
3. Vietnam Memorial
4. Supreme Court
5. Pentagon

Honorable Mentions

These are sites that I considered for the top five, but they did not make the cut.  They were still great visits and come highly recommended.  

1. Arlington Cemetery
2. National Gallery of Art
3. Jefferson Memorial  

Don't Need to do a Second Time

These are sites that I'm glad I did once, but I see no need to do a second time.  Unless, of course, I return to DC with my kids, who will need to experience these sites for themselves.  

1. Holocaust Museum
2. Bureau of Engraving and Printing
3. Natural History Museum

Wish I had done

These are things I wish I had done, but for one reason or another I was not able to do.  I at least have something to look forward to eight years from now when I take my kids to D.C.

1. White House Tour
2. International Spy Museum
3. Capitol Galleries

Closing Thoughts

I am so thankful to my wife for letting me go on this trip. She knew how much it was going to mean to me. I am grateful to Ray for joining me in D.C. and keeping me company for a couple of days. Although I looked forward to touring on my own, it would have been a lonely five days without him.  I also appreciate my Facebook friends who put up with (and maybe even enjoyed) my constant updates from our nation's capitol. I was like Jefferson Smith, arriving in D.C. wide-eyed and idealistic, thrilling at just being in that historic place.

Two American Patriots out for a day on the Mall

I love the United States of America. I love the institutions and traditions that create a shared national creed, a belief that all men are created equal and that all men should be free. We have our disagreements and our squabbles, but these are always peacefully resolved.  In other nations, a government shutdown might lead to revolution and civil war. In America, though, we grumble about the childish actions of our national leaders, but in not rebelling, we express a faith that those same leaders will eventually work things out and we'll move forward again as a nation. Even in the midst of our hard times, Americans have a deep faith in the basic goodness of our country.

Yeah, I did DC

I will always cherish this trip to DC. When I read a novel that mentions the corner of Maryland and First, I'll know what's on that corner (the Supreme Court). When I see two characters in a movie walking along the tidal basin, I'll know that they'll have to duck their head to avoid the low-hanging trees on that path. 

But more importantly, when I think of my heritage as an American, I will always think of my time in the National Archives, at Arlington Cemetery, in the chambers of the Supreme Court, or standing at the Vietnam Memorial. I now have a greater connection to my American heritage than I did before, a greater appreciation for the long history of sacrifice and valor, a deeper respect for the ideals and dreams that make America great. All in all, a successful trip, I would say.