nixtress's Diaryland Diary

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Day Three: DC trip

Day Three: DC trip
Day Three began for me in the wee morning hours. I was tickled out of sleep by rumbles of thunder that got increasingly louder. Accompanying that was one terrific light show, flashes of lightning that completely lit up our side of the earth for a bit. The thunder and lightning didn't last long but the rain did. All DAY long, in fact. After rousing the boys and eating breakfast, we opted to try out DC's Metro system.
It was love at first ride for me. I think every town needs a Metro system like this one. I'd never drive again! It was fast and relatively smooth and so efficient.
Our hotel was right on Metro Center, so it was just a matter of riding down the escalator to begin this particular adventure. I realized, when we got to the farecard machines, that I needed smaller bills so (much to the boys' delight) we went back UP the escalator, got change and then rode back DOWN the escalator. My sons (silly asses) each picked a step and "raced" down. After finally deciding on the all-day farecards (just over 6 bucks a piece, with unlimited riding potential) we popped in the money and out popped the cards. I'm sure that seasoned Metro riders were alternately annoyed and amused watching me fumbling around at the gate, trying to figure out where the stinking card came back out. See, it's different depending on which gate you're at. Some pop right back out the slot you slide them into. Others seem to travel through the machine and out the top. At any rate, I finally conquered the entry gates and we were off. Sort of. I then got to figure out (rather easily) which particular train we needed to take to our destination. The rest was a piece of cake. I can honestly say that I figured it all out fairly quickly and easily and I now love the Metro.
Because it was raining, it was museum time. A huge chunk of time was spent at the National Museum of Natural History, brimming with dinosaurs and bones of all kinds, the Hope diamond and the insect zoo. Ryan got such a kick out of letting the damned bugs crawl all over him. Fruit loop. The exhibit with all the stuffed, dead mammals was sort of interesting too. We somehow worked our way around to some exhibit about silk and things and promptly got lost in the Orchid exhibit, all while trying to get out to the main rotunda. Apparently, in the Museum of Natural History, Exit signs don't really mean exit. They mean exit INTO the next area.
We visited the National Aquarium and I have to say it was a mammoth disappointment. Perhaps naively, I pictured huge tanks and tons of fishy things floating around. Sadly, that was not the case. It was rather pathetic. Half the exhibits weren't open and it was dinky inside. Basically, it's the basement for the Commerce building. Just not good. I think they need to seriously consider an upgrade there.
We entered, briefly, into the Museum of American History but the boys were bored quickly there. We trudged back to the Metro and took a good long ride just around. Ryan was perked to be able to see the walls flying by (wacko! what a thing to fixate on) and Trevor was lulled by the movements of the subway.
I lost count, during our walking, how many times they asked why someone was sleeping on the bench or wearing so many clothes. It was a lesson for my kids, to see some of the homeless. They don't see things like that in rural Ohio. Our small town has homeless people, but they stay hunkered down at the Salvation Army. The boys don't come into contact with them.
Because we were drenched and my feet were still sore from the previous day's walk, we headed back to the hotel and the boys swam for a bit. The rain finally let up towards evening time and we wandered around a little more. It was pretty quiet, for a weekend. Not as much traffic and not as many people. I'd planned on taking them to the National Archives, to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, etc. but the wait was upwards of two hours---a little long for smallish kiddos. That's earmarked for the next time we visit.
All in all, it was a good day in spite of the rain. The pace was a little less hectic, a lot more relaxed and a fitting ending to our time in DC.
We watched The Incredibles on Pay-per-view and snuggled down to sleep.
Driving home was a bear. We hit bad weather in the middle of Pennsylvania and literally crawled up and down the mountainous areas there. At one point, with zero visibility, we were putting along at 5 miles per hour, with me praying like hell that the people in front wouldn't come to a complete stop. We finally made it through and onto better weather. I have to say that traveling the turnpikes wasn't so bad. They're certainly kept up better than highways.
All in all, a good trip. The boys learned lots and enjoyed themselves and I really liked DC as a city. Most everyone was courteous (unlike Clevelanders) and it was incredibly clean. I didn't really want to come home.
***
It's funny, how refreshed I feel. Time away does that for me. Brings things back into focus, maybe.
Today, Trev rode his bike for the first time without training wheels and without wiping out. I've begun my Spring cleaning. Spring Cleanup is right around the corner and I'm so very glad. My garage needs cleared out like nothing you've ever seen.
My daffodils are blooming, this sunshiney yellow and the buds on my lilacs have turned into tiny leaves. The grass is greener and the sun seems brighter and it was actually in the mid 70's here today, temp-wise.
I love Ohio in the Spring.
Happy Hump Day.
N.

10:44 p.m. - 2005-04-06

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