Capitol Hill where the statue of Freedom sits distinctively on top of the rotunda
Just next door, was the Library of Congress and I was pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous interiors of the building.
Museum of Air & Space. I was never a space geek, but being among the relics of space such as space stations, planes that pioneers like Amelia Earhart flew, and the first Wright flyers. I just stood in awe and made me wanted to learn more about them.
National Archives - i was prohibited from taking photos within. But on display was the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Faded and barely legible under the dim light yet still on display. There was something very powerful & touching about this gesture. In the honor of the 10th anniversary of 911, they displayed side by side, the original scripts for George Bush's address to the Nation during 911 and Obama's speech announcing Osama Bin Laden's death. Poetic.
Explored the Smithsonian Castle gardens..
Admired the beautiful peacock room in the Freer Gallery
Visited the Holocaust Museum - again no photos allowed. It left a very deep impression for me, for these poor people who died during the Holocaust. I felt angry even, that during the onset when Hitler started his propaganda campaign against the Jews, none of the nations stood up to offer them a place of exile from Nazi Germany. May this sort of injustice never happen again.
Ben's Chilli - a DC re-known eatery for having the Obama family & Bill Crosby as its regulars. Half Smoke hotdog + a bowl of chilli. It was yummy, but the atmosphere & spirit of the restaurant just made it quite an experience on its own.
Vietnam memorial ..
White House - had a pretty bad experience of seeing a guard yelling at some Chinese tourists asking him for help to take photos for them. I was tempted to film it down and youtube it. It would definitely cause a national scandal in China. Times when the economy is bad, tourist dollars are important, no?
Martin Luther King memorial which was newly openly recently.
Roosevelt Memorial - it was made up of a series of waterfalls, smoothing brownstones and statues.
There was a Ericsson memorial sponsored by the people of Sweden.
Korea War Memorial.
Lincoln Memorial !!!!!!!!
WWII Memorial
Washington Memorial
Museum of American History - there were pop culture items like Dorothy's red shoes, the first Kermit. There were historic items like Lincoln's top hat, the furniture in which the confederate surrendered. But most importantly was the first American flag ~ It is now too weak and fragile to be ever hung again (or photographed ..damn it!).
Pieces of the flag were given away initially by the family that kept it, now it is proudly preserved within this museum. You can see big pieces missing, but oddly touching all the same; seeing this flag sewn together by housewives and flown in war, cut up in pieces and now admired behind a glass wall.
Hope Diamond ! at the National History Museum
I stopped for my first experience at a American Indian eatery. I had a Grilled Buffalo Strip loin with Saskatoon Berry Butter. It was accompanied by Annatto Spiced Yucca, Chayote Salad, Cashews, Queso Blanco, Yerbeé Mate Vinaigrett. I might be greedy but this was my first time eating buffalo, it was slightly tough and leaner than beef. The yucca tasted similar to a sweet pumpkin or yam. Good stuff !!!
I headed back the next day for Fresno Chili, Coffee Rubbed Pork Loin, Coconut, Vanilla Bean Sauce accompanied by Hominy, Parched Corn Salad, Grilled Wild Leeks, Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette and Stewed Yellow Wax Beans, House Cured Bacon. And of course, i topped it off with a cup of Mexican Spiced Chocolate. Ahhhhhh.... Tell me, with that type of description, wouldn't it make your mouth water as well?
The wax beans tasted like long beans except it was much more tender with less stringy. For the hominy, it tasted like beans, but the lovely part was having some corn kernels in the salad. It gave the salad a special crunch. The pork loin was a bit dry, it reminded me slightly of tandoori.
The American Indian museum was architecturally beautiful with curves and clean lines, earth and water. But the display was rather fragmented across 8 tribes without any seeming similarities. There was a floor about the past, a floor about how they live now and try to maintain their heritage when so much was lost in the past.
:) It was a good trip and i managed to cover most of what i wanted to see. Here's looking forward to more weekend trips all around !
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