August 2-3, 2010
How to get there:
Orange and Blue Metro Line stops for the Smithsonian are closest to the Memorial, but it’s a good walk from the station.
Address:
1850 W. Basin Drive SW
Washington, DC 20037
Phone:
- 202-426-6841
Downloads
Cost:
- Free
- Most attractions in DC are free
Hours:
- Always available
Notes:
- Parking is available along Ohio Drive, SW, between the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials. This is a great place to park when sightseeing in DC, because it’s free and there is a higher probability of finding a space here than anywhere else.
- The earlier you get here the better.
- The parking is technically only for 3 hours. We parked here all day and did not get a ticket, but there was a risk of getting a fine.
- The memorial was designed for people, dogs, and kids to play in the water. But then the water got really dirty and it also became a safety hazard, so it is no longer legal to play in the water.
How to get there:
-By Metro:
- Federal Center SW (Orange and Blue Lines)
- Judiciary Square (Red Line)
- Archives/Navy Memorial (Green and Yellow Lines)
- L’Enfant Plaza (Green and Yellow Lines and Orange and Blue Lines)
- Smithsonian (Orange and Blue Lines)
- Federal Triangle (Orange and Blue Lines)
- Farragut West (Orange and Blue Lines)
- Foggy Bottom/GWU (Orange and Blue Lines)
Address:
From 1st Street NW to 14th Street NW, between Madison and Jefferson Drives, and from 14th Street NW to 23rd Street NW, between Independence and Constitution Avenues.
Phone:
- 202-426-6841
Downloads
Cost:
- Free
Hours:
- Always available
Notes:
- There are some free, public, parking available along Ohio Drive, SW, between the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials.
- Metered parking on streets is restricted to two hours.
- There are commercial garages downtown, north of the Mall.
- Sometimes it is easier to park at a metro station in Maryland or Virginia and take the metro to DC.
- This is a great place to celebrate 4th of July, the Cherry Blossom Festival, and many other events. One summer they did free outdoor movies. It was great!
How to get there:
-By Metro:
- L’Enfant Plaza (Green and Yellow Lines and Orange and Blue Lines)
Address:
Smithsonian Museums
SI Building
Washington, DC 20013-7012
Phone:
- 202-633-1000
Downloads
Cost:
- Free. Yes. All of them are absolutely FREE!
Hours:
- About 10:00 – 17:30
- The time varies for museum to museum
Notes:
- The Smithsonian Institute is not one museum. I know people may refer to it as a museum, but it is actually a museum complex.
By Metro -
- Go to Arlington Cemetery Station on the blue line.
Address:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia 22211
Phone:
- (703) 607-8000
Cost:
- Free.
- There is a tour bus that cost 7USD.
Hours:
- Open everyday Apr – Sept: 8:00 – 19:00
- all other months closed at 17:00
Notes:
- The park is free.
- Paying the 7 bucks for the bus tour is well worth it. It’s a long walk up hill to see Kennedy, the unknown solider, and other graves.
Addis Ababa Restaurant
How to get there:
By Metro -
Silver Springs Station is the nearest subway station
Address:
8233 Fenton Street
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4503
Phone:
- (301) 589-1400
Hours:
- Open F-Sa 11am-2am;
- also open Sun
Notes:
- Meter park.
- Free parking on weekends and after 18:00.
Map:
Destined for DC
Since I was a little kid, I knew that one day I would live in the DC area. My sister was the first to move to there when she enrolled at Columbia Union College*in Takoma Park, Maryland. Then my brother. I attended CUC about 10 years after that.
* A few years ago the name of my old school was changed to Washington Adventist University.
While my siblings were in college, my parents and I would visit Maryland. I loved Maryland. There was always something great to do in DC. And, Virginia has some wonderful nature trails. So, when it was time for me to go to college I didn’t even have to think about it.
I lived in Maryland for about 5 years, with the exception of the time I packed up all my stuff and moved to Walla Walla, Washington. That move didn’t last long and I moved back to DC to finish my degrees at CUC. But, since I moved away I had only visited once and that was over 5 years ago.
Since Happy Apple
My first evening in Maryland I had dinner with Janel. I first met Janel in Happy Apple Daycare in St. Croix, where I grew up. I don’t actually remember meeting her. I’ve just always known her.
Unfortunately, I’ve lost many of the pictures that were taken of us together. Many of the photos I use of myself as a little kid, actually belongs to my brother. My mother doesn’t really keep tract of photos. Janel is some where in the picture above. You can find me easily since I was the tallest person in the class that year; even taller than the teacher.
Janel and I have not really kept in contact. We used to e-mail each other regularly when I first moved to England. But our lives have both been busy. Janel earned a masters, works hard, and she got married last year.
It was great to see her again. But for some reason I forgot to get a picture with her. I don’t know how I managed that since I am the type of person to snap of a photo of any and everything!
Museums for free!?
My Sister, Audrey, her kids, my mom, Mark, and I all went to sight see in DC. This was Mark’s first time in the area. We saw memorials, statues, and museums. Mark was surprise to see how many museums in DC were free. (All most all of them.)
After leaving DC, I was shocked that most museums in the world charge an entry fee. “Who would pay to see a museum?” I thought. Well, not Washingtonians. Not only are the museums free, but they are all very fabulous. I spent many a summer afternoon in them when I had no money and wanted some AC.
Arlington
Our last stop on our tour was at Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. This is the place where 2 presidents, John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft, are buried. The tour we were on gave us lots of information about some of the thousands of people buried at the cemetery, but is was too much too quickly.
When you stand in Arlington Cemetery you get an overall feeling of sadness. Most of the people there died while in their early 20′s. There are so many graves; too many graves. It’s so big, we needed to ride a bus to see it all.
DC is known for its Ethiopian food.
I was the one who requested it. I just could not leave DC without have some Ethiopian food. I love the stuff. You eat with your hands. There are no utensils; just pick up your food with a piece of bread. Sampling your neighbors’ food is encouraged… at least when I’m around.
