Washington D.C. (part 2)

I think it is probably well known that D.C. is home to a lot of museums. However, I didn't realise quite how many until I started researching the city prior to this trip. The answer to how many, in short, is many. Delightfully, lots of them are also free, thanks to the Smithsonian Institute and some additional affiliated museums.

Much as I enjoy museums, I do enjoy them balanced with other activities. One per day is usually my limit, unless they are particularly small - and those in D.C. are not small. Thus, we picked two that I would do with Mr Bite and left him to consider if we wanted to see more when I was conferencing. The two I joined in on were the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art.

National Air and Space Museum: Entry foyer with various space craft, various airplanes, 
and the actual space suit worn by Neil Armstrong on his trip to the moon.

The entry to the air and space museum must be enough to send most children into raptures - and a great many adults too. It houses various space craft (real ones, prototypes, and test versions), and then down the hall there is another foyer with airplanes, and the other direction, yet another foyer with yet more space vehicles. It's quite staggering. The amount of information on display in the museum is also quite staggering. We could probably have done with two visits (given it is free and all), but instead spent 3.5 hours there before spilling out into the sunshine.

We had planned to visit Georgetown that afternoon, to have lunch once we arrived. Between a slightly longer museum trip than anticipated, a run in on my part with the Metro (a machine ate my money), and then a blocked road due to an exploding car (true - see photo below), we didn't reach Georgetown until close to 3.30pm.

We had intended to walk that way, but a car on fire put us off.

That was the day we visited Sweetgreen, and our arrival time may help you understand why I wasn't open to negotiating lunch spots. The store is located on the main M street axis, which is pleasantly crowded with shops and students and dotted with flower-clad light poles.

Georgetown's M street

After eating, we headed north to explore the back streets (so to speak) of the area. They were tree lined, filled with fancy architecture, and generally lived up to the area's reputation for wealth and history.

Georgetown

On our visit to the National Gallery of Art, we covered the older works featured in the West building but skipped over the modern art in the East wing. There was just too much! My favourite pieces were the French impressionist paintings, but the building in general was impressive - artwork in itself, just as much as the works within. There are also sculptures in the gallery gardens, which themselves deserve attention.

National Gallery of Art - Monet's painting wasn't actually wonky, I promise.

That day, we also progressed from seeing security guards on the White House roof and exploding cars in the distance, to seeing the President drive by. The photos I took don't do the occasion justice, and frankly don't show very much, but as we were crossing a road towards the art gallery we were held back by police until 5 minutes later a convoy went by, complete with Mr Obama driven in grand style.

Approaching police convoy on the left, and the Presidential car moving off on the right.

Washington D.C., you do offer a lot.

We are now out of D.C., spending the night in Altoona, Pennsylvania, before heading up to Canada tomorrow. My conference is done, we have managed to drive on the 'wrong' (to us!) side of the road, and there are 10 unadulterated days of travel left before we return to Australia.

Have you ever been awed by political star spotting?

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