Ramble: My After Work, Downtown DC Wandering Adventure

Yesterday afternoon I had some time to kill before my usual Tuesday night out for dinner so I decided to take in the city in a way I hadn’t done in the almost six months previously, when I had more time but no job so it was all about the conserving. That and it was cold(er) and the cherry blossoms weren’t blossoming. But oh were they blossoming yesterday. If you’ve never seen them, a cherry blossom tree is covered in small white/pinkish/pink flowers that bloom, peak, and give way to leaves all the space of a few weeks. We’ve got a lot here in DC and the main place to see them is around the Tidal Basin. Quite picturesque, all of it. You can get great pictures of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial with/through the trees. I’ll try to post some if they’re decent enough (though my camera decided to be low on battery, probably should’ve charged it). The Cherry Blossom Festival is always a big draw for tourists and the Post has reported quite good crowds this year, probably because it’s free and something to do with the family. There seemed to be a good mix of tourists and locals yesterday, the day before the peak but as today is all rainy yesterday was a good day to go. The locals you can pick out because, like me, they look like they’ve come from work. I didn’t even bring other shoes like so many women do, probably because I don’t wear insane heels and prefer comfortable, low heeled, if slightly clunky, dress shoes or low heeled boots. Anyway, my feet held up fine.

Not to romanticize it or anything, though I know I am, I really felt part of the city yesterday, even though I was all on my own and listening to my iPod most of the time (which I credit to my generation, at least I was enjoying nature, not all of us do). I was really just in the middle part, Tidal Basin through Gallery Place, but I still felt part of the fabric of the city and the country. It’s a slightly odd feeling. I could feel slightly superior when overhearing conversations from tourists about things to do or which tours to go on, someone actually thought they could get on a White House tour at 5 in the afternoon, as if. I belonged in DC and as long as these tourists respected my city, they were welcome to wander around it. I could pop into a museum for one exhibit because I’d seen the rest and was visiting close to closing and didn’t need to rush to see everything because I had a schedule to keep to. I could just wander if I wanted or sit and watch people.

But back to the wandering. I went up to the Washington Monument, deciding to take that route as opposed to a less scenic, more car filled one (and was reminded, yet again, why it’s stupid and slightly mentally unbalanced to try to drive in downtown DC, especially with so many tour buses around). I actually got the closest I’ve ever been to it, actually touched it. Never did that before. I should really go up it one of these days but they give out the tickets so early. I hereby vow that sometime this summer, I will go up the monument. There. Anyway, it’s really tall, especially if you’re standing right up against it and looking up. Just tall.

After that I walked over towards the American History museum side of the Mall. Decided I had time so I popped into the museum for the Lincoln exhibit. I went last fall when they reopened the museum (finally, that thing was closed forever but at least you can tell they did a lot of work, looks quite new in the main section) and the exhibit was slated to open sometime this year (or last, I don’t really remember). Anyway, it was a good exhibit. They have his top hat, which he wore to Ford’s, and lots of other stuff that’s spread out throughout panels on his life and a big one on the conspiracy. They even have a couple casts that were done during his life, of his face and hands. The latter weren’t really all that big, by the way. Good exhibit. Yay Lincoln.

After that I wandered along the agency/department side of the museums, EPA seemed to be having some sort of shindig, along to the National Archives. I bypassed the Charters Hall because, well, I’ve done it before and there were plenty of people there half an hour before closing (yay for later summer hours) and headed up to the Big exhibit. All sorts of large stuff. Like the Articles of Confederation, coming in at over 13 feet long. All that paper and yet, so ineffective. Setting the groundwork for some of our laws now, I guess. But the Articles were important, without that the Constitution wouldn’t have happened. I wrote one of my best AP history essays on the failings of the Articles. I was also pretty good at the Enlightenment later in AU Euro, lotsa deism. Probably what led to me classifying myself as a kind of Catholic deist for a while (if such a thing exists and you can make the two systems co-exist). Anyway, the exhibit also has a replica of Taft’s bathtub, one of Shaq’s shoes, a big globe, and other stuff. Happy 75th National Archives.

After the Archives I wandered over to the Mall to read some before going off to dinner. If you get sappy/sentimental about patriotic stuff or feel like you’re part of something at the monuments, the Mall is a great place to go to feel all warm and fuzzy. Though I was kinda chilled because it was windy and my coat wasn’t warm enough but that’s a story for catch-22. Saw an ultimate Frisbee game, far too many people jogging in shorts (they are insane) and others just walking as the sun began to set. It was a good time and nice way to end the wandering. Though, one last note, since when does the Sculpture Garden close?

Now back to the regularly scheduled musings.