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Old 3 Nov 19, 03:09 PM  
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Goldia
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Washington DC - Memorials, museums and more Day 5 27/10/19

Day 5 – Sunday 27th October 2019

We had a long lie in today until around 7.40am! We weren’t in a rush as it was our last day and we had a late flight at 9.45pm so had all day. We wanted to make the most of a bit of downtime in the room before check out. We did have plans though as there were a couple of museums that we wanted to get to the Air and Space Museum and the Museum of Native Indians.

We went down for breakfast just before 9am.







There were TVs showing the news in the breakfast room and we watched President Trump giving his announcement that Baghdadi the Isis leader had been killed in a special forces raid.

We went up to the room and packed our cases ready to check out. We weren’t in a hurry though as it was torrential rain outside.

By about 11.30 the rain looked to be easing off and so we ate our leftover pizza, checked out and asked for our luggage to be looked after while we went out for out last day in DC.

As we got to the Capitol building we discovered the roads were all closed as there was a marathon going on.







This was a surprise to us as we had no idea this was happening today. When I looked it up I discovered this was the annual Marine Corps Marathon. We watched for a little while before heading off to the Air and Space Museum.



This is one of the most popular museums and there are lots of interactive displays and buttons to press. While we were there 2 of the larger exhibitions were closed and it was very crowded. Perhaps because it was a Sunday so locals as well as tourists were visiting.







We enjoyed looking at all the space craft and trying to answer the questions on the interactive bits.















The museum was getting in on the baseball and supporting the Nationals in their endeavours.



The kids had a go at being Flight Directors and had to make decisions based on the information they received and then were scored to see if they would make good flight directors.









The tour guide at the Capitol building the day before had mentioned that the Capitol had the best restrooms in DC - she wasn't wrong but that the second best were the one's in the Air and Space, so of course we tested out this theory. I have to say they were just standard, not particularly bad or special!











We enjoyed looking around the Wright brothers exhibition.



We saw the spacesuit that Neil Armstrong wore when he took his steps on the moon. This was pretty cool!



After having our fill of space we headed next door to the Museum of the American Indian.







I hadn’t realised that now the term Indian or Native is preferred to Native American.



I really liked this museum, it was built around a central dome with a staircase going up the sides.





First up some kayaks in the atrium.



The kids wanted me to take a photo that made it look like they were sitting in it, but as it was a bit high Kate looks like a disembodied head.





We walked up to the next level.







The first exhibit we posed the question ‘why is Indian culture so prevalent?’ It explored the idea that Indians represent less than 1% of the population yet there are images of American Indians in the form of dream catchers, football team names and advertising for many different products. The exhibition proposed the idea that Americans are still trying to come to grips with the past and perhaps a refusal to forget atrocities committed.





There was an exhibition looking at Pocahontas and the myths that surround her life. The truth of her life is apparently still being debated.



We also looked around an exhibition about Indian culture in South America.





There was a replica of Q’eswachaka suspension bridge. This has been used for 500 years in Peru over the Apurimac River. It is made out of grasses and vines and is rebuilt regularly.





I thoroughly enjoyed looking around this museum, more so than the Air and Space Museum. It’s definitely worth a visit if you have a spare couple of hours in DC.

As we came out of the museum our phones were saying it was 26 degrees. The weather was glorious now and the rain had completely dried up.

We were all feeling a bit peckish now and so headed for our last meal in DC and we decided to go to an Irish pub that we had seen near Union Station called the Dubliner. This turned out to be a great choice.





We sat in the conservatory. There were a couple of policemen sitting in there watching the game on TV and eating huge burgers.

Dave had a Guinness, the kids had their usual cokes and I had a Dark and Stormy cocktail. It was yummy!



Dave had an Irish stew with a soda bread roll. The stew looked so good with a nice thick gravy and I wish I’d ordered it.



Max had wanted a steak previously, but I’d talked him out of it. He saw steak on the menu here and that’s what he went for. He really enjoyed it.



Kate had a great chicken BLT sandwich with fries. This was a whole chicken breast and also looked fab.



I had a Guinness burger and potato boxty, which was tasty but I was a little envious of Dave’s casserole as mine was a bit dry. The burger is hiding underneath all the onion rings.



The meal came to $98. I was pleased with all our food in DC, we hadn’t eaten at high end places choosing bars over formal restaurants. But we’d had alcohol with all our meals and we had eaten well for a very reasonable amount of money for 4 people.

We walked back to the hotel and lined up a Lyft to take us to Baltimore airport, this was also very cheap at just $46.

We went through security and there was a whole army unit of about 50 soldiers at the gate opposite ours all waiting to board their plane.

While at the gate I remembered I’d wanted to take a photo of our bites! This surprised me I had not bothered taking any mosquito repellent or insect cream as I hadn’t thought we would need it in DC in October, but we had all been bitten. I had a few bites on my legs too. These are my two on one arm/hand.



These are Kate’s on her arms.



So, remember your insect spray if you go to DC!

We were still hoping that our plan of selecting seats B and C would mean we ended up with a row of 3 seats and no one would sit in seat A.

The ground crew were encouraging everyone to check their bags as apparently space in the overhead lockers was limited in the plane. This made Dave and me think that perhaps it was going to be a full flight.

In the end it wasn’t anywhere near full, it was half empty and there was loads of space! We got lucky and both me and Dave shuffled over and sat in seat A.



Not quite business class but lovely to have the extra space for the kids to be able to spread out and get a decent sleep.



Last couple of shots of Baltimore during take off.





I decided not to bother attempting Toy Story 4 and instead plumped for Moulin Rouge as I love that movie and I sort of prefer to watch comforting movies I’ve seen before on flights where I know I won’t be giving it my full attention.

When the drinks came around I ordered a gin and tonic. I was also offered some wine for dinner so I asked for red and was given 2 bottles. I thought this would really help me drop off to sleep.



Kate had coke and we both enjoyed the pretzels.



I’d pre-ordered child meals for the kids. I actually think these were really good. They had a carton of milk as the drink. Some carrot and celery sticks that were plain with no dressing. There were some crisps and a yoghurt/mousse thing. I’ve no idea what the hot food was as Kate wouldn’t let me take the foil off for fear it would make her nauseous, but she did manage to eat some of the food they gave her.



I went for the veggie pasta which was pretty good. The cheese and crackers were tasty and so was the chocolate brownie dessert. I didn’t bother with the roll as these tend to be a disappointment and this one felt very solid.



Once dinner was served we all finished our movies and then settled down for a sleep. I used the ear plugs and eye mask we’d been given in business and these along with the wine helped to drop straight off. Everyone else slept pretty well too and we all had a good three hours sleep which isn’t bad.

The breakfast was brought round but I didn’t really fancy it. The adult and child breakfasts were the same fruit loops and milk.



We were ahead of schedule and got through Heathrow quickly as it was a very quiet immigration hall and we had no hold luggage to collect.

I called the Parking4U number to say we had arrived and they told us the meet up point. I was really pleased with this, within about 5 minutes the car was with us and we were on our way home.

Steps 21,142

And that’s the end of the trip. I’d thoroughly recommend a visit to Washington DC. The city has a lot to offer, with all the museums and memorials. Perhaps it’s not as exciting as New York but there is a lot to see and unlike NYC lots of the tours, museums and memorials are free so it’s a bit cheaper. We enjoyed looking at all the memorials and I think we were incredibly lucky with the weather even if we did get eaten by the mosquitos.

Next year, we have our Orlando pilgrimage in the summer . For our city break I’m thinking of Toronto as we’ve not been to Canada before and I’ve read Mel’s and Jo’s Canada trips with anticipation of when we might get to Canada .

Oh and now I’ve finished my DC report I can read Jo’s and see what we missed out on and should have done I'm really excited to see what the White House was like, I'd have loved to have a peak in there.

Thanks as always to everyone who has read and those of you who have commented. It's lovely to share our trips with you all and I hope we have helped in some way with your future plans.

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2017: NYC and Orlando. Salzburg. Boston.
2018: Orlando. Berlin.
2019: DLP. Orlando. Washington DC.
2020: DLP.
2021: Jamaica. Rome.
2022: Orlando.
2023: Orlando. Niagara and Toronto.
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Old 3 Nov 19, 03:34 PM  
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Caroian
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I've really enjoyed reading your report, so thank you for taking the time to write it (and doing it so fast - says the person who only starts trip reports and cannot seem to finish them!) Seems like you had a fantastic trip and fitted lots in.

We'll be in Washington for 4 days next year as part of multi-city trip and so I've picked up some good tips. We'll be travelling with our 8 year old son, which will definitely impact what we do, but the Air and Space Musuem is on his and my husband's wish-list - along with a trip out to the Udvar-Hazy too. I might just try to persuade them in to the Museum of the American Indian too though!
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Old 3 Nov 19, 08:18 PM  
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Goldia
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Originally Posted by Caroian View Post
I've really enjoyed reading your report, so thank you for taking the time to write it (and doing it so fast - says the person who only starts trip reports and cannot seem to finish them!) Seems like you had a fantastic trip and fitted lots in.

We'll be in Washington for 4 days next year as part of multi-city trip and so I've picked up some good tips. We'll be travelling with our 8 year old son, which will definitely impact what we do, but the Air and Space Musuem is on his and my husband's wish-list - along with a trip out to the Udvar-Hazy too. I might just try to persuade them in to the Museum of the American Indian too though!
That's great to hear! I'm glad to have given you a couple of ideas. I'm sure you will enjoy the air and space, I hope you do manage to go next door. I think because we didn't have to pay to get in the museums we didn't feel like we needed to spend all day in there to 'get our monies worth' sometimes a couple of hours is all you need.
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New pre trip report - Summer 2024

Link to all my completed trip reports
2017: NYC and Orlando. Salzburg. Boston.
2018: Orlando. Berlin.
2019: DLP. Orlando. Washington DC.
2020: DLP.
2021: Jamaica. Rome.
2022: Orlando.
2023: Orlando. Niagara and Toronto.
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Old 3 Nov 19, 08:42 PM  
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DisneyDaffodil
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I’ve really enjoyed your trip report again Abby. I’m always amazed at how much you pack into each day, and how much walking you do.

The air and space museum looks far more interesting than I would have imagined it to be (as I wouldn’t have considered it as my cup of tea) Maybe it’s because it’s interactive.

The Museum of the American Indian looks very much the type of place I would enjoy though, fascinating to learn about different cultures.

Your meals looked really delicious again. I like that you ate at pubs and local places, you certainly had great meals this way.

You were lucky to have the extra space on the return journey. We had a Tui flight from Sanford one year where we had a row of seats each as the flight wasn’t even half full. It was lovely to stretch out 😀
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Old 3 Nov 19, 08:51 PM  
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Cutiepie
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Another great trip & report I have really enjoyed reading along. Bonus on the business flights! I have now asked my DH to change his Amex card to a BA one

Toronto is a great city, we went with our kids who are the same age as yours and we all had a great time
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Old 4 Nov 19, 08:23 AM  
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Thanks for the report! I really must go to Washington one day! Both museums look fabulous - and even better for being free

I never get lucky on flights - both flights to HK were full!

If you have any questions about Canada do ask! I have done Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City on the eastern side so am full of useless knowledge 😜
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2016 Quebec - Kuala Lumpar - New York City 2017 Dubai - Eurocamps France - Ontario and Quebec - So-Cal 2018 Montreal - Bangkok - New England 2019 Argentina - Quebec City - Hong Kong - 2020 Switzerland 2022 Arizona - Costa Med Cruise - Oslo 2023 Hong Kong - Gothenburg
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Old 4 Nov 19, 08:35 PM  
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Goldia
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Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil View Post
I’ve really enjoyed your trip report again Abby. I’m always amazed at how much you pack into each day, and how much walking you do.

The air and space museum looks far more interesting than I would have imagined it to be (as I wouldn’t have considered it as my cup of tea) Maybe it’s because it’s interactive.

The Museum of the American Indian looks very much the type of place I would enjoy though, fascinating to learn about different cultures.

Your meals looked really delicious again. I like that you ate at pubs and local places, you certainly had great meals this way.

You were lucky to have the extra space on the return journey. We had a Tui flight from Sanford one year where we had a row of seats each as the flight wasn’t even half full. It was lovely to stretch out 😀
I figure I have to cram it in as we're not going back, with these city breaks it really is a once in a lifetime as there's too much world to see. At the moment the kids don't mind the walking so I'll keep planning it that way until they rebel, or until me and Dave can't cope with the long walks.

I'm like you I was keen to go to the Air and Space as it is considered one of the best museums in DC, but I much preferred the idea of the American Indian museum, this was just so interesting to read about the prevalence in American culture. Although I think the kids preferred the air and space as it had far more interactive elements to it.

I'm glad we did so well with the meals, we got pretty lucky and had quite varied options even if Max did pick burgers most days.

Originally Posted by Cutiepie View Post
Another great trip & report I have really enjoyed reading along. Bonus on the business flights! I have now asked my DH to change his Amex card to a BA one

Toronto is a great city, we went with our kids who are the same age as yours and we all had a great time
I'm glad I've inspired you to start building your avios points up and I hope you end up getting to fly business it was an amazing experience.

That's good to know about Toronto, I hope I can save enough points to do business for that trip too, but there are only a few reward seats per flight so they tend to get booked up early. Although I don't think Toronto is as popular as other cities for the reward flights. I originally wanted Orlando, but you have to be so on the ball with those flights and literally book at 1 second after midnight when the flights are released and ad obsessive as I am about trip planning I am not that obsessive.

Originally Posted by Melbatb View Post
Thanks for the report! I really must go to Washington one day! Both museums look fabulous - and even better for being free

I never get lucky on flights - both flights to HK were full!

If you have any questions about Canada do ask! I have done Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City on the eastern side so am full of useless knowledge 😜
You should add Washington to you list of future trips. I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Thanks Mel, when (if) I book the flights I'll be picking your brains. I know you like to walk a city too so I'm sure you've got some great tips for us.
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New pre trip report - Summer 2024

Link to all my completed trip reports
2017: NYC and Orlando. Salzburg. Boston.
2018: Orlando. Berlin.
2019: DLP. Orlando. Washington DC.
2020: DLP.
2021: Jamaica. Rome.
2022: Orlando.
2023: Orlando. Niagara and Toronto.
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Old 4 Nov 19, 09:04 PM  
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DisneyDaffodil
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Definitely so many wonderful places to explore so you are right, we often only get to see somewhere once so it is worth trying to see lots when you have the opportunity.

It’s true that age slows you down too sadly. DH and I aren’t there yet, but we do find now we are mid-fifties that our legs do ache and hills can defeat us sometimes.

We are planning Rome and Sorrento (for Pompeii and Herculaneum) next summer and I am a little worried that it’s going to be a lot of walking, but then again by going soon, hopefully we will be able to get around ok.

I dread to think of the day when the adventures stop, hopefully not for a long time 😀
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Old 5 Nov 19, 08:33 PM  
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Goldia
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Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil View Post
Definitely so many wonderful places to explore so you are right, we often only get to see somewhere once so it is worth trying to see lots when you have the opportunity.

It’s true that age slows you down too sadly. DH and I aren’t there yet, but we do find now we are mid-fifties that our legs do ache and hills can defeat us sometimes.

We are planning Rome and Sorrento (for Pompeii and Herculaneum) next summer and I am a little worried that it’s going to be a lot of walking, but then again by going soon, hopefully we will be able to get around ok.

I dread to think of the day when the adventures stop, hopefully not for a long time 😀
Your plans sound really interesting. Italy is somewhere we've not touched and so we really should add it into the mix. A friend just got back from Florence and was raving that it better than Rome.
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Abby
New pre trip report - Summer 2024

Link to all my completed trip reports
2017: NYC and Orlando. Salzburg. Boston.
2018: Orlando. Berlin.
2019: DLP. Orlando. Washington DC.
2020: DLP.
2021: Jamaica. Rome.
2022: Orlando.
2023: Orlando. Niagara and Toronto.
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Old 5 Nov 19, 09:37 PM  
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We knew about the Marine Corps marathon, as we’d originally planned Arlington for today. But I don’t think we’d have got anywhere near it, as we heard it started and ended at Arlington. What a miserable morning’s weather for them to run in though. Glad you got to see some of it while you were out though.

I need to keep Martin away from your trip report, because if he reads up about the Air and Space Museum, I’ll be in big trouble that I didn’t tell him about it before we went!

I love the photo of your kids ‘sitting’ in the kayak - it’s very clever.

Oh and I have some matching bites. Think I got them from the Arlington Cemetery day. Well that’s when I first became aware of them anyway, although there were a lot of gnat like things by the Reflecting Pool on Saturday.



Oh and Toronto is a great place for a city break. We loved it there.

Edited at 09:38 PM.
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