This past Labor Day weekend, my wife and I took a short vacation (and work for her) to Washington, D.C. and upon reflection I have quickly chosen the best and worst of our experiences…
Best Food — The Hamilton Hotel and Restaurant gave us an excellent dinner for us and Sara and Stephen George who made the selection. The cheese appetizer was excellent and the crab cakes were great. It was an informal dinner in a beautiful setting. The price was a little high but all food in DC is expensive.
Worst Food – didn’t have any bad food anywhere – all was good!
Best Transportation – The Hop-on/Hop-off Trolley system was absolutely great. The tour bus covered 17 stops and the drivers were all personable and very informative. Buses appeared at each stop every thirty minutes and it seemed like we never had to wait. A connection was made to Arlington National Cemetary with no delays and even at Arlington, the tour bus drivers were prompt and courteous.
Worst Transportation – the bicycle system didn’t work as planned. The credit card input malfunctioned repeatedly ant it took us over ten minutes to get through the inputs as the seven’s didn’t work. Checking in every 30 minutes was a pain as we had the same input problem. We learned the next day that the entire biking system was down.
Most solemn moment – changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Most unsolemn moment – Lincoln Memorial. So many people at one time and the noise was distracting.
Most Interesting Monument – tied! The Army Caisson sculpture in front of the Capial was fascinating and the Korean War Memorial was chilling as the dozens of soldier statues marching in the rain made one consider the daily hardships of just being a soldier in the field.
Most impressive building on the Inside – The Library of Congress was the most ornate and intrinsically beautiful building in DC.
Most impressive building from the outside – Supreme Court Building. The white marble steps and columns are overwhelming.
Ugliest Building – Tied! The FBI building and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Most unique building – The 2 and 3 story brick residences in downtown which were only facades for a modern office building in back. The Historical Preservation Laws in DC made the developer of the office buildings keep the fronts of the original residences in place. You can knock on the front doors forever and no one will answer .
Most disappointing historical place – Robert E. Lee’s home in Arlington as it is now beng restored and is covered in tarp.
Most Intriguing historical moment – The discovery of my great uncle’s burial site in Arlington. Once we pinpointed the location, the cemetary groundskeepers took us directly there and waited as we paid or respects.
Best Travel Companion – My wife!
74 Journeys 
Enjoyed your blog George. Beautiful pics!
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