Washington - Day 3

Monday, July 7

Another hot day in DC with the temperature getting into the 90s F, but it was very pleasant walking on the shady side of the street on our way to the area where the Smithsonian museums are located. Along the way we passed some interesting buildings and enjoyed soaking up the vibe of DC on a work day.

Forever 21 Retail Store

We've been impressed with DC and it's easy to navigate street grids, as well as the lovely wide, tree lined streets and footpaths, which are kept very clean. A lot of the buildings look old but are modern, however they have been built in a classical style, and with the height restrictions it adds to the streetscape's appeal.

The Ronald Reagan Building - old style but actually built in 1998

There are over 10 different museums and art galleries that come under the Smithsonian "banner", some of which appealed to us more than others. We decided to start at the American History Museum as it "only" covered the 200+ years of America's history. We had a list of "must sees", but it took us about an hour to get out of the ground floor lobby! It then took us another couple of hours to completely see the ground floor rooms which covered the history of transport, money, food, electricity and power machinery. This included a great exhibit on Thomas Edison and inventors, while in the food area, Julia Child's kitchen was displayed.

From covered wagons to the Mustang - a lot of progress in 110 years

Part of the Edison exhibit

Julia Child's kitchen where her TV cooking show was filmed

After a short break we headed to the second floor to see the original Star-Spangled Banner that inspired the US National anthem, some famous red shoes Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, and a famous pig that has entertained us on TV and in movies!

 

We were running out of time so we headed to the third floor to see the exhibits on the First Ladies of the White House, which included a lot of their dresses from their husband's inaugurations as well as other personal items. It also included exhibits on the ladies' influence on the furnishings and decorating of the White House over 200 years - Noelle loved all this.

A velvet dress worn by First Lady Grace Coolidge in the 1920's

Another great exhibit covered all the Presidents and the function of the presidency, as well as the symbolic importance of the White House. We have certainly learnt a lot about the US and it's history from today, and we ended up getting kicked out at 7:30!

What do you think?

Walking back to our hotel it was still hot, but as it was such a lovely evening we decided to eat outside and make the most of the warmth.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Washington DC - Day 2

Sunday, July 6

We are calling Washington DC the city of sirens. Our hotel, sadly, does not have double glazing and every emergency service here starts their siren the moment they leave base and don't switch it off until after the emergency is over so the cumulative effect is one of continual sirens. Needless to say, tonight, when the sirens seemed very close, we didn't take a lot of notice until we realized that they seemed to be wailing right outside our window and hadn't diminished at all. We looked out of our street-front, 9th floor window and saw a huge, long fire truck directly below, five or six police cars blocking off the road, an ambulance, and the area swarming with emergency personnel. More fire trucks and police vans continued to arrive. Clearly something was happening nearby so we took up positions at the window to watch and surmise what might be happening. There didn't appear to be any smoke. We could see reflections in glass windows up a lane way diagonally opposite, a vehicle with red flashing lights. We realized that one of the buildings on the side of the laneway was a Nordstrom department store. Finally a man was escorted from the lane in handcuffs and soon after, another person was wheeled out on a gurney from the Nordstrom side to an ambulance. As we still had to go out for dinner, we asked the hotel concierge on our way out what had been going on. He was googling local news stations but had not found anything. Other guests had told him that a man had abandoned his vehicle nearby and run to a car park over the lane way next to Nordstroms. We still have no idea what happened but it gave us an eerie feeling of how easy it would be to get caught up in some sort of disturbance when you are in big cities like Washington.

Some of the goings-on outside our hotel (taken from our window)

Now, back to the rest of the day. The English Grand Prix was broadcast live from 8.30am this morning and, as Al has a real soft spot for the Silverstone track in England having spent time there back in the 70's when his friend, Rhett Parker used to race Formula Fords, he was keen to watch this particular race. I had no complaints and was more than happy to roll over for another hour and a half's snooze - a luxury for both of us! Because it was a late start, we hurried showers, etc, so that we could get underway.

Outside The White House

We headed down L Street to 18th Street (Washington is so easy to get around - laid out in a grid with horizontal streets with alphabetical names and vertical ones with numbered names) in the general direction of The White House. The sun was hot but there was a pleasant breeze. The forecast was for 87F and no rain. Washington has some fantastic buildings representing all eras of its history and all beautifully maintained with great gardens and set on lovely, clean streets. The overall impression is very good. As it was the last day of the July 4 holiday weekend, many Americans had obviously decided to visit the Capitol so there were lots of people out and about, but all in holiday mode.

I was surprised that The White House was not visible until we got right in front of it. Capitol Hill and the Washington Monument stand out but you really have to look for The White House. Visits inside The White House are possible and, in fact, welcomed but must be made through your local senator well in advance. Instead, we visited The White House Visitors Centre (currently in temporary premises while the main one is being "rehabilitated". We chuckled at this terminology in lieu of "renovated" - it sounded as though it was really in a bad way!). The Visitors Centre runs a continual DVD on a tour of the interior of The White House including State Rooms, Offices and the President's living quarters. Michelle Obama hosted the DVD tour and I was fascinated at the many details including the different dinner sets ordered by different First Ladies, the different things they had purchased and left behind or even handmade, like the crocheted bedspread made by Mrs Coolidge. The desk, so famous in the photo of JFK with John Jnr crawling out from under his dad's feet, was a gift from Queen Victoria and has been used by every President since - all 22 of them.

On the way to the Visitors Centre, we saw the National Christmas Tree, the most perfect shaped Fir tree, that is decorated every Christmas for the people of Washington DC to enjoy, along with the President and his family, as it stands directly in line with the Oval Room in The White House.

Noelle with the Washington Memorial obelisk in the background

Al at the Washington Monument with the WWII and Lincoln Memorials in the background

(also a plane coming in to land at nearby Reagan Airport)

We could clearly see the obelisk Washington Monument as we left the Visitors Centre, so we headed for it - along with many others. It is circled with lots of flagpoles all flying the Stars & Stripes, a very impressive sight. Once at the obelisk, the views over DC were fabulous and the WW II Memorial was clearly visible with the Lincoln Memorial beyond it. We made our way towards the WW II Memorial but stopped along the way in some shade for a breather. The sun was really taking its toll. The WW II Memorial was very impressive and featured an arched gateway at either end of a pool, one commemorating the Pacific Campaign and the other for the Atlantic. Along the sides were rectangular columns, one for every State in the Union. Not much further on, the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial was located featuring a statue of three American soldiers of varying ethnicity as well as a long black marble wall engraved with the names of all who lost their lives in, and as a result of, the Vietnam conflict. It was very touching, perhaps because this conflict was in our own lifetimes and affected people we know and knew.

Al with the WWII Memorial and Lincoln Memorial behind

The WWII Memorial

Part of the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial

By far the most impressive of the buildings and monuments we saw today was the Lincoln Memorial featuring a huge statue of Lincoln, brilliantly carved and on either side wall of the building the statue is housed in, is engraved his 2nd Inaugural Speech on one side and The Gettysburgh Address on the other.

Al at the Lincoln Memorial

Al with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool behind

By now we were hot and tired so decided to head for home to make our plans for tomorrow and to have a bite to eat. It was while getting ready to go out for dinner that the disturbance over the road took place. Maybe later News broadcasts will make mention of what went on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

New York to Washington DC

Saturday, July 5

Another travel day, and like all other travel days involved re-packing for the flight, taxi rides and waiting at airports to check in, board, take off, land and collect luggage. At least Terminal 2 (Delta's domestic terminal) at JFK Airport was a nice terminal with some of the best food outlets we've ever come across in our travels.

Noelle at Terminal 2 at JFK airport

 

We got a nice surprise when we checked into our room at The Quincy Hotel in Washington DC as it is another big room with great facilities. However we noticed one of our cases was missing its lock. We then found the lock (cut with bolt cutters of course) in the front pocket with a note from the Transportation Security Administration saying our bag had been opened and inspected, and sorry if the locks were damaged but they are not liable! Noelle's water colour paints could have been the problem (again) as they were in that case!

Our room at The Quincy and luggage

 

Washington DC is another first for Noelle, and a long time since I was here, so we're both looking forward to exploring it. Our first impressions are good and the weather is forecast to be hot and sunny.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

New York -Day 4

Friday, July 4

After the storms last night, we were keen to see today's forecast - us and every other New Yorker - as today is the start of the holiday long weekend. We put on the TV - good grief, two Today Show presenters in Stars & Stripes onesies! Thankfully, the Weather came on in the next segment so we didn't have to suffer for too long. Hurricane Arthur (now down-graded to Category One) was moving up the East coast from the Carolinas and sadly, bringing a lot of rain with it but temperatures were to remain warm. The rain & thunderstorms were forecast to hit the Jersey Shore, Long Island & Connecticut areas by mid morning and hopefully peter out by around 8.00 pm tonight - just in time for the huge Macy's 4th July Fireworks scheduled for a 9.15 pm start. We booked tickets on the Circle Line Fireworks Cruise before we left Australia so we too were hopeful the rain would stop.

Our plan for the day was to head to Central Park and mooch around that end of town - weather permitting. As we left the hotel we were encouraged by the sunshine and warmth so we stuck to our plan. It was gorgeous walking around - the temperature was lovely. It didn't take long to reach Central Park and, although there were a lot of people about, it was nowhere near as crowded as we expected. We took the path to Strawberry Fields. There were a lot of Park Attendants sweeping piles of mud from the paths - obviously as a result of the rain over the last couple of nights. We stopped and watched buskers along the way and one group of black boys were so talented and their patter was so funny, we stayed for quite a while. We also watched three guys - two playing drums and the other on bagpipes, of all things - and they sounded fabulous together. By then it had started to spit rather large spots of rain and people were resorting to umbrellas and plastic ponchos. Given the forecast, we took this as our cue to leave the park and head for drier ground but, unfortunately, not soon enough. The wind had really picked up so rain was blowing in sheets in all directions and umbrellas were blowing inside out as soon as put up. In no time we were drenched and feeling chilly so decided it was time for lunch and a chance to dry out and warm up as well as eat.

Snapshots in Central Park today

We had encountered a problem with the camera in the I-Pad whilst in Central Park and over lunch were not able to rectify it. As we still have 10 days of our trip left, we were keen to get it fixed immediately. While making our dash from Central Park, we had noticed a large Apple store (was going to say a big Apple store!) so, after lunch, we headed back to it. Those Apple Geeks are amazing and within minutes all was well with our I-Pad.

By then we were even wetter so made our way back to our hotel to dry off and get ready for the Fireworks Cruise which, at that stage, seemed highly improbable. We checked emails to see whether they had been cancelled but, instead, had received an email telling us to exchange our e-tickets for Boarding Passes at 5.30 pm down at Pier 83. The email also included a warning re many street closures nearby. By then we didn't have a lot of time so we changed into warmer gear and wet weather jackets and headed off for Pier 83. The saying is "mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" - maybe it should be "mad Aussies hoping for fireworks go out in the thunderstorm".

As we walked, we could see the sky was beginning to clear and by the time we reached Pier 83 the sun was out - amazing - and they say Melbourne's weather changes quickly! We were greeted by Captain America and Uncle Sam who guided everyone into the correct line for their cruise. Every available vessel was being filled with people wanting to get out on the water for the best view. The fireworks location was moved to the East River & Brooklyn Bridge this year so all vessels headed there then jostled for positions for 3-4 hours! We had wonderful views of Lower Manhattan and the Freedom Tower as the sun set and the colours changed. Gradually all the lights came on and it would be difficult to find a better skyline to see lit up.

NYPD Water Police were out in force and we saw a number of boats moved on, along with a handcuffed guest removed from another boat and escorted away in a NYPD boat. When the fireworks finally got underway, we could understand why they are world-renowned and people do whatever they can to see them - they were amazing and some of the most varied colours we have ever seen. We were amazed on a number of fronts - that the weather changed so quickly allowing the display at all, at the number of people watching and the patriotic outfits on many of them, and at the fabulous colours of the fireworks. We were glad we had been able to celebrate a 4th July in America.

 

Posted with Blogsy

New York - Day 3

Thursday, July 3

Last night there was a big thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rain that caused traffic chaos and minor flooding. Today was forecast to be similar. As we left the hotel the heat and humidity hit us so we went into "tropics" mode where we slowed our pace and ducked into air conditioned stores to cool down every so often. We still had a lot of 5th Avenue to check out so we headed for it along some of the cross streets that we hadn't been on before.

As we went past Radio City Music Hall we enquired about the backstage tour that is run daily, only to be told the theatre was closed for electrical repairs today and also would not be open tomorrow being the 4th July holiday. Noelle misses seeing inside again (3 times in a row now) but it just means it goes on the list of things to do next time!

Pity the pic is so small and you can't see the pout at not being able to do Radio City's backstage tour

We continued our stroll along some of New York's main avenues checking out the fantastic Art Deco buildings as we passed them. Most of the interesting buildings have a write up about their history on a plaque at the front door that also points out their special features that made NY such an innovative city in the 1920's. Some other buildings were just quirky and we couldn't resist taking pics of some.

The 21 Club in NY

When we visit NY we always try to have a special meal at a different restaurant so today we decided to have lunch at Michael Jordan's Steak House at Grand Central Station. We were given a table overlooking the main plaza and it was fun watching the passing parade of people heading in all directions ahead of the 4th July holiday long weekend. We enjoyed a fantastic meal and it will definitely make it onto our list of memorable meals we've enjoyed around the world.

Noelle at Michael Jordan's Steak House

Enjoying our entrees (appetizers in the US)

After lunch we continued on our leisurely stroll soaking up the atmosphere of 5th Avenue and enjoying the sunshine, warmth and people watching. We went inside Trump Tower for a cool rest and drink - we didn't see Donald but his presence was there with all his merchandise available to purchase.

At the Trump Store in Trump Tower

Nearby was another well known store and we couldn't resist another photo opp!

Tiffany & Co shop on 5th Ave

On the way back to our hotel we passed more NY icons like the Russian Tea Rooms (where Alan had gone back in the late 1980s) and Carnegie Hall. There were so many great looking buildings that you only really notice when you see them from street level. Of course, being NY there are always quirky statues and things to grab your attention for another photo op!

Noelle and friends

The forecast thunderstorms hit just as we were going out to dinner and boy, did it bucket down! Luckily we only had a small distance to go and by the time we left it had stopped, although it is forecast to rain during the night and well into tomorrow but to clear in time for the fireworks tomorrow night.

NYC thunderstorm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

New York - Day 2

Wednesday, July 2

After yesterday's late arrival, we literally unpacked the necessities and fell into bed. This morning we awoke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ready to soak up New York's exciting atmosphere. The forecast was for 92F and possible thunderstorms later in the day. The sun was shining but there was a lot of cloud around - hard to know what to wear, especially in a big city. We unpacked, got ourselves sorted and decided to head out without any definite plans of things to do, places to see, etc. We have visited NY on quite a few occasions now so have seen most of the tourist sights. Both of us were happy to just amble along and see what was happening - what an indulgence!

As soon as we walked out of the lobby, we were hit with a blast of hot air. The temperature was rising as the clouds quickly disappeared. It was lovely to feel the sun's heat, especially after London, but as we walked we realized it was going to be a day for lots of stops and rehydration. We headed to Times Square to check on theatre ticket availability and from there to Grand Central Station. It took a while to get any distance at all because of the crowds plus we kept stopping to look in store windows. It was lovely and cool at Grand Central so we decided to stop for a quick lunch and enjoy the rest. What a fantastic place to people watch. The business people hurried along with a real sense of purpose, delivery guys struggled with large pallets on trolleys that reminded us of those in the supermarkets at home - they had minds of their own, tourists strolled along and stopped in the most inconvenient places for their photo opps, and the noise level was amazing. There were announcements about train services, waiters calling out orders to short order chefs, buskers doing their things, music playing and sirens and horns blaring out in the street. Then there were the aromas - freshly brewed coffee, fries, popcorn, fish - NY is a real assault on your senses.

Times Square

Al at Grand Central Station

Empire State Building

We continued walking along 5th Avenue, with all it's stores, down to 33rd Street, then along 34th Street to Macy's. Al was very successful with his clothes shopping at Macy's Sale and Noelle was just glad to be in a cool place. We checked out many of NY's iconic stores, took the usual photos, etc. and before we knew it, it was around 5.00 pm. As we headed "home", we passed the NY Library and noticed they had an "Independence Day" exhibition. As attending Macy's "4th of July Fireworks" was one of the reasons we had come here, we felt we should go in. The queue was quite long but seemed to be moving at a reasonable pace but it gave us a chance to read the Exhibition brochure. What was on display was a hand-written copy of Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence from 1776. Apparently after he had written the original draft, sections were deleted about slavery, etc., to appease the Southern States. Jefferson was so upset by this that he re-wrote the Declaration with all the sections included and underlined the really pertinent parts. Once he had done this, he forwarded the six handwritten drafts he had prepared to his friends and one of only two remaining copies is held by the NY Library. It was amazing to see such an important document in his own handwriting.

Draft copy of the Declaration of Independence handwritten by Thomas Jefferson

By the time we left the Library, it was beginning to rain so we hurried, rather than ambled, back to our hotel. The heavens really opened and the number of sirens and horns increased. We stayed put in our room until the rain cleared a bit then headed for one of our favorite NY institutions, Ellen's Stardust Diner. The Diner is the brainchild of Ellen van Strum and is to give hopeful Broadway stars a chance to be seen. The hopefuls work as waiters in the Diner and in between serving customers, sing or dance around the Diner or on its catwalk. The standard of performances varies from one hopeful to another but most are very good. The Diner's record of hopefuls being signed for Broadway shows is quite high. You get a sense of "ownership" of your table's waiter and, of course, applaud loudly when he/she performs. A bucket is passed around every couple of hours and customers are invited to "assist with payment of singing & dancing tuition" for the hopefuls. As usual, we had a fun time there and enjoyed a typical American diner meal. We waited for the rain to abate again before making a dash back to our hotel. A good day in NY!

Two s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s !!

Rockefeller Centre with topiary sculpture by Jeff Koons

(It's half horse / half toy - don't ask why!)

A hopeful waiter performs at Ellen's Stardust Diner

Enjoying our coffee and the singing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

London to New York, NY

Tuesday, July 1

Today was a big travel day - London to New York. We had to finish writing and posting some postcards then we took a cab from our apartment to Paddington Station where we caught the Heathrow Express train. The traffic was heavy even at that time so the cab ride took as long as the train ride! On international travel days you expect to sit around waiting so we were prepared for a "relaxing" day.

Goodbye Picadilly, farewell Leicester Square - until the next trip.

This was our first visit to Heathrow's Terminal 5 and, following a smooth check-in with British Airways, we proceeded to go through the Security area straight away. The only hiccup was that Noelle, without thinking, had packed her tubes of water colour paints in her carry-on bag, so her little case went down another conveyor for further checking. She had to pull everything out while the security man checked for the suspicious item/s. Luckily, they were all small tubes under 100ml so none were confiscated.

BA started boarding on time and we were all set for an on-time departure when we were informed that there was a problem with the baggage hold. Two hours later we finally took off, and therefore arrived 2 hours late! It was 1am London time but only 8pm NY time when we touched down, but having been fed quite well on the flight we decided that we would have an early night once we got to our hotel. This was early for NY but it was about 3:30am London time when we got to bed!

At least we had a lovely room and a very inviting bed.

The Michelangelo Hotel, cnr West 51st and 7th Ave - fantastic location!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy