I don’t really remember much about how and why we ended up planning this. All we knew is, we have to be in DC for the Fourth of July celebrations. So we set off, all packed in a car driving down to the capital. With a hotel room booked somewhere near Arlington, the subway was going to be the savior.
I passed through 4 different states to reach DC. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and finally the District of Columbia. Believe it or not, it wasn’t until I came to the US that I realized that unlike New York, New York, Washington DC was not in the state of Washington. Funnily I ended up visiting the latter state just a couple of months ago. Another blog post for that should be coming up soon.
Coming back to DC. With just 2 nights and 3 days to spare in the capital, we had to chalk out a quick plan of what to do and what not. But as with all travel plans, if you really want to enjoy the journey, just mark out some must-dos, and rest leave it to the flow. We did just that.
Leaving early in the morning gave us a good 4 to 5 hours before nightfall on the first day. We decided to take the train from Arlington to the farthest point near the national mall in the East and came up around the Library of Congress. Without realizing where we were, we blindly followed Google Maps towards the US Capitol. July 2nd, and we were in luck to witness a concert going on at the grounds, walk around amidst renovations and actually feel the heat. Trust me, we sweat buckets. None of my pics came off that well, and I am forced not to show any here. Once at the US capitol, we quickly decided to walk the entire stretch of National Monument right up to Lincoln Memorial, stopping by White House and Washington Monument on the way. I still remember, we made a record of 9.5 miles of walking in under 3 hours while sight-seeing, and we could literally still want more. The heat left us just demanding drinks rather than food. In spite of the draining weather, capturing the US Capitol glistening in the background of National Monument while standing on the steps of Lincoln Memorial is a snapshot stored in my head forever.
Come Fourth of July, we could barely move ourselves. Our body was screaming from fatigue of the previous day. But I wanted to see the constitution, parade, Smithsonian and fireworks before leaving the next day. That got me motivated and moving. Stopping by each place and taking in the beginnings of this country, the history, the vast “melting pot” of a culture as so many kinds of people with their roots in different parts of the world called it their home, it was interesting how I was forced to reflect on my own roots. Imagine how my parents have never been to the US and yet here I am, leaving behind my footprints. Probably my future generations can retrace those paths, or perhaps not. A traveling exhibit in Smithsonian, titled ‘Beyond Bollywood‘ further added to this reflection as it traced the history of Indians in the United States and brought forth so many different aspects of which even I was unaware of.
By evening, we headed towards the National Monument, taking in the crowd of heads all around. I don’t remember how we got to the bottom of the Monument, but we managed to not just do that but also find a dry patch of brick path to sit on while people camped on chairs and rugs on grounds wet from the rain earlier in the day. We sat there waiting for the fireworks to start and observing people again and silently wishing we had brought some food along to nibble on. However, once the firework started, all was forgotten. 30 minutes past sunset and the 15 minutes long jaw-dropping firework had us amazed. An experience which our phones failed to capture as they died from overuse throughout the day, but our eyes managed to capture for the rest of our lives.
The next day right before leaving we made a quick stop at Aerospace Museum, where I learned for the first time how a spaceship actually works. And slowly, I am more than determined how important DC is for kids. There is just so much to learn from these museums alone. I love museums! I don’t like museums which just lecture, but museums which interact, which teach, which make you want to learn. The DC museums just managed to have those elements in the right proportions.
The crowd during this weekend is truly unimaginable, and yet given a chance I would probably just go back again. The possibility of being able to walk around with little or no cars disturbing the trance is quite attractive. Just this time round I might just chose to sit a while longer at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture with the free Coke bottle in one hand and a shawarma wrap in the other, taking in the people and activities, and the occasional music played by the occasional stranger. Or perhaps take a chair along and sit along with everyone else under the National Monument, sipping on a cool drink and waiting for the fireworks to begin. Perhaps rent a bike and take a leisurely stroll all around the national mall and stop at various places for lazy food break before heading over for the fireworks and other doables.
One year from then, the memories are not as fresh about the details of the experience. What remains however is the feeling of excitement and exhilaration of being in the capital and joining the rest of the country in celebrating the big sweaty sultry warm July day amid fireworks and camaraderie. What remains is the promise to go back again and this time do it better than last time.
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