Note: I've traveled to a lot of places post college, but never have had the time to write my thoughts about them. Now I have the time to do so. If you enjoy these travel logs, feel free to click this link to check out the others.
I've been to our nation's capitol twice in my life. The first time was right after I graduated from college, visiting a friend who was doing an internship there. The second time was five years later, after seeking refuge from a Hurricane Sandy plagued New York City (which I will get to in the future). For the first part in this travel log, I'll focus on my first visit and the send log will focus on how the same experience felt different thanks to video games of all things.
The first time I went to DC, I was a bit overwhelmed. I had seen pictures of the National Mall, but I never knew how massive it was. It took a good twenty minutes to walk from the museums to the Lincoln Memorial. The architecture of the mall was beautiful as expected. The clean white buildings were so crisp that it made you wonder how some of theses buildings had been standing for well over 100 years in such pristine condition.
The thing I loved most about DC was the history. I'm a big history buff when it comes to US history, and while the mall is probably viewed as a tourist trap among locals, I certainly enjoyed it. My favorite museum there has and still is the National Portrait Gallery. There's a designated wing where you can go through the presidents chronologically. It's pretty interesting, especially the Lincoln area where you can see artifacts from his term.
Other parts museums of the National Mall were so so. The Air and Space Museum seems a bit outdated. At the time of their creations, space travel was a big deal, but it's kind of loss it's relevancy. And the other museums seem a little out of place in the Mall. It's not because they aren't rich or lack interesting exhibits, it's just that the Mall screams history and patriotism. You have all these famous monuments and buildings (the Capitol Building, the White House, the Washington Monument) and in the middle of them are some science and art museums.
We also stopped by the IRS. I remember in the Simpsons when they visited DC and Homer booed the IRS. I did the same thing.
I wasn't much of a food guy right after college, so my friend took me to all the local east coast things that I couldn't find in California, stuff like Pot Belly Sandwiches and some local bars. I also had pizza in rainy weather which was nice. This was my first big trip on my own away from California, so the small observations highlighted the differences in this part of the country. The houses had brick in them, and really felt as if they were made back in colonial times. Not sure if they actually were though.
It was just different compared to back at home, which I guess really highlighted my ignorance at the time. Though I'm sure 10 years from now, I'll look back on these blog entries and think the same thing about my 2015 self.
I've been to our nation's capitol twice in my life. The first time was right after I graduated from college, visiting a friend who was doing an internship there. The second time was five years later, after seeking refuge from a Hurricane Sandy plagued New York City (which I will get to in the future). For the first part in this travel log, I'll focus on my first visit and the send log will focus on how the same experience felt different thanks to video games of all things.
The first time I went to DC, I was a bit overwhelmed. I had seen pictures of the National Mall, but I never knew how massive it was. It took a good twenty minutes to walk from the museums to the Lincoln Memorial. The architecture of the mall was beautiful as expected. The clean white buildings were so crisp that it made you wonder how some of theses buildings had been standing for well over 100 years in such pristine condition.
The thing I loved most about DC was the history. I'm a big history buff when it comes to US history, and while the mall is probably viewed as a tourist trap among locals, I certainly enjoyed it. My favorite museum there has and still is the National Portrait Gallery. There's a designated wing where you can go through the presidents chronologically. It's pretty interesting, especially the Lincoln area where you can see artifacts from his term.
Other parts museums of the National Mall were so so. The Air and Space Museum seems a bit outdated. At the time of their creations, space travel was a big deal, but it's kind of loss it's relevancy. And the other museums seem a little out of place in the Mall. It's not because they aren't rich or lack interesting exhibits, it's just that the Mall screams history and patriotism. You have all these famous monuments and buildings (the Capitol Building, the White House, the Washington Monument) and in the middle of them are some science and art museums.
We also stopped by the IRS. I remember in the Simpsons when they visited DC and Homer booed the IRS. I did the same thing.
I wasn't much of a food guy right after college, so my friend took me to all the local east coast things that I couldn't find in California, stuff like Pot Belly Sandwiches and some local bars. I also had pizza in rainy weather which was nice. This was my first big trip on my own away from California, so the small observations highlighted the differences in this part of the country. The houses had brick in them, and really felt as if they were made back in colonial times. Not sure if they actually were though.
It was just different compared to back at home, which I guess really highlighted my ignorance at the time. Though I'm sure 10 years from now, I'll look back on these blog entries and think the same thing about my 2015 self.
