Washington DC

The train ride from New York to Washington DC was not amongst the most scenic we've even been on but it was interesting nonetheless. Endless industrial wasteland through New Jersey with abandoned factories and swampland. Baltimore appeared to have entire neighbourhoods that were abandoned. Streets and streets of houses all boarded up and falling apart. We later read that these parts of Baltimore are some of the most dangerous areas in the country and have basically been abandoned by the police and the gangs have taken over.

As we got closer it started to snow so we knew we were in for a cold day. It was snowing fairly heavily by the time we got there. To keep the snow out we had the choice of an umbrella or a poncho. I wisely went with the umbrella while Kate thought the blue poncho was the way to go....

It's winter again!

There was a protest going on at the supreme court just down the road between pro-choice people and right-wingers arguing that birth control shouldn't be subsidized by Obama-care.

Protest outside the supreme court

Across the road was the Capitol Building where there were more security people than tourists due to the grim weather. Kate was pretty easy to spot in the white-out.

Looking fashionable outside the Capital Building

We next went to National Air and Space Museum. I really wanted to see it and by that stage Kate would have agreed to anything as long as it was inside. There we lots of planes, missiles, spacecraft and things on display. Lots of fathers excitedly explaining technical details of engines to their bored families.

Air and space museum

I dragged Kate back out into the gloom and we headed along the Mall to the Washington Monument. What would a Kate and Joe trip be without a bit of scaffolding? Apparently it sustained damage in an earthquake a while back. The adjacent reflection pool had been heartlessly drained so there was no reflecting to be done.

Washington Monument

One good thing about the weather was that the place was deserted and it was very pretty with the snow on the ground.

At the other end of the non-reflection pond is the Lincoln Memorial which we have seen in numerous tv shows and movies. For some reason a father was forcing his two boys to take their jackets off and make wrestling poses in front of the statue in singlets while he took photos. One of them was bawling but his dad didn't seem to care and continued with the photos.

Lincoln Memorial

We then walked back through the park past the lakes toward the White House. Kate was delirious from the cold by this stage so insisted on going out to an island for a photo and then wiggle dancing around me in circles at traffic lights with her blue poncho on.

Where's Wally

There were only about 4 people outside the White House and Obama was probably in front of a fire having a cuppa.

Snowy White House - Obama not pictured

Sightseeing over we hurried back to the relative warmth of the train station for a taco whose shell was made of Doritos which was as awesome as it sounds.

- Joe