What a great venue! The Theater is fabulous,  great acoustics,  open and airy, like the lobby.  There’s not a bad seat in the house.  Cher, as expected,  was amazing.  The show was not simply a concert it was a production ….   music,  dancing,  film clips,  storytelling,  elaborate costumes ….  The List Goes On! The List Goes On!

    If the facility MGM is building in Springfield, MA has the same charisma,  it is going to far outshine both the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.

    Day 2. Touring Washington D.C.  It’s August and It’s HOT!   HOT and HUMID!    We are using Uber a LOT!   Getting around D.C. is crazy! Lots of circles,  triangles, plazas and very narrow streets.  Parking is expensive and sparse.

    Our first stop was The African American Museum.   Passes are required for this exhibit.  It’s like hitting a jackpot if you are able to get them on line.  We did not have any and were just hoping to get lucky at the “day of”  pass line.  The line wasn’t too long  but,  the wait was over two hours for a “maybe” chance of getting them.   It is in a great location for an up close and personal look at the Washington Monument (closed to visitors since damage from the 2011 earthquake).

Next stop … National Museum of American History

    Note for those that don’t know:  Entry to all the National Museums and buildings are free. Some do require passes or pre-arranged scheduled times.

    Seeing Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, The Fonz’s leather jacket and Louis Armstrong’s Trumpet were all on my list of “must see’s”.   Dorothy’s Slippers were being “refurbished”,  the Fonz’s Jacket was not being displayed at this time (according to a tour guide only 5% of Smithsonian artifacts available are on display at any one time) and Louis Trumpet had been moved to the The African American Museum.  Hearing this you may think I was disappointed.  Not in the least,  just another reason to return.   A few of the exhibits that I did like a lot were:  Julia Childs Kitchen,  The original Star Spangled Banner  and my favorite  The First Ladies Gallery.   No Photos,  I went into total tourist mode and zoned in on all there was to see.  I will also apologize for the quality of my photos.  I opted not to take my “fancy” camera.  Photos are allowed in most buildings,  but some will not allow cameras with lenses over 3 inches.  All my photos were taken with my phone.   Security is VERY,  VERY strict.  To avoid any hassle’s  I didn’t  carry anymore than I could fit in the pockets of my cargo pants.  I had bought lightweight,  zip off cargo pants specifically for this trip and they worked out great.

On to The National Archives

    I compare this experience to that of seeing the Glaciers at Glacier National Park before they disappear.   It was thrilling to admire The Declaration of Independence,  Constitution and  Bill of Rights in all the script from the hands of such remarkable historians.  No photos allowed and the lights in the room are very dim, trying to prevent fading.

     Spider by Louis Bourgeois located in the National Sculpture Garden was on my list of “must see’s” and I saw!  Very Sci-Fi photo don’t you think?

     Through the Sculpture Garden to the  Hirshhorn National Museum of Modern Art …  Not my favorite Museum,  a little too funky for me, but interesting.

     Note to those visiting with children: There is a lot of very provocative art inside of the Museum.  There are signs directing bypasses,  but my advise would be to enjoy the gardens and outside sculptures, bypass the inside.

Fords Theater site of President Abraham Lincolns assassination.  This is a Historic Site not a National, tours are available.  Tickets are $3 per person and tours are scheduled on the half hour.  Last one being at 4:30 p.m.  

 

Day 3.    Hop On, Hop Off …  We’ve chosen the  Old Town Trolley Tour,  because it is the only tour that advertises that it’s “the only tour that takes you into Arlington National Cemetery” (on my list of must see’s).

We Hop On across from Union Station but,  DON’T get off,  except to transfer twice to get to  Arlington National Cemetery.   I like to do this because,  you get to hear an uninterrupted narration,  get overviews of ALL the tour  highlights and it’s more time efficient.    Washington D.C. has SO MUCH to offer.  We were only there for 3 full days.  The $46 per person for this tour was well worth it.  Our Tour Guide was also awesome!  His narration went far beyond just history and facts.   A Great example … As we passed the Old Post Office,  now The Trump Hotel,  our Trolley Tour Guide mentioned going to the top of the Clock Tower for fabulous views of the city.   There is no fee or pass required.   There is a challenge,  finding the entrance.   The clue is find the Starbucks entrance outside the hotel and follow the hallway to the right.  There are guards at several stations  along the way that will direct you to the elevators.  A first elevator takes you up to the 9th floor and a second takes you up to the 11th floor,  where the views are spectacular.   This one tip was well worth the admission price for the Trolley Tour.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Another great tip from our Trolley tour guide was to visit the Smithsonian Castle Visitors Center. 

This is a great place to start, especially if you hadn’t done much research.  There are mini exhibits from all the Smithsonian’s that give you a little peek at what they offer.

Touring The Capital … Our tour starts with a “government refresher course” via a 20 minute film.  Kind of like being back in school and watching the movie instead of reading a book for a book report.   As we entered the Rotunda every mural,  every statue,  every pillar seemed to come alive and breathe dignity and honor.  It’s easy to say that you’re proud to be an American.  Here I actually felt it.

Each State sends two Statues to display and represent their State in the Capital.  Connecticut chose Jonathan Trumbull Sr., CT’s first governor and Roger Sherman a founding father of the U.S.

Asia meets America at the Freer/Sackler Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art

Doing a little research before starting a new adventure can pay off.  My brother-in-law had found a “Groupon” offering a two hour sunset cruise on The Potomac River aboard the Boomerang Two for $16 per person.  Boarding was at the Washington Harbor in the Georgetown section of D.C.  We allowed for time before boarding to stroll along the riverside and enjoy some of the sights.

Day 4

The American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery (housed in the same building) have two new acquisitions that have been causing quite an interest.   We found lines and crowds in both The America’s Presidents and 20th – Century Americans exhibits waiting to take photos and view Barack and Michelle Obama’s Portraits. 

But my favorite exhibit was Katherine Hepburn’s. Those are her four Oscars in the foreground.

Second favorite

The National Museum of Natural History  is one fascination after another …  Gems,  fossils,  mummies, bugs,  moon rocks  and of course a must see The Hope Diamond!

Our White House visit was thrilling!!!   Remember in the movie Dirty Dancing where Jake asks Lisa what song she is planning on singing in the talent show and she says ” I feel pretty”?   Well, the whole time I was in The White House,  I felt special.   The elegance of each room toured sparkled with character.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Visiting D.C. in the summer heat was challenging.  The three of us enjoy walking when possible.  Most of the The Memorials are within a reasonable walking distance from one to another (4-5 miles).   We decided to do the walk starting in early evening  (7:30 p.m.) at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Our walk along the Tidal Basin was filled with beautiful views of the Jefferson Memorial,  an empowering presence.

The Washington Monument can be viewed for miles in every direction.   Every time I  saw it, it was as if,  it were my first.  In it’s simplicity it is so majestic.

Day 5      Back to Union Station … heading home … We are leaving content that we have seen and done as much as we possibly could in just 3 full days.   We arrived at Union Station two hours before our train is scheduled to leave.   As we were walking in I noticed The National Postal Museum right next door to Union Station on Massachusetts’s Ave.  We still had time to squeak one more Museum into our already jam packed visit.   We were glad we did.   Take an everyday piece of your life (mail) enhance by it’s uniqueness (stamps and delivery) put in a historical timeline and you have a very interesting and easy to associate with Museum.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

There are interactive activities.  There’s a stamp sorting table where you can pick 6 stamps to take home.  There is a computer where you can search for stamps sold through the ages … Marilyn Monroe had a stamp … Jimi Hendrix did not.   What a nice touch to end a very enjoyable adventure.

Thank You Dave and Tom!  I loved every minute of it,  except for having to stand by the  lamp post at The White House.