Washington, DC Tour - Day 1

In our haste to get to the Buffalo Airport, we forgot to fill up the tank of the Kia Sorento. Instead of paying premium petrol price to Alamo, we opted to look for a gas station ourselves. Easier said than done. We had to drive miles and miles away from the airport before we find this worn-down gas station. I'm surprised it even accepts credit cards.

The security checks at the airports are very strict, as usual. This was the first time I've seen a GE EntryScan3 system in action. The machine looks like a portal with swinging doors. You walk into the machine, the door closes, then a few puffs of air are directed at you. The machine uses a spectrometer to analyze the air samples for minute traces of explosives. If none are found, the exit doors open, and the machines tells you to leave. The people who got the chance to go through the EntryScan3 (not me) seemed happy with the experience.

Got to Baltimore in an hour's flight. We could've taken a direct flight to New York, but the price difference is two to three times more expensive. From the Baltimore-Washington Airport, a free shuttle brought us to the BWI train station. From there, it's a 45-minute MARC train ride to the Washington Union Station. The place is very impressive - cavernous halls, high ceilings, nice mood lighting. There's also a multicultural food court in the lower ground - Japanese, Chinese, American, Greek, Italian, Mexican - you name it. Outside the Union Station is the Columbus Fountain with its semi-circular fountain and a central pylon with a draped Columbus and globe supported by four eagles. To get to our hotel (Day's Inn Pentagon), we had to take the Metro to the Pentagon station, then Bus 16. It only it's legal, I would've take a picture of the Pentagon. Unfortunately, there are big signs around warning that photography is prohibited.

Rested for a while at the hotel, then started our Washington, DC tour around 5pm. Apparently, bus tickets can be used within a certain time period. And I think Metro tickets can also be validated for use on the buses. Not sure how it works. Anyway, our first stop is the Pentagon City for a bit of outlet shopping at Marshalls. On second thought, better leave the shopping till we get to Las Vegas. Hopped on the Metro to Farragut West, which is closest to the White House. First landmark we passed by is the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building). Built between 1871 and 1888, it was originally housed the Departments of State, War, and Navy. Nowadays, it's being used to house various agencies that compose the Executive Office of the President, such as the Office of the Vice President, the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.

Further on, we pass by the 7-acre Lafayette Park on the left with the statue of Major General Andrew Jackson in the center of the park. On our right is the White House. Would you know, it looks exactly the same as in the movies. For the trivia-inclined, the official address of the White House is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Construction of the official home and workplace of the American president started on October 13, 1792. After eight years, at a reported cost of $232,371.83 ($2.4 million in 2005 dollars), the White House was still not yet completed. Still, John Adams took up residency in the building on November 1, 1800. Making a right at 15th Street, we pass by the Treasury Department Building. The US Department of Treasury was established in 1789 with the task of managing the government's revenue. It prints and mints paper currency and coins and postage stamps. It also collects taxes and monies paid to and due to the US. On the other side of the street is the Hotel Washington. The oldest continuously operating hotel in the District of Columbia, Hotel Washington has been around since 1917. Going around, we pass by the White House South Lawn. Personally, I prefer the rounded South Portico to the rectangular North Portico. From here, we can already see the Washington Monument. It's that white-colored obelisk at the west end of the National Mall. Continuing on, we see the First Division Monument at the back of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The tall column with the winged Victory on top was built to commemorate the members of the US Army's First Division who fought in World War I. In front of the monument is "the big red One" - a bed of red flowers spelling out a huge numeral one.

Turning left on 17th Avenue, we head for the National World War II Memorial. Along the way, we pass by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the American Red Cross Building, the DAR Memorial Continental Hall, and the Organization of American States Building - all very nice buildings to take pictures of. It was already nightfall by the time we got to the WWII Memorial, and it was such a wonderful sight. There's a huge elliptical pool with two fountains on either side and water jets at the edge of the pool. Encircling the pool are 56 five-meter tall concrete pillars inscribed with the names of the 48 states, plus District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. I guess these are to honor those who served in the US armed forces and those who supported the war effort. On opposite sites of the pool are two 13-meter arches inscribed with "Atlantic" and "Pacific". On the west side of the memorial, between the Reflection Pool behind it is the Freedom Wall with 4048 gold stars, each one representing 100 American lives lost in the war. We would've gone further to the Lincoln Memorial if not for the drizzle that has started to fall.

Beating a hasty retreat, we went back to the train station and went back to our hotel. Not wanting to sample the McDonald's across the road, we opted for Rincome Thai Restaurant right beside our hotel. My brother later told me the food is not that good, but when you're hungry, everything tastes ok.