Across the Country

So I thought I might do everyone a favor and find a way to do just one East-Coast post instead of my normal week-long play-by-play. But I decided against it. It's too much pressure to find my favorite pictures and be in the mood to write about two entirely different and fabulous cities. I'm compromising ... and my goal is two posts: one for DC, one for NYC. Here, of course, is DC... beginning with one of my favorite visual memories of the trip, the Washington Monument. Such a simple structure I thought, but really pretty magnificent in person. It feels like you can see it from anywhere in the city, memorializing a man who led the country to independence, and then became its first President.

This guy with the dreads hollered emphatically in front of the Capitol, sharing his political views with his intent audience of one... or maybe that guy was just taking a picture of the Capitol. Freedom of Speech at it's best. :)

Thursday we did a tour of the Capitol and visited the museum of Natural History enjoying all of the sights up and down "the mall" as we walked. Here we are inside the Capitol. Just like the rest of the city, the Capitol was full of symbols, traditions, and reminders. I had no idea that it was painted so beautifully inside and adorned like a European cathedral.

Sarah outside the Capitol. Don't ask me how she walked around all day in those heels. I lost feeling from the knee down at about noon every day and I was wearing flats... and we didn't really leave the house until 11. Hmmm.... perhaps I'll blame the pregnancy...

In front of the Smithsonian. (Right Sarah?)

“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” My picture cut it off, but those are the words above his head. As an enduring symbol of Freedom, the Lincoln monument may have been the most inspiring.

A quote about the women during WWII at the WWII monument that hides gracefully between the Washington and Lincoln Memorials.

Sarah had worked so hard to schedule us a tour of the White House on Friday, my second and last day there. And as we waited for our guide to show, we watched a fire truck enter the grounds, a helicopter land on the lawn, an Emergency Response truck following a police car down the street... and we started to get nervous. After waiting for an hour, and watching Sarah sprint back to the car in wedges to feed the meter, we were informed that our tour was cancelled. Bummm-- er. So we just stole a few pictures through the gate and tried to convince ourselves that the retrieval and destruction of the explosive... or whatever crisis was transpiring, must be more important than our tour of the East Wing. Sigh.

That night we had just enough time for a little shopping in Georgetown (SO cute) before meeting some of Sarah's sweet friends for dinner at a yummy Italian place. It was so nice to see that my lovely Sarah had a life FULL of good friends to take care of her across the country.

A little before 11 that night, we got in the car to head to NYC. Yup. Arrived in Harlem at 3:15 in the morning trying desperately to look un-terrified as Sarah nonchalantly texts Rebecca from the street. But to my credit, really Sarah, could we be any more vulnerable, you with your phone out and your night-time squinty eyes, me, all fat with baby wearing a make-shift backpack out of my duffel with no long strap. One swift move and I'd be lying on the street with no chance of getting up to help you. Let's just count our blessings. :) Rebecca, does my fear of your neighborhood offend you? It's only a result of years of media-produced stereotypes... nothing personal.

The rest of NYC to come... along with lots of photos...