Adventures in DC - Day 5

Originally published as an email to friends just a couple of weeks before 9/11, we continue with Day 5 of my adventure in Washington, D. C.

Thursday, the skies were threatening; but, rain had been promised on Wednesday with no result, so I decided to leave my umbrella behind on my trips to the Washington National Cathedral and the National Zoo. Who wants to haul that old thing around unless it’s absolutely necessary? You can see this coming, can't you?

After a trip combining the Metro and the bus, I arrived at the Cathedral (so big, so beautiful, just like in Europe…possibly nicer, because it’s ours) just in time for noon service, which I enjoyed very much, having missed church on Sunday due to travel. 

So, it started raining. The temperature dropped 20 degrees (I was wearing my coolest summer dress and sandals, because I had been so hot the day before. I’m not a very smart traveler, I guess). The downturn in the weather didn't deter me from exploring the gardens and grounds, but I decided to bag the zoo. I figured the animals would be hiding anyway, what with the lightning and thunder and all. Normally, I enjoy a good thunderstorm. Somehow, though, it's just not the same when you're actually out in it, getting drenched to the bone, shivering from the cold, and hoping to not be struck by lightning.

There's a little church next to the National Cathedral, St. Alban's. It's a great place to enjoy a quiet moment out of the rain. As grand...majestic...soaring...as the National Cathedral is, St. Alban's is cozy and intimate and welcoming. I recommend a stop there, as well.

The bus ride to the Mall area was rather longer than I expected. It gave me a chance to get somewhat dryer and warmer, which I appreciated.

It seemed like just the perfect afternoon for the Air & Space Museum, which I had hoped to save for Harry. It’s the kind of thing he would have enjoyed, but he just had to work and work with no time off, the poor man. The Wright Brothers plane, the Kitty Hawk, rockets, spacecraft, early commercial passenger planes, lots and lots of cool stuff. 

As I still had a little time before closing, I dashed (okay, dashed was perhaps a slight exaggeration at this late stage of hoofing it for days on end) over to the Natural History Museum for another look at those gemstones… They aren't mesmerizing like the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, but only because of the difference in the display. There is a theme here, I think. We need to improve the way we display our treasures. Jewelry should not be displayed in rows like artifacts. Come to think of it, neither should artifacts.

Dinner that night was crab cakes (grilled) for me, thank you very much. Mmmm! Those are so good!

Next up:  Harry gets to join me for some fun!