Capitol, Capitol

For Memorial Day weekend, Drew and I went to Washington DC with some friends, one of Drew's fellow intern-ites. It was another couple, Jordan and Candace, and we had so much fun. Candace had bought a "What to do in Washington DC book" so we were all set. We got up and left super early on Saturday morning. Traveling at any extreme part of the day can be scary in New York. Scary people are out really early and really late.

So anyway, we saw tons of stuff. And here is a list:

White House
Washington Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
WWII Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Reflection Pool
Holocaust Museum
Botanical Gardens
Smithsonian--American Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of Natural History
Capitol Building
The Nationals' baseball park



The White House, Drew and I at the Washington Monument, Us with the ORIGINAL Wright Brothers plane thingy.

Drew and I at the Nationals' Park, Me at the Vietnam Memorial, the Hope Diamond


We hit the ground running on Saturday and saw all the memorials because they are bunched together. It was really hot there in DC but it was such a difference to New York that it was actually kind of nice. We walked everywhere but luckily we got a hotel that was right by everything we wanted to see.

So Saturday was the memorials and then we decided to go to a Nationals game because we didn't really have anything to do at night. Then Sunday we went to church with one of Candace's friends. The church building was actually in Maryland, which I thought was pretty cool. We took the subway to get there. After sacrament meeting, we went and took a little nap and then we went to the National Mall, which isn't really a mall at all (I was only slightly disappointed). It's like a mall of museums. All the Smithsonian museums are on that strip of land so we saw those museums and then later that night we went and saw all the building lit up at night. That was really, really pretty.

Monday was our last day and we took a tour of the Capitol building and then went to the Holocaust museum where you go through as a person who actually went through the Holocaust. They give you an identification card and you go through as that person, seeing the Holocaust through their eyes. It was really intense and emotional but so worth it.

I think the thing Drew and I liked best about it was that almost everything was free. All the museums and tours were free. NOTHING is free in New York. They even make you pay to breathe. DC is so drenched in American culture and it is so beautiful. It was really refreshing to go there and have a respite from the noisy, chaotic life in New York. That was our Memorial Day weekend!