Washington, DC - Part II

My next few experiences are spread out over the course of about five weeks. As I mentioned earlier, the DC Metro area had been hit with an earthquake and a hurricane in less than two weeks which kind of put a damper on my travel plans. Either way, these are all things I haven't done before- so I'm sharing them with you! This will be my last installment for Washington, DC and I am a little misty eyed about it- my first stop of 51 completed!

Recall that my best friend was coming to visit me from New Jersey. Traffic was so horrible coming into the area that we missed our tour of the Capitol Building, and my passes for the House and Senate are still sitting on my living room table unused. I would like to point out that the process of reserving a tour online for the Capitol was very easy, but trying to reschedule (so that someone else could take our spots, I'm considerate!) was a NIGHTMARE. Following the instructions simply got me a second confirmation email sent to me- not a cancellation notice or a prompt to change the date or time. After two tries I gave up and hoped someone would see my efforts on their end. I will probably go later at some point in my life, but for the purpose of this blog I will not be able to post about it.

THE WHITE HOUSE

I also wasn't aware there was so much hoopla to try and get White House passes (seriously, pick up to ten vague dates as far as six months in advance? I understand it's the POTUS, but that's a bit ridiculous. Especially since you aren't even GUARANTEED any of the dates you request!). I put in requests for two separate dates- one of which was to to be this Saturday, but a last minute White House event cancelled that and had me rescheduled for the day BEFORE my original date in the middle of the work day. Epic fail White House!

Despite all this, I still managed to get a tour. Keep in mind that cameras and purses/bags are absolutely not permitted, so (again) I only have some bad shots of the outside taken with my camera phone to show you. The good thing is that there are several souvenir guides on sale all over the city that show the interior rooms- which by the way are absolutely grandiose and beautiful (especially if you like antiques and old stuff). Not too sure how practical it would be to actually LIVE there, but it is rather nice to imagine the First Family walking around and doing normal stuff like we would.

The confirmation you receive (which you MUST bring with you) advises that you should arrive at least 15 minutes before your assigned time. This is 100% necessary, as there are THREE checkpoints where you will be required to show your ID before you can even enter. Everyone must be accounted for- even babies- a fact I learned while one family was referred to a supervisor because their 5 or 6 month old wasn't listed on their party. The tour is self led- meaning there is no official guide. You walk on a predetermined path past the most popular room on the East side of the building (not the Oval Office or West Wing) and pretty much just look at all the antiques racked up over the years by different Presidents and their families. All but one of the guards stationed in each room were pretty quiet- with the one exception being a guard who obviously loves his job and was having a great time telling stories about events that took place in his room (the largest room in the White House). It was much appreciated, and very entertaining. You get to walk through the hallway where the President made the announcement about Osama Bin Laden's death (which isn't as grandiose as it looked on television) and hen head out the doors to leave. The entire process takes between 30-45 minutes, depending on how into reading labels you are. The cool part for me was as I was asking a guard a question on my way out, I saw what looked like Charlie Sheen in my peripheral vision (which of course made no sense) to be told that was one of President Bush's brothers (hopefully he wasn't pulling my leg)!

Very cool experience if you are super patriotic or obsessed with the Presidency- but if you find yourself unable to go, Googled pics of the most popular rooms will give you the same experience.


(image from AOL Travel)

THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM

I have to admit, I'm very spoiled by living in the DC area. This is one of the many private museums in the city that you have to pay to enter (versus the Smithsonians and the National Gallery of Art that are free), so I had high expectations. $21 dollars (yes I'm counting my online transaction fee!) is pretty steep for someone who is looking at having to pay her first student loan bill in mere weeks, but I went ahead and decided to go. (By the way, cameras are not allowed in here so the only pic I have IS of my ticket. Everything else is from the Internet. Also, not very spy-like to put my entire government name on my ticket! I've blocked out my last name for my own privacy.)

First, you are herded into an elevator, where an employee tells you that you have 5 minutes to assume the identity of a generic profile that will be on the walls of the room your are let into. That was a bit nerve racking (I wasn't prepared for memory tests! lol) but I got my cover down. Then you are led into a theater to watch a brief movie about espionage that is kind of an intro to what you are about to see. This was pretty decent- except at some point either other tourists got too pushy or someone didn't man the doors properly, because a second group not only burst in for the middle of our film, they had the gall to walk in front of the screen as if the twenty or so other people in the room weren't watching a film!



One of the galleries (image from businessweek.com)

After that, you gain access to the galleries. I was very impressed with the amount of information in each room. There were games, hands on activities, and short videos that were appropriate for all ages. There was even an "air duct" that you could crawl through. I was also very impressed with the way the information was presented, how the topics and subjects themes blended almost effortlessly, and how BIG the museum itself actually is. Who knew there was THAT much space inside of what looks like a teeny tiny building? We spent two hours there, and even then had to rush through some areas because the museum was about to close! My favorite galleries were about the Civil War era lady-spies, and the Russian KGB.

Towards the end of our stay we were approached by a staff person asking if we were staying for the adults-only tour afterwards. He explained that for about $10 more, we would go on a specialized spy mission and afterwards get a free cocktail. We had no other plans, so we went, and had an even BETTER time than in the museum! (Special thanks to our tour guide Miguel who probably thought me and my BFF were absolutely certifiably goofy by the end of the tour lol) Making up code names, tapping into "video surveillance" and "phone conversations", breaking into a man's "house" to search his office, making a getaway, and deciding on if our spy organization had been compromised was waaaaaayyy more fun than anything I've ever done in a museum before (and I love museums!). I won't go into too many details because you truly should check it out for yourselves- hint hint fellas, it makes a GREAT date. My best friend and I were one of two non-couple duos there. Everyone else was obviously in some sort of relationship.

Cracking into a safe on the "adult only" after hours experience. (image from americanzoom.org)

I was 100% overjoyed with my experience, and feel it was worth every penny! But I do have two down sides to my trip here.

First, the wild out of control kids. I get it parents; you want your children to have fun, learn, etc. I don't even expect kids to be quiet or even walk calmly in places like this that encourage interaction. But the children that were in the museum that afternoon were totally insane. Yelling and squealing like they were in a playground. Climbing on displays (and not the ones you are allowed to climb on). Opening doors that said "Do Not Open" while parents stood by and said nothing. One little girl kept running (and I mean RUNNING) into me so frequently that the fourth time she did it I grabbed her arm and told her I would tell her mother on her if she did it again. Only then did her mom apologize to me even though she witnessed all the other instances! I don't mean to get preachy, but it's unfair to everyone around if your kids don't know how to act reasonably around other people. The main selling point for me that day to go on the adults only after hours tour was the fact that there wouldn't be kids around- and that's a shame.

Second, the bartender at the end of the after hours portion was absolutely terrible. I don't drink alcohol, so all I was going to get was a tonic water with lime juice. I had to wait nearly 15 minutes for him to make everyone else's drinks (there were only about 8 of us total in my group) because he was completely unaware of how to make drinks, and when he figured it out, he took his sweet time to make them. When I finally got to order my water, he gave me a spiel about how he was new (OK, cool I get it now) and how he hoped to make lots of tips from my group (um, what? I don't think you are supposed to cajole your customers into giving you tips!) I feel for the guy, but I was a little put off by that.

THE MLK MEMORIAL

I made the trek (and by trek I mean about a 25-30 minute walk from the Air and Space Museum because there are no buses or subway stops close to the actual monument) down to the memorial the day it was originally supposed to be dedicated after I got off work. In case you missed the news, Hurricane Irene ended up causing the festivities to be postponed "indefinitely", but also left hundreds of people that had traveled to DC left without any formal programming.

As you can see, the weather cleared up, and it seemed everyone came down to the site regardless of the fact that all formal activities were off. It was PACKED, and I was very nervous of an overeager camera phone photographer was going to bump someone (namely me!) too hard by mistake and we would go flying into the Tidal Basin because there were no rails or other boundaries keeping you from jump hopping into the black water. The monument is kind of hidden if you aren't determined to find it- the National Parks Service hasn't yet updated the outside signage, and to be honest, I simply followed the flow of Black people to ensure I was going the right way. (Hint, stick to Independence Avenue and keep walking until about halfway past the (currently under rennovation) Reflecting Pool- the walkway to MLK will be on the left hand side of the street). It was a bit tricky trying to cross a busy street with no traffic signals or formal walkways to get TO the memorial, but as a city slicker I was ok with that.

Cool experience since it was new, but I don't see myself making that long walk there (or back) anytime soon again.

THE NATIONAL AQUARIUM

I have to admit that I was very hesitant to go to this place. One, I was skeptical about going to a teeny tiny aquarium when I have had my heart set on getting to the uber big one in Baltimore, Maryland for years. Turns out they are sister aquariums. So, after walking from the White House and ending up near their facility (in the basement of another Federal Building) I dedcided to go ahead and experience it for myself.

Overall, I think this place was worth my $9.95. The few staff members I actually got to meet were very friendly and seemed proud of their jobs, and they hinted at membership twice- but not in a used car salesman way, which I thought was appropriate. This place looks like it is SCREAMING for financial assistance, but that's probably because everything was so old. This is America's first aquarium, and it's current physical location has been in place since the 1930s. Everything was neat and clean, if not a little too dark, and there was a much wider variety of animals than I was expecting. Many of the fish seemed used to being gawked at, and returned the favor. One fish in particular followed me along the case- as if making sure I didn't try anything funny, which was a total hoot. I appreciated that many cases had notes added to them about interesting things happening at that time within them (for example, the shark tank pointed out the two types of shark eggs that were inside. First, who knew sharks laid eggs?? And second, the fact that one varitey looked like brown silly string and the other was shaped like a corkscrew really shocked me...I mean, corkscrew shaped eggs? Wow!) At 2PM there are various animal feedings that you can observe- the day I went was for the pirahanas, but I was way too early to watch that (even though your reciept from admission allows you to enter and exit once during the day, so I could have come back). The most frustrating parts were that many of the animals were sleeping (like the sharks- I thought they had died until I saw their bodies breathing!) or were missing altogether (like the octopi). Also, the pictures and names above many of the tanks did not match what was actually in there, so many of the fish I have no clue what they were. The gift shop was packed with stuff (almost to the point to too mnay options) and they had a lot of cute options for any and everything even partially related to the sea and nature available (including Sponge Bob...which made me chuckle when I saw him there).

He wanted me to know who was boss!

The kids in the aquarium were very excited, and I think this would be a good warm-up place to bring kids that haven't been to a really big aquarium or zoo yet. I could also see this as a really cute date spot, or a place to cool down after navigating the busy DC tourist pedestrian traffic.

You can see the rest of my pictures on my Facebook page (and make sure you "like" it as well! Oh, and cut me some slack, I wasn't able to take my new camera with me so there are grainy Blackberry photos. AND kudos to those that take pictures of swimming fish...that was very frustrating getting their attention long enough to take a photo without them whizzing past my poor cell phone!) Finally make sure you give me your feedback on places I should go (or avoid!) and let me know how you are liking things thus far.

Thanks for reading! I hope to have more updates for you soon!

Something New and (Hopefully) Fun!!

I was thinking about how I am going around to all these new and different places as I continue along my journey, and about the positive reactions I've been getting when I tell people (both strangers and friends) about the entire concept. I realized that I am in a way giving mini reviews of the places I'm visiting, and that my experiences there could be helpful for others. However, unless they have eager web-hunters (like Ford's Theatre who tweeted me after I blogged about my experience there), most venues will never know that they were a part of this quest. To address this (and to indirectly promote this blog!) I ordered postcards that I will mail out to venues once I've visited them. It cost me less than $30 from Vistaprint to get 100, and postcards mail for 29 cents. I thought it was a fun way to get the word out and thank the people and organizations whose work has affected me, and potentially, other people as well.



If you get this in the mail, it means I was there!



Next, I thought about how I didn't want this to end up just a travel diary (although it certainly will function that way to some extent). I want to hear from YOU about where I should go and the fun experiences you've had. I realized quickly i just couldn't do it all, but for most cities/states, I don't even know where to begin! Google can only go but so far in this, so I'm a little lost as to how I can increase reader participation. I know it's still very early (I've only "been" to three of my 51 destinations, and of those three only completed one- and have to finish blogging about all of it!) Do you guys have suggestions for me? I was thinking about adding travel tips (especially on transportation- I am the goddess of public transportation!), recipes based on state foods, and other tidbits. I also started a YouTube page where I can add mini video clips of the things I learned and experienced in each place (though admittedly I haven't started filming anything, but I HAVE favorited two state-related videos I found entertaining), or maybe do a cooking demonstration on the previously mentioned state foods...I dunno, we'll see. Hopefully you all will come up with neat suggestions to help me out!

In the meantime, stay tuned my friends! I should have DC officially finished and blogged about within a week, and I will further my journey into Virginia this weekend as well. I leave for vacation on the 25th (a tradition my best friend and I started- taking a cruise each time one of us completes a degree. It started with her finishing Law School in 2008, and I finished my Master's in May) but unfortunately, it will largely be in the Caribbean. WE DO, however, leave and return from Puerto Rico, so depending on how the travel arrangements go, I may surprise you all with a US Territory bonus lol.

Thank you so much for reading and participating! I hope everyone is as into this as I am!

Pennsylvania - Part I (Pittsburgh)

Of course I had to start Pennsylvania in my hometown of Pittsburgh! It's amazing how even though I grew up in the city, there were so many things that I knew were iconic and still had never experienced. I took some time during my weekend home visiting for Labor Day to make a few tourist stops. I didn't get to go everywhere I wanted to (for instance I would LOVE to go to a Steelers game at Heinz Field (and have non-crappy seats) but not only were they not playing this weekend, I don't have non-crappy seat funds at this time lol) but I think I did an okay job otherwise.

Entrance lobby of the Andy Warhol Museum

THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM

First on my list was the Andy Warhol Museum. I rode past this place a million times going to and from high school, and I have a lot of respect for Mr. Warhol as an "ar-teest" and fellow Pittsburgher (I actually took art classes at the Carnegie Museum of Art in the same (but renamed)  program  that he did as a child) so I was excited to go and finally pay my due respects. (Photography was not allowed anywhere past the first floor, so I don't have many art images for you.)

Andy Warhol cookie!

Walking in, you get the impression that you are almost walking into an IKEA decorated shrine to Andy- and I mean that in a good way. It's clear that this place is all about him, as evidenced by the ginormous picture of him covering smaller pictures of him when you first walk in. The cost is usually $15 to get in (with discounts available for students, seniors, and a slew of other categories), but thanks to my job I got in for free. A girl with pinkish orange hair told me the best route was to go from the top level on the elevator and work my way down (which I did). Each level was dedicated to different aspects of his life and career- his movies, his books, his sculpture, his advertisements, etc. And there were exhibits by other contemporary artists that effortlessly blended into the style of Warhol while standing out on their own at the same time. A few of the videos weren't working (I'm pretty sure that while Warhol may have painted a few iWarhols had he lived to see the Age of Apple, the company's logo wasn't supposed to be mixed in with the short films), but that's really my only complaint. I thought it was cool that the "kids guide" was an informative coloring book that introduces basic concepts of pop art.The cutest thing were the Warhol cookies sold in the cafe (which was itself very chic with cow hair couches and steel tables for decor). Anyone from Pittsburgh will instantly see the loving  similarity between these and the traditional Eat-n-Park smiley face cookies.

The Mon Incline

The Duquesne Incline

THE INCLINES

Once littered across the steep hills of my beloved hometown, there are now only two operational inclines left: the Monongahela  and the Duquesne (muh-non-guh-hay-luh and doo-cane). I know- incredibly shameful that I'm from a place with such an interesting mode of transportation, and I've never rode either one of them. The Mon Incline is a beige color with three tiers of seats in the car, whereas the Duquesne Incline is bright red and is actually one large car with seating on all four walls of the car.

While not expensive to ride (about $3.00 each way on average) it is extremely annoying that not only is it an exact cash only system, but there are scant ATMs and places to get change near the inclines. The Mon was easy enough to find (thanks to a friend that rode them with me who drove to both of them) but the Duquesne Incline was hidden in plain sight as we rode past it twice while trying to find it. Also, maybe because it was a Sunday, but there was no interaction with us as "tourists" once we'd paid our fares. Although I already know the history of the inclines (because when I was a kid Pittsburgh History was a regular part of our education systems) it would have been nice to have someone there willing to talk about them face to face. I'm glad I got on, but I doubt I'll ever ride them again.

EATIN' GOOD: PAMELA'S AND THE ORIGINAL HOT DOG SHOP


I became curious about Pamela's after the Obamas ate there a few years ago and all of my friends began asking if the pancakes really were worth the POTUS flying in the cooks to make him some at the White House. Only thing was, I honestly never heard of this place UNTIL the Obamas ate there! My friends that went to Schenley High School said that they would always go there to eat, and that Pitt's basketball coach often treats his team there (and no wonder, the prices were so cheap I didn't believe them!). Upon the recommendation of my friend who drove us there at 7 in the morning on a Saturday, I got the "Lincoln" special, which included eggs, potatoes, and a breakfast meat of my choice along with the famous Pamela's pancakes (all for $6.25!) Everything was delicious, especially the pancakes. While a bit massive at first glance, they were a velvety, sweet delight with crunchy even sweeter edges. They aren't big and fluffy like I make in my house, but they were amazing nonetheless.

Pamela's pancakes

Next was Original's. I know, most of you see Primanti Brothers on all those TV specials, but I am not a fan of  that particular restaurant. I've eaten at Original's hundreds of times, but never EVER had the food that they are most famous for: hot dogs. Everytime I ever went, my friends and I always got cheese fries (which I think should be considered a local food specialty since you can get them almost anywhere), cheese steaks, or pizzas. And yes, we DO eat french fries on our sandwiches in Pittsburgh lol! Either way, I trekked out there on Labor Day in the pouring rain on the bus from my grandmother's house, and ordered a beef dog with everything on it (except ketchup because I couldn't be sure if it was Heinz or not- the ONLY brand I will eat!!) Of course I loved the cheese fries (I've been eating them my entire life), but the hot dog was ok too. Mind you, I'm not that big on hot dogs to begin with, but I liked that it was a hefty size and not puny like the ones you buy in 7-11 or the grocery store. The bun itself left much to be desired, but I don't expect then to have aritsan rolls in a joint with hand painted signs and a mascot of a hot dog with a cape on. Take it from me, it was good- and Original's has WAY better food than it gets credit for.

Original's hot dog and cheese fries- yes that's a fry order for one!

For more photos from my time in Pittsburgh, please visit my Facebook page (and "Like" it while you are at it!). Also, don't forget to follow me on Twitter. Make sure you subscribe to the blog to catch up with my adventures. I still have to finish Washington, DC, and will post soon about Virginia, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts.

What are your favorite spots in Pennsylvania? Let me know below, and I'll try and check them out when I finish up the state!