New York City

August 17 - 24

Friday - Amtrak to NYC!  and Yankee Game
3 hour train ride from Washington DC, Union station to Penn Station in New York City.

  Sat., Sun., Mon. - USAB Regional Camp
We make the most of the evenings after work!  

Saturday - theater - Smokey Joe's Cafe 

 Monday - dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants (La Masserali) and using our CityPass to go to the top of Rockefeller Center.

View from Top of the Rock

Rockefeller Center plaza

We were at the top.

Monday - Sunset evening sail 

Tuesday - Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Theater - Pretty Woman, the musical

Wednesday - Happy birthday to Don.
We went to the 9/11 Memorial museum, lunch/dinner at Peter Luger's and walked the High Line

Thursday - Empire State Building, Bleeker St. pizza, and theater

Washington DC

August 8 - 17
A week in Washington DC for vacation and work.  It's a great combination!  We are staying at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center just a few block from the National Mall area and from a metro line. 

Day 1 - The National Mall area

The Washington Monument

World War II Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

We decided to rent bikes and continue our sightseeing.  What a great decision to cover more ground.  We headed around the Tidal Basin to take in the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and then to Jefferson's memorial.  We biked back to the Lincoln memorial and crossed the Memorial bridge intending to bike through the Arlington Cemetery.  Bikes weren't allowed beyond security there so we decided to walk the cemetery another day when we weren't so tired. 

Our bikes!

Martin Luther King Jr memorial

At the F. D. R. memorial

Jefferson memorial

Korean War Veterans memorial

Biking through the National Mall - reflecting pool and Washington monument

In front of Lincoln memorial

Vietnam War memorial

After a great meal at Matchbox we walked by the White House and through the National Mall.

The White House

Washington Monument

Day 2 - The Capitol and The Library of Congress
Three stops on the Metro and a few block of walking brought us to the Capitol.  We had to get timed tickets months in advance in order to tour the Capitol.  Our appointment was for 9:30.  
 

Our first sighting of the Capitol as we walked to the visitor's center

Getting our timed tickets at the visitor's center.

The rotund

Historical art work in the rotunda

And lots of statues

The National Statuary Hall - originally the House of Rep. chamber

Iowa's statue of Norman Borlaug

Back in the visitor's center the Emancipation Hall, the largest chamber. 

Statue of Freedom model (she's on top of the dome of the capitol)

From the Capitol we took the tunnel to the Library of Congress, the world's largest library.  The main building is an Italian Renaisance-style Thomas Jefferson Building.  It looks more like a palace than a library. 

Gorgeous mural at the top of the stairs

Looking down into the reading room

View of the Capitol from the Library of Congress

Don viewing some of the books

Beautiful domed ceiling in the Library of Congress

Beautiful building!

Front entrance to the Library of Congress

Capitol Reflecting Pool

We rented bikes again to get ourselves back to the hotel.  Love those bikes!!  Don took off to help set up for the DC Academy and I enjoyed a nap and quiet evening!

Day 3 & 4 - USAB Washington DC Coaching Academy
Saturday Don was working so I walked to Ollie's Trolley for lunch and then on to the National Mall.  I decided to spend the afternoon at some of the Smithsonian Museums.  

On my walk!

First stop - The Castle, Smithsonian Information Center
An 1855 Medieval-style building with eight towers and red sandstone facade is easily recognized on the National Mall grounds.
The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum complex.  It was established in 1846 with funds bequeathed to the United Stated by James Smithson, an English scientist.  Eleven museums and galleries are located on the National Mall and siz other museums and the zoo are nearby.  Admission: FREE since it is a national treasure.

Second stop - National Museum of Natural History.

The Hope Diamond

Monday - Smithsonian Museums
The Castle, The Space Museum, The Natural History Museum, African-American History and Culture Museum

Walking through the Sculpture Garden

We spent hours in the newest Smithsonian - The African American History and Culture.  We needed advance timed tickets.  

We took an Uber to Mike and Stacy Jones house for a meal and fresh crabs!  What a wonderful evening of food and fellowship.

Tuesday - Ford Theater, Georgetown lunch and an evening at the Kennedy Center to see Color Purple

Lunch in Georgetown!

Evening at Kennedy Center - Color Purple

Wednesday- White House tour and the Arlington Museum

Arlington Cemetery

An Evening of biking around the National Mall from the Capitol building to the Lincoln Memorial.

Thursday - Holocaust Museum & dinner at Prime Rib with Mike and Styce.

Friday - Amtrak to NYC!  
3 hour train ride from Washington DC, Union station to Penn Station in New York City.