The capital of the United States is Washington DC, or District of Colombia, or simply DC to the locals. It is a district, not a state, much like the ACT is the home of Australia’s capital but not a state.  The shenanigans that go on in DC make the evening news every night but that wasn’t going to deter us from seeing this fascinating city and learning more about how the US ticks.  And on top of all that we had plans to catch up with two different groups of friends who live in the neighbourhood.  How good is that?

We met Eric and Deborah completely by chance way back in 2017 when Follow the Sun was on it’s first continent.  We were camped next to them on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina and the four of us immediately hit it off.  We seemed to be like-minded on so many issues in politics, society and life so it was fabulous when they invited us to spend a weekend at their rural mountain retreat.  Great memories indeed.

Here we were in their backyard again six years later and we quickly agreed to catch up and spend some quality time together, this time in DC. They picked us up in the morning and after many hugs and greetings we headed to an Irish pub in DC for Guinness, lunch and a good catch up.  But the plot thickens because Deborah and Eric have very good friends Larry and Michelle who live in DC and they had invited all of us over for dinner and a place to spend the night.

And so it was that we had an absolutely wonderful night at Larry and Michelle’s warm inviting home, served up with wine, lasagna, plenty of laughs and reminisces and maybe even a tequila or two.  A huge thanks to Larry and Michelle for their warm generosity and instant friendship.

The next day Eric, Deborah, Julie and I went to Arlington National Cemetery, America’s largest military cemetery.  The first burial was held in 1864 and today it covers 639 acres and is the final resting place for more than 400,000 soldiers and their qualifying dependents from all battles, including Confederate soldiers and thousands of freed African Americans from the Civil War.

We walked through this beautiful peaceful park lined with thousands of white tombstones in neat rows, collectively conveying the horrors of war but also the respect and dignity of those who died.  We watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visited numerous other significant sites, including that of President John F. Kennedy who was assassinated in 1963.  It was a sombre but beautiful and peaceful morning, the whole visit an absolutely wonderful experience.

We said our heartfelt farewells to Eric and Deborah, better friends from our travels we could not have, and relocated ourselves in a new hotel further down the metro line in Virginia.  Crazy as it sounds because we rarely see anyone we know while travelling, that night we caught up with George and Jane, two good friends from our days living in Bangkok who had relocated – at least temporarily – to the DC area.  Again we were treated to American homestyle hospitality and friendship, this time at their daughter Claire and husband Wes’ home.  Good friends like these are rare and we really appreciate their warm welcome into their family home.  Great fun all around.

A few of the homes we considered buying in DC…

The next day Julie and I struck out on our own to explore the capital of the democratic world, Washington DC.  Washington is a relatively small city but beautifully laid out to showcase not just the White House where the President lives and the Capital building where the business of government is attempted to run but also a bundle of memorials marking the wars and nation’s leaders that have all shaped this nation.  And on top of all that, the city also hosts one of the most famous museums in the world, the Smithsonian.

With our walking shoes working overtime we visited the White House – well, outside the security fence of the White House – and had that familiar great feeling from unique moments when we are at a special place that we had heard of or known of or seen on TV but have finally had an opportunity to visit in person.  Very cool.

From there we tackled the Mall, the long grassy strip that runs through the centre of the city and is lined with a series of memorials and museums that would make anyone’s head spin. 

Because it was a beautiful warm and sunny day we concentrated on walking between the memorials, the Washington Memorial, World War II, the very impressive Lincoln Memorial, the moving memorials to the Vietnam and Korean wars, the memorials to Martin Luther King and Franklin Delano Roosevelt and finally the memorial to Thomas Jefferson. 

Each one of these memorials were unique, beautiful and a wonderful celebration of either a famous individual or a tribute to those who lost their lives in wars where America played a major part.  And taking the time to read about each memorial and the people they represented was a great way to appreciate further these milestone moments in American history. 

We finished the day outside the Capital building, partly shrouded in scaffolding but still tall and strong despite everything it has been through lately.  Long may it hold it’s spot as the global capital of democracy.

The next day was cold and rainy, in other words, a perfect day for museums.  And it just so happened we were in the museum capital of the universe.  We put together a plan for the next two days to maximise our time and then headed to our first choice – the Museum of American Indians.  This museum was outstanding at telling the troubled story of the American Indian as they faced the Europeans spreading across their homeland.  Julie and I found it fascinating to consider the parallels between this story and what happened in Australia.

Having unexpectedly used up most of our day in one museum we decided to split up to maximise our time.  Julie visited the Hirschhorn Museum of Modern Art while I went up to the Library of Congress – the largest library in the world – and the hallowed steps leading up to the Supreme Court, America’s final stop in defining the laws of the land.   We caught the train home as the light faded, exhausted but smiling after a great day in DC.

Our last day in the nation’s capital had an element of pre-planning to it and a fantastic spontaneous bonus.  Some museums require you to book a free timed entry ticket to help control the crowds.  On another exception to our ‘stay together’ rule, I booked such a ticket for the popular Air and Space Museum while Julie headed off to the not-as-popular National Gallery of Art. 

We each indulged our interests and then teamed up again to do the American History Museum in the afternoon, although by the end of it we were dragging.  These museums are all magnificent but they are also absolutely monstrous and you need serious fortitude to do them any justice.  Luckily, we’re made of fortitude.

We were walking back to the metro station in the late afternoon past the White House, as you do, when some suits were handing out free tickets to the White House Autumn Garden Tour which was happening right then.  Screech the brakes, take a hard left turn and after going through security we found ourselves in the middle of an intimate garden party on the South Lawn of the White House with a few thousand other people. 

The sun was shining, the Marine Band was playing, the garden and lawns were spectacular and we absolutely couldn’t believe our luck to be so close to the White House in such a historic place on a pure lucky break when we were innocently walking by.  Seriously amazing and an absolute highlight not just of our visit to DC but to our entire trip.

Our time in DC ended with a dinner out with our friends Jane and George, many reminisces and stories told between us, a great night with great friends.  DC, you are awesome, way past our expectations, an absolute gem of a place to visit.