Sweet, Washington DC! One of my favorite cities.
In fact... I almost moved here back in 08/09 (before ending up in Orlando) in the 00's I made countless visits to the city, sometimes 2 or 3 times within the same year! Since I was only gonna have half a day to doing everything I wanted (a sort-of "best of" tour) I was up and out the door as early as my body let me. All I needed to do was see the Panda's (since I hadn't made it to Atlanta yet this year) and then I was gonna walk along the mall before heading to the airport and finally heading home, having been traveling nearly a month now at this point. (I figured I should show up at Disney so my coworkers still know I work there...)
Ah, up bright and early to set off on the final leg of my truly epic adventure.
<3 Metro Rides <3
From the station located within the hotel I was staying at!
Also, Dunks! (again) and this amazing Orange Juice Coolatta!
Hoping off the Metro at Woodley Park I made the short walk up the street to...
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park!
My former #1 zoo
(Bring back the Hippo's and we'll talk)
This year is their 125th anniversary
And coming soon is an all new Bison enclosure.
(Um... I'd rather they bring back the HIPPOS!)
Getting to the Zoo at just past 8AM was rather nice... I pretty much had the place to myself and the animals hadn't been harassed yet!
Indeed... or made Indeer?
Um... So last year I missed the Red Pandas because Rusty had ESCAPED, this year I missed them because... well...
baby red pandas coming soon?
BAMBOO TIME for the Giant Panda!!!
Also amazing TREE CLIMBING TIME!!!
(after my panda overload)
I found a sleepy sleepy Fishing Cat.
And made my way down to LEMUR ISLAND!
Where I saw these almost-baby ducks!
And all these turtles... but no Ring-tailed Lemur's were to be seen. :(
Luckily, the Red Ruffed Lemur was out and about inside the Small Mammal House.
And this little guy too!
Back outside I saw the Andean Bear doing its thing, you know.. being a bear.
Mr. Black-tailed prairie dog came over to see me as well.
Moooooo!?
Oh man, and they had theme amazing duck themed sculptures!
After leaving the zoo I made my way back down the hill to the Metro station to head to the National Mall.
Ooooh man, there was a Mellow Mushroom ad in the train station!
(I made my dad eat there with me last year)
((and I've eaten at at least 2 in Florida and 1 in Atlanta too!))
After coming out of Union Station (looking for flags/patches at the Flag Shop) I walked down toward the Capitol on my way to the Mall.
Where these ducks were going for a swim in one of the many fountains :D
Oh hey, and there's the US Capitol
But also another duck!
National Air and Space Museum, woo
The only Smithsonian building I stepped into this time around
(and mostly just to visit the gift shop, ha)
What what, SpaceShipOne!
Ha, this same film was playing at the IMAX theater in Copenhagen.
The US Air Force Orchestra was preforming in the 'America by Air' hall.
Outside in front of the Smithsonian Castle is The Smithsonian Carousel. Built in 1947 and placed on the mall since 1981
(and yes, I've ridden it)
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival was taking place on the mall as well during my visit.
Where are the lions?
Little China tent area, thing
Continuing my walk... I made it down to....
The Washington Monument.
Um, the tallest obelisk in the world!
Go back to Canada!
Mr. Lincoln was popular today... So I skipped climbing all those steps...
And since Lincoln was already a Photo of the Day, I did my 2014 photo with the Washington Monument.
(and got a bonus duck photo while at it!)
Getting ready to head back to the Metro I took a walk in Constitution Gardens, of all my visits I don't ever recall walking around here.
!!! there was a Pekin Duck there!
(quack quack!)
And I stopped over in Farragut Square to get some FroYo before heading to the airport.
(for real this time)
Where I also got a yummy pretzel and a frozen lemonade.
(since my flight was delayed and everything)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport... and my second-to-last flight... DCA-ATL
Deka was waiting for me in Atlanta to walk me to my Orlando flight! Woo woo
She had just gotten off work and hung out with me during my short layover.
((you get some pretty funny looks from other people while being escorted around an airport with a TSA officer, just sayin'))
Hmm... to get on... or not to get on.. Extending my trip one extra day couldn't hurt... could it? And I'd get to visit Six Flags Over Georgia..... But I was good, and got on the plane.
(they were asking for volunteers due to overbooking.)
Annddd..... Just after midnight...
I finally arrived back in Orlando....
Just in time for Jeff to pick me up and drive me home so I could sleep and attempt to go to work in 10 hours or so for the first time in +20 days..... (ahahaha)
Yup, so that's it...
From Orlando to Boston (and Agawam, Massachusetts and Salem, New Hampshire) to Keflavík and Reykjavík, Iceland to London, Alton, Chertsey, and Southend On Sea; England to Copenhagen, Denmark back to Boston to Washington DC (and Doswell and Williamsburg, Virginia) to Atlanta, and after all that... back to Orlando. 10 flights in the same trip (oh, and not to mention the few days prior to leaving Florida... hanging out with Yatpay and Suzs and going to the local parks!) Visiting 2 new countries, 3 new amusement parks, 3 new airport codes... Riding 19 new for me coasters and the tallest swing tower in the world as well! Oh and visiting the oldest amusement park in the world and riding the oldest roller coaster in Europe and uh... everything else that happened along the way. <3
some 11,000 miles later....
Just your typical summer vacation.
(now to just plan my trip to Singapore... or was it Helsinki?)
Twitter stuff and bonuses.
Because, well... - Tweet
Coming home - Tweet
Home - Tweet
Panda panda panda - Photo
DAMN
a.d.v.e.n.t.u.r.e.
Moooooo
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