I was born and raised in North Carolina, spent a decade in the Florida panhandle, and just finished 18 winters in Iowa. Between those periods, however, I have lived in the District of Columbia/Maryland/Virginia (known as the DMV to residents) area. And like most folks who live here, I tended to vacation somewhere else. So, I drive by the many sites housed in the region but I know next to nothing about them.
I decided that I am going to address this. My plan is to make at least a monthly trip as a tourist visiting museums, galleries, and other sites. I decided to start with an extended tour of DC and decided on Old Town Trolley, selecting their Hop on Hop Off Washington DC and Monuments by Moonlight. I got off to a late start and didn’t allow myself enough time to transfer to their bus that goes to Arlington Cemetery, so I’m going to have to try that one again.
It was interesting to hear the histories and stories the trolley drivers shared as we rode through a number of the buildings, memorials, and other sites that make up Washington. I took lots of pictures, which would come to be a problem later, but I’ll explain shortly. I’ve selected a few to share below:
I also made a short video clip of the tour below:
The downside of sitting on one side of the trolley was that half of the sites are better to see while sitting on the other side. So, since I wouldn’t have time to get the cemetery tour in, I hopped on another trolley and sat on its left side to get the pictures I missed earlier.
The rest of my photos are located at: http://singin1.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/85.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures from the Monuments by Moonlight tour. I was traveling lightly with only my phone to take pictures. I took so many on the earlier tour, however, that my phone died, and I forgot to bring a charger with me.
We stopped by the Lincoln Memorial, Iwo Jima statue, the Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial, in addition to driving by several sites enhanced by their lighting. I have an opportunity over the next several days to drive to the stop points to get pictures and will post them when I do.
Bad weather had threatened all day (I’d brought a sweater and a hat for warmth and protection). Fortunately, we only got a bit of rain late into the tour, and the sweater was adequate to keep me comfort seated by the trolley’s open window.
I want to also note the courtesy of the staff and drivers of the service. They were extremely helpful to me in negotiating the loading and unloading Have Seat, Will Travel Too.