The photos would be ready at 1:00 PM. After picking them up, I came back to the car and wrote descriptions on the back -- that took until 5:00 PM. Ate lunch at the same Roy Rogers as last night, then left Annapolis at 6:30 PM. Checked in at Quality Inn in College Park, MD for two nights. The METRO was within walking distance, and they also offered a free breakfast. Their rates were also reasonable.
At 9:00 at night, I walked across the street to a Taco Bell, bought my dinner, and walked back to the motel. Immediately after I got back, it started to rain very heavily -- I got back just in time! Ate dinner at motel.
License Plates:
| 2 THE T | MD | Nissan Pulsar NX |
| 2 D MAX | MD | Nissan Maxima |
| $43.68 | Chase | Days Inn | Annapolis, MD |
| $2 | Cash | Pens -- Annapolis mall | Annapolis, MD |
| $59.43 | Discover | Film developing & purchase of additional rolls -- RITZ Camera -- Annapolis mall | Annapolis, MD |
| $5 | Cash | Lunch -- Roy Rogers | Annapolis, MD |
| $2 | Cash | Dinner -- Taco Bell | College Park, MD |
11:45 AM Arrived at United States Capitol. This time, I went inside. The dome interior was magnificent! Later, I went to Senator Diane Feinstein's office and got visitor passes for the Senate and House of Representatives. Then went to the Senate chamber. The hall was very beautiful, but there was very little action. I left and went to the House chamber. I saw a lot more there.
When I walked in, there was an angry debate going on. I would find out more about it that night on the news. Visitors are not supposed to talk during the session, but there was a lot of murmuring when I walked in. Something interesting had just happened, and I had missed it. When I sat down, I heard a lot of name-calling on the floor. One representative from Vermont said something like "I'm not going to put up with this nonsense"[20] and walked out of the chamber. When I saw THAT, I really started to regret going to the Senate first. I had just missed something BIG. I had no idea precisely what the Representatives were arguing about. At the time, I thought it was "typical" for politicians to argue all day without actually accomplishing anything! I left the House chamber and the Capitol at 2:00 PM.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM United States Supreme Court -- went inside. 
. The court was not in session. TYPICAL! (even though these were not politicians)
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM James Madison Building at the Library of Congress -- went inside. .
I took the METRO to Dupont Circle, then walked from there to the Indian Embassy (~1 mile). I passed the embassy without recognizing it. I was expecting to see the Indian flag in front of the embassy. Today was Id and both the Indian and Pakistani embassies were closed. After passing the Indian embassy, I realized I may have gone too far and turned back. On my way back, I was reading the signs in front of each embassy in "Embassy Row" and finally found the Indian embassy. Just then, a car pulled out from an underground parking lot and stopped on the road. The driver got out, walked to me, and told me the embassy was closed today because of Id. He told me I should come back tomorrow! I had no business at the embassy; I just thought it would be nice to see what it looks like. I had accomplished that. It was an old brick building. The Pakistani embassy looked a lot more beautiful. I was not interested in returning to either one of them the next day.
6:00 PM Arrived back at the Quality Inn. Went to dinner at Taco Bell. On almost every local news broadcast, the major story was "What happened at the House of Representatives today". The story was also on CNN. Here is what happened:
Just a few minutes before I had walked in, a Representative from California (of all states!) used the phrase "those ******s in the military" <CENSORED>. At once, two Representatives who were "******s" verbally attacked the California congressman. One congresswoman walked out of the session. What followed was a lot of arguing back and forth about the proper use of the English language and political correctness. There is one quote that I especially remember (from the Vermont lady who walked out, giving her reason for leaving): "I am ashamed to call that gentleman, no... that THING who is standing there one of my colleagues".
I had missed the beginning of this, but I did catch a little bit of all this bickering while I was in the visitors' viewing area of the House. I saw the beginning that night on the news.
Expenses:
| $3 | Cash | Dinner -- Taco Bell | College Park, MD |
There was a post office next to the station, and I bought some more postcard-rate stamps there. That told me I had already sent Parixit 50 postcards from only 27 states. Washington DC was a special case. I was sending him a card for every attraction I saw. For some attractions, I sent him two -- or more -- cards. I would later find out that he was getting sick of receiving so many cards.
After leaving the post office, I went to the METRO station, but they had no available parking spaces. Finally found a parking space at New Carrolton station. This was metered parking, so I filled the meter with all the quarters, dimes and nickels that I had[21], then took the train to Smithsonian station.
11:30 AM Arrived at Smithsonian Castle. They gave a good overview of all the Smithsonian museums. There was also a beautiful garden in the back. Ate half an ice cream cone there ("Rainbow Twist" -- nice). Then a heavily-armed security guard told me there was no eating allowed in the garden -- I would either have to leave or throw the cone in the trash can. The flowers in the garden looked very nice, so I threw the ice cream in the trash can. I didn't mind. What was I supposed to do? The guy had a gun! Rating for Castle = . Rating for ice cream = . Rating for trash can = 0 .
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM Arts and Industries Museum = .
2:00 PM Back to New Carrolton METRO station (the time on the meter had expired by now, so I would have to find a new parking space).
2:15 PM Parked at Landover METRO station. The collection booths were closed, so I got free parking here.
3:00 PM Arrived at the National Museum of Natural History. Immediately after going there, I had lunch in their cafeteria. This time, my meal was a healthy meal. It did not contain any ice cream, pie or pudding! After lunch, I saw a few galleries in the museum, then left at 4:30. Rating withheld.
5:30 PM I followed Sachin's advice and went to Union Station next[22]. I'm glad I went there. The outside looked very nice, and the inside was MAGNIFICENT! This is, without a doubt, the most well-kept and the most beautiful train station I have ever been to. Sachin had told me to come here to EAT. I went there after eating. The place had several restaurants, gift shops (bought another postcard), and a large movie theater. When I saw the movie theater, I knew I would be coming back here again. I left Union Station at 6:30 PM. .
7:15 PM Back to car at Landover METRO parking.
I drove to Rockville, MD to check in at the Days Inn there, but they were all booked. There was a Burger King next to the motel, so I ate dinner there. After dinner, I drove back down to Washington. My next stop was the Jefferson Memorial. This is one of the few places in Washington which is not close to a METRO stop. The nearest METRO station is a 2-mile walk from the Jefferson Memorial. I did not feel like walking 2 miles to the Memorial, then walking 2 miles back to the station, so I decided to drive directly to the Memorial. I knew there is free parking nearby. I also knew how difficult it is to get a parking space anywhere in Washington DC!
9:40 PM I got lucky. I pulled in at the parking lot directly behind the memorial just as someone was coming out.
The memorial was under renovation, and a lot of it was obstructed by aluminum scaffolding. The memorial itself was not all that impressive. . However, the night-time view of the Washington skyline (and its reflection in the reflecting pools below) was fantastic!
I left the memorial at 11:45, then got lost again somewhere in that general area while trying to get back to the freeway.
12:20 AM Pulled over at the same rest area near Manassas, VA that I had slept in on the night of May 8. [I-66 exit 47 in Virginia].
License Plates:
| NY8LEGS | VA | Acura |
| $75.82 | Chase | Quality Inn -- 2 nights | College Park, MD |
| $6 | Cash | 30 Postcard-rate stamps -- College Park Post Office | College Park, MD |
| $6 | Cash | Lunch -- National Museum of Natural History cafeteria | Washington, DC |
| $1 | Cash | Postcard -- Union Station | Washington, DC |
| $17.96 | Chase | Two "Weird Al Yankovic" audio cassettes -- Union Station | Washington, DC |
| $4 | Cash | Dinner -- Burger King | Rockville, MD |
The first major battle of the Civil War -- the Battle of Bull Run -- was fought near the town of Manassas. The rest area where I slept is within walking distance of the actual battlefield. There are several signs along the road that direct interested drivers to the battlefield. I was not one of those drivers.
9:50 AM Arrived at Huntington METRO parking (Virginia). This station has the most number of parking spaces of all the METRO stations which have parking lots. That is why I went here. Since today was a Saturday, the parking lot was only 3/4 full (these were the tourists -- the locals only occupy about 1/4 of all the parking spaces in DC). I considered myself extremely lucky to find a parking space -- by now I had learned how tough it was!
I did not know something...........................
10:45 AM Arrived at National Air and Space Museum -- for the third time. I joined one of their guided tours which was already in progress. The tour was supposed to last 1/2 hour. It had started at 10:30. Luckily for me, our tour guide was just as interested in everything at that museum as I was! He had served in the Second World War and he was one of the boys who had stormed the beach at Normandy on my June 6, 1944. He had been a volunteer tour guide at that museum for "longer than most of you have been alive", and knew a lot about every item on display. Although the tour was technically supposed to end at 11:00, he talked continuously until 12:00 PM. I had not eaten anything since the previous night, and I was starving by the time he finished his tour. But I did not want to leave either. His stories about his experiences in World War II and how they related to the items at the museum were fascinating, and I was one of the few people who stayed and listened to him for the entire tour. One person asked him what his opinions were on the controversy over "Enola Gay". That got him talking for another half hour! "NOW DON'T YOU GET ME STARTED ON THAT! WHAT DO I THINK ABOUT THE ENOLA GAY??? HERE'S WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE ENOLA GAY..."[23].
At noon, I went back to the "Flight Line" restaurant in the museum and had a (healthy) lunch.
At 1:00 PM, I joined another tour, this time from the start, with a different tour guide. Again, the tour was supposed to be 1/2 hour long, but it lasted for more than two hours! It was also a different tour than the first one. Some of the more famous items (like the ones in the "Pioneers of Flight" gallery) were standard on all tours. After that, it is up to the individual tour guide's personal interests as to the rest of the items on the tour. This tour included the gallery on World War II exhibits. Surprisingly, the first tour guide did not take us there!
For the rest of the day, I started seeing the galleries at my own pace. I was at the museum until closing time (5:00 PM). This was my third time at this museum, and I STILL had not finished seeing everything! [Rating withheld]
I took the train from L'Enfant Plaza station to Huntington station at 5:00 PM.
5:30 PM ...........................I found out something.
HUNTINGTON STATION HAS TWO IDENTICAL PARKING STRUCTURES!
IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY EXCEPT ONE --
MY CAR WAS ONLY IN ONE OF THEM!
Need I say more?
7:15 PM After realizing my car was not stolen and I was simply in the wrong place, my heart started to beat normally again. I got in the car and started driving South to Fredericksburg, VA -- the site of another famous Civil War battle. But I was not interested in that.
8:00 PM Arrived at the place that I was interested in -- Econolodge motel in Fredericksburg. Ate dinner at Burger King.
The license plates I saw today were some of the best license plates seen on any one day of this trip:
License Plates:
| FRI 13 | VA | Mazda Miata (seen not on Friday but Saturday the 13th) |
| SWOOSHH | VA | Dodge Van (not exactly a "swooshh" kind of a car!) |
| RDBEREN | VA | Chrysler LeBaron (red) |
| YCLIMB | VA | Buick ("Y Not?") |
| AH CHO | VA | Ford Taurus ("Bless you") |
| KRUZIN Z | VA | Ford Probe (Seen by Kruzin' Me) |
| A NITOWL | VA | Pontiac LeMans (Me too!) |
| $9 | Cash | Lunch -- Flight Line -- National Air & Space Museum | Washington, DC |
| $2 | Cash | Dinner -- Burger King | Fredericksburg, VA |
After eating a free breakfast compliments of Econolodge, I paid them $34.12 for the room and left at 10:45. Raining cats and dogs and water.
I parked at Huntington station and got on the METRO. I did not know where I wanted to go -- I just got on the train and went wherever it went.
12:30 PM Went to Union Station for lunch (Sachin's suggestion). Had a hot and tasty Masala Dosa (first and only meal at an Indian restaurant on this trip). Then went to see the movie "French Kiss" at Union Station movie theater. Fell asleep about half-way into the movie.
I remembered something...
I remembered there were two identical parking structures at the Huntington station.
I forgot something...
I forgot which one I had parked my car in!
6:00 PM Found car on the first try.
8:00 PM Drove back South to Fredericksburg and checked in at Days Inn for four nights.
License Plates:
| BOLTBUS | VA | Chevrolet van (not a bus) |
| FIL DBX | VA | Ford Explorer (a "box" car) |
| DUTCH 11 | VA | Dodge Minivan (American car, not Dutch) |
| GO SIENA | VA | Toyota Truck |
| FLIES HI | VA | Oldsmobile (does not fly -- drives... sometimes) |
| HOKE HOO | VA | Cadillac |
| WNTSORT | VA | Ford Taurus |
| CLASY ME | VA | Honda Accord (not a classy car) |
| $34.12 | Chase | Econolodge | Fredericksburg, VA |
| $11.03 | Discover | Gas -- Exxon | Fredericksburg, VA |
| $5 | Cash | Lunch -- Indian restaurant @ Union Station | Washington, DC |
| $5 | Cash | Movie "French Kiss" at Union Station | Washington, DC |
| $5 | Cash | Dinner -- McDonalds | Fredericksburg, VA |
By 4:00 PM, I had finished seeing the entire museum, including it's highlight, the Hope Diamond. Museum rating = . Next, I strolled over to the National Museum of American History, and saw that until closing time. I had finished seeing the second floor.
At 5:30 PM, the museums close, and the METRO tourist rush hour begins. I was not too keen to ride the METRO during the peak tourist rush hour. I walked to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and saw the Sculpture Garden portion (), which was outdoors. I was done by 6:00. Next, I moseyed on over to a bench along the Mall and sat there for a while, waiting for the tourist crowd to die down on the METRO. Ate an ice cream sandwich. While I was eating and waiting, I also saw a softball game in progress in the Mall.
After the game was finished, I walked to the METRO station, took a train to Huntington, then drove a car to my motel room in Fredericksburg. The train was crowded. The road was crowded. The car was not.
License Plates:
| SHORT 44 | VA | Honda Accord |
| I DIDIT2 | VA | Volkswagen Jetta (SODIDEYE) |
| BLISS8 | VA | Dodge minivan |
| $15 | CB | Three 1-day METRO passes at Metro Center Station | Washington, DC |
| $10 | Cash | Lunch -- National Museum of Natural History cafeteria | Washington, DC |
| $80 | Discover | Cash withdrawal -- National Museum of Natural History | Washington, DC |
| $5 | Cash | Dinner at McDonalds | Fredericksburg, VA |
[20] Those were not her exact words. I have given the censored version here.
[21] Not very many.
[22] He had recommended this place when I was in Wilmington -- this was not in my original plan.
[23] I enjoyed every minute of his speech!!! Incidentally, the "Enola Gay" was not on display at the museum -- it was in a hanger at Washington's Dulles International Airport, being renovated for the Smithsonian Institution. I wanted to go there, but the hangar was closed to tourists -- maybe next time!