Let's celebrate! 4th of July in Washington DC

We liked the US so much that we've decided to celebrate the most important American holiday in a special way. By the most important holiday we mean of course 4th of July which is International Hot-Dog Day! Or maybe not...which was it? Independence Day! We were invited to a family celebration in Chicago and the parade there would probably be fun to watch too, but as we were in Washington area, why not to go and see the fireworks in the capital? So we did!

Welcome to Washington

It didn't work out with Washington quite as we planned it. We wanted to stop there for a day on our way to Chicago and not go back to Delaware. It's 100 miles one way. Gas, toll bridge and 4 hours in a car. We hoped we'd spend a night at some friends' friends' house but all our connections failed this time. We tried couchsurfing but it didn't work out either. maybe because of the date - everyone who replied to our couch request either had some guests over already or was off, visiting family. 

Couchsurfing dodn't work

Third time lucky as they say, it didn't work out on our way from South Dakota to Chicago, it didn't work out here...our first couchsurfing experience was waiting for us a few days later in Ohio. Life with a trailer was so much easier...

After all we decided to go on a day trip to DC and go back to Delaware. Probably it would be smarter money-wise to find some motel on the way, but we were discouraged after Minnesota experience expecting crowds everywhere. Plus we really wanted to spend those few more hours with Malcolm.

4th-of-July-crowds

As we were worried about 4th-of-July-crowds we decided to leave the car far from downtown. We chose Park and Ride by Minnesota Avenue station, the orange metro line, some 5 stops from the Capitol. Area was just as we expected it to be. Two- and three-story buildings, couches outside, first afternoon grills just started.

On a large parking there was us and maybe three other cars. We felt bad about being almost the only ones paying for parking on that day but than we found out it was free anyway. We packed our things for a day, went to the station, realizing we're the only white faces around, we bought tickets, got on the train and, still sticking out with our whiteness, we went to explore the capital.

4th-of-July-emptiness

Independence Day is not the best day for exploring Washington. Or maybe we should put it in other words. 4th of July is an interesting day for exploring Washington. First of all forget you'll get in anywhere. Everything is closed and surrounded by the police. There is a policeman on every corner. Additionally some streets are closed in a very convincing way: with two buses standing across the street. Imagination makes you look for Bruce Willis or other Hollywood destroyer of public property driving straight into them. Luckily, it was only imagination.

Street blocked with buses

Instead of running from one important building to another we decided to take a long walk on Nationall Mall and wait for the fireworks. We skipped the other side of the Potomac River, where Pentagon and Airlington Cementary are. And we just read about all the great museums. Most of them are surpervised by Smithson Institute which is right on National Mall.

Smithson Institute

Walking on National Mall we passed a few of those museums, like National Museum of Natural History or National Air and Space Museum. As far as space is concerned we later missed one must-see place on our way to Chicago. In Chantilly (PA one, not the one near Paris) you can see Discovery Space Shuttle. We could have stopped there for a couple hours and finally see this wonder but when we realized it was there, it was too late...

National Air and Space Museum

Washington for museums and galleries fans must be a paradise. On top of those mentioned earlier there are also for example National Museum of African Art, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian and so on, all you need in the name of political correctness. We believe we will be back in Washington some day and then we'll see it all.

National Museum of the American Indian

But on July 4 we focused on walking. We went to see Washington Monument which after an earthquake 2 years ago remains closed for public and surrounded by metal scaffolding is still being fixed. Later in the evening, when we were waiting for the fireworks, it gave us chills as we've seen it from the distance and behind it we could see planes descending for landing. There is an airport near by and the planes looked as if they were really low and trying to hit the monument. Strange feeling..

We of course took a picture in front of the White House, once, of course, we pushed through the crowds of people trying to do the same... Too bad Belveder in Warsaw is not more popular, especially as it's just as pretty.

Mandatory White House pic

After a few hours walk among the crowds we were exhausted. We decided to eat something at an international fair on National Mall and wait for the fireworks. Our decision was even easier considering that Maciek got a fever and refused to walk. We decided to try some Hungarian specialties, we ordered goulash and salad, we realized we got passed beer curfew (beer was sold until 6 pm, and when we were ordering it was 6.05) and we rested on the grass.

We had 3 hours to the fireworks and as kids were not very mobile we decided to enjoy laziness. Despite the fact that it was still early it wasn't easy to find a good spot. We finally decided to stay half way between Capitol and Washington Monument. We were dozing on the blanket and Kalina was making new friends.

At last just after 9 pm fireworks started. We've seen some good fireworks shows in our lives but this one was definitely the best one ever. Almost half an hour of fountains of colors, whirling and dancing comets, exploding USA letters (which of course would made the crowds cheer). Kalina looked amazed and Maciek kept waving his American flag and clapped his hands. Pure American Dream. Those 30 minutes were enough to make us sure it was a good decision to come to DC on 4th of July, postponing visiting the museums, Capitol, Pentagon and all the other centers of world government for the next time.

After the fireworks everyone stood up right away and headed towards subway. So did we of course, remembering we've got 2 hours drive home. And we got stuck. Not in the car traffic, but in people traffic. We spent half an hour waiting to get on the elevator, and then some more before we could get down to the platform.

Retro metro

But thus we managed to avoid traffic on roads and we easily left the city. We spent five more minutes trying to pay for parking (despite the gate wide open) before we believed it was really free. How honest we became!

Driving to and from Washington we crossed another fantastic bridge, luckily this time we didn't have to pay for it - Malcolm let us use his e-pass making us save 6 USD. The bridge was 4.3-mile-long William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay Bridge or simplier Bay Bridge. In 1952 when it was built it was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure. Now it's just another impressive bridge (no photo, unfortunately).

And a fun-fact: if you go from Washington to Delaware and you suffer from gephyrophobia (fear of bridges) and you don't really feel like going too far north, don't worry. State institution in charge of bridges took care of gephyrophobiacs. For only 30 USD there is a ferry across the bay, along the bridge. They take a really good care of anyone with phobias there!