A very special edition where I share all the pictures from spending July 4th in our nation's capital - which was an experience in and of itself. Whoosh!
One. Rain, Rain Go Away - We just made a quick 24 hour trip into DC for the Fourth and we arrived at our hotel in Arlington around 3:30... and unfortunately the rain arrived about thirty minutes after we did. *sigh* We decided to head out around 5:00 and made our way to the Metro in the rain, lightning and thunder, with Lindsey and I sharing an umbrella... and while reloading our Metro cards, we promptly lost $20! Thankfully a WMATA employee gave us a pass through the stiles for 0 dollars... since a $20 was stolen from us...
What was not great about the free pass through the stiles was when the WMATA employee told me to come on through and as I walked through, the electronic gates slammed shut on my hips. I was fighting back tears for the next few minutes... We thankfully arrived at the National Mall without any other incidents and found a spot on the lawn to sit - in the rain. It wasn't heavy rain but there isn't much exciting about sitting in a poncho... really, ever - those things stick to everything!
Two. Airplanes & Things - The motivator for our little jaunt into DC on July Fourth was all the airplanes. My Dad and my younger sister are just plain nuts about airplanes and they wanted to see all the promised flyovers at the National Mall, so we made the trip to check things out. The flyovers were quite impressive - even in the drizzle.
I wish I could tell you exactly what plane is each picture but I'm not plane nuts - that's the other people in my family! I can tell you that all the formation pictures are of the Blue Angels and the single plane alongside the Washington Monument is Air Force One. The rest of the flyovers were made up of planes from all five branches of the military.
Three. The Air Force Memorial - Once the flyovers were complete, we made a snap decision to jump back on the Metro and ride over to the Air Force Memorial to watch the fireworks. This was the best decision because the location of the Air Force Memorial on the hillside overlooking the National Mall is perfect for watching things like fireworks shows...
There were infinitely less people at the Air Force Memorial than on the National Mall, it was much closer to our hotel and once the fireworks started, it became obvious that if you were watching the show from the National Mall - you were probably getting a lot of smoke from the show as opposed to the views we had at the Memorial. It was easily the best choice we made and I'm so glad we made the quick move across the city!
Four. Fireworks - What can I say... the fireworks were spectacular and lasted for almost thirty minutes. The view from the Air Force Memorial was perfect and we discussed that we'd gladly head back to that same location again to watch the show. It was perfectly positioned on the hill with a view of DC laid out in front of us and while you couldn't hear the music, I found that wasn't really a problem.
Five. Not Impressed - Last but not least, I probably sound like I'm being a bit of a grump in this post. Forgive me, I did struggle with my mood while we were in DC for the Fourth. Between being wet, hot, sweaty and then bruised and beat up by the Metro turnstiles - I made for a less than desirable companion.
I love DC - but I do not love to be in DC on the July Fourth because it's just a crazy crowded mess. And when you add in the rain, sweat and silliness.. I just wasn't a ray of sunshine. Having said all that, I thoroughly enjoyed the fireworks and the time with my family - but maybe we can leave DC on July Fourth alone for the next few years, ha-ha!
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