Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: Round The World 2015
Mount Vernon and Alexandria
I had seven hours of solid sleep, followed by a further period of light dozing; there was no particular need to be up early today. After a basic hotel breakfast, I was ready to get going by 9:20am. Today's joint objectives were the George Washington estate at Mount Vernon and Alexandria's Old Town. Sadly, the weather forecast was for rain - yet bizarrely, it was also due to be one of the warmest days of the trip so far, despite the precipitation.
Following a positive first experience two days previously, I decided to 'Uber it' to Mt Vernon. It turned out to be another excellent experience, and great value too! The weather was initially dry, then drizzly and eventually very wet by the time I left. I took the guided tour of the house, then walked around part of the grounds, trying to take avoidance measures in relation to all the sizeable school groups that were pursuing a similar agenda. Finally, I visited the museum and education centre.
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I managed to get a network connection in the gift shop and again organised an Uber ride to Alexandria Old Town. I had lunch at Starbucks upon arrival and was reluctant to leave owing to the intensity of the rain outside. As forecast, however, it wasn't the slightest bit cold. Despite using an umbrella, I got absolutely soaked walking up King Street in the direction of the metro station. To make matters worse, it was raining so hard that there was maybe a quarter-inch or so of standing water in the streets. I soon decided that enough was enough. I did manage to get a few shots of City Hall and other scenes, but was about as wet as I'd ever been (as a result of weather) when I reached the metro station. The huge George Washington Masonic Memorial, which usually dominates the view from the station, was barely visible through the sheets of rain. After a short train ride, I took the hotel shuttle back to Springhill Suites.
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LEFT: It's a spectacular washout in Old Town Alexandria! |
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RIGHT: I finally make it to the metro, and another Washington Monument can barely be seen through the rain |
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I spent a lazy afternoon (while Bruce worked) drying clothes and shoes, and updating my trip notes. Time passed surprisingly quickly and we soon realised that we should be thinking about dinner. In view of the conditions, we called out for Chinese food to be delivered. Our in-room dining began with hot and sour soup, which turned out to be deliciously rich after I added a little chilli sauce to it. Tasty portions of Singapore Noodles and stewed eggplant finished off a rather substantial final meal of the day.