A Capitol good time

This is a group I met at the hostel the other night. There were 7 different nationalities represented. Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Holland, and Columbia. We all met over a free dinner at the hostel and then we went out for some beers at a nearby brewpub. The plan was then for some of us to go buy a 6pk and head to the Lincoln Memorial, but suddenly all the liqour outlets in the district were closed. Probably a good thing.

Yesterday I was so busy. I went to the Holocaust Museum in the morning, then had lunch in Georgetown, then did the Natural History Museum, and then the American History Museum. I think the Smithsonian Institute is awesome - all these museums are free!

It was a thunderous day in DC. We woke to a thunderstorm in the morning, and then in the late afternoon there was another one. At around 4pm I was a few blocks from the White House and there was suddenly a lot of emergency vehicles speeding past. Some entire blocks got roped off with police telling people to stay away. As well as all the fire trucks and police vehicles a convoy of red vans with light bars and signwriting reading "Special Operations" hooned through the cordon. Before long everything seemed to have returned to normal, but I wasn't sure what had happened. I read later on the internet that a tree had fallen over on the North Lawn of the Whitehouse, leading to all the comotion. I guess it made a bang.

The Tyranasaurus Rex at the Natural History Museum.

I know we had the Whitehouse in the last post, but now we have me in front of the Whitehouse!

Today I am going to the Pentagon, the Arlington National Cemetary, the Ford theater (where Abe was shot), the National Geographic museum, and the Spy Museum if I have time. Leaving DC tomorrow to fly to El Paso, Texas and begin the Western portion of my journey.