The trip to DC is probably best summed up by Pete. “Washington can go f**k itself.”
For starters, we should have known it was going to be a tad dodgy when we had our car stopped by a homeless guy in the parking lot of our accommodation, asking for bus money. It continued as we walked past dozens of rooms containing tradespeople who were living in the motel while they renovated the rooms on the bottom floor. The room had a funky kind of smell but the room was water tight and warm so that was a bonus.
I had been the one to talk up DC to Pete. I had explained it was a lot like Canberra but that it contained some awesome monuments. Mind you, it was September 1995 when I last visited.
I really think the weather impacted negatively on our visit, and the fact that Pete is pretty sick with what I
suspect to be a chest infection compounded the issues with our visit.
suspect to be a chest infection compounded the issues with our visit.
We firstly stopped at Arlington National Cemetery, which is beautiful. Such a peaceful place (except for the odd gun shot every 30 mins or so).
We had intended originally to bike ride our way around all of the monuments but the severe cold, paired with Pete’s illness led us to a hop on hop off bus instead. This way, we figured we would be able to see what we needed to see and then get out of town. Easier said than done. Firstly, we ended up with tickets to City Bus DC instead of Big Bus. That was my bad for assuming the man near the Big Bus stop was selling ticket to that bus. About 30 mins later a bus came and we hopped on. Our plan was to make it from stop 14 through to stop 7 which would do an almost complete loop of the city and then get off near the White House. However, at stop 18, which is the end of the loop and the next stop becomes 1, we were told there was another bus coming and that it would be quicker for us to get onto it. Sure, ok. So we did as told only to find the bus we got on was broken and would not be going anywhere. Some people near us said they had
waited about an hour for that bus to come in the first place. The driver and attendants stood around for a bit, some playing music videos on their phones.
waited about an hour for that bus to come in the first place. The driver and attendants stood around for a bit, some playing music videos on their phones.
Eventually people from the top level came down to ask what on earth was happening. The driver said they would try to get us on the next bus. There was a perfectly good bus behind us that we had been kicked off, and now we were sitting on a broken bus, being told that we may or may not get on the next one. The worst bit about this was that we were all the way up near Capitol Hill and it was a bloody long walk in the bitter cold back down to the cemetery. Pete was rugged up like an Arctic explorer, with the cold air aggravating his coughing and general inability to breathe. He had soldiered through New York in a similar
conditions (both weather and his physical) but enough was enough.
conditions (both weather and his physical) but enough was enough.
An Uber ride saw us back to the cemetery and we jumped in the car and hauled ass out of Washington DC. The plan was to drive as far away from Washington DC as we could. First, we stopped for a feed at Chili’s. It was awesome. Cannot rave about it enough. Anywho, about 6 hours later, and safely into the state
of Tennessee, we pulled into a highway motel for the night.
of Tennessee, we pulled into a highway motel for the night.
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