5 days after we arrived in Washington DC I boarded a plane that would begin the all-day-long process of returning us to our home in Palm Springs, California. My feet hurt; I don’t mean they ached a little, I mean they really, really hurt along with my hips, legs and lower back. Never in my life did I think I would welcome back-to-back 3 hour long plane flights interrupted by a 4 hour layover but the whirlwind pace of the previous days trying to cram as much of the United States Capital into what proved to be too little time did not provide many opportunities for rest. A full day of forced occupation of an undersized coach seat seemed like a pretty good idea right about the time the pilot kicked our A-320 into takeoff mode.

Pretty much, I’ve always believed its hard work having fun. Our recent trip to Washington DC to visit the United States’ District of Columbia with its iconic buildings, memorials and monuments did nothing to change my opinion. Right near the top of my list of travel commandments, a concept I stole from the Boy Scouts, to “be prepared”, constantly rang true in my sub-conscious mind as we moved from awe-inducing monuments to breathtaking buildings amid priceless artwork and architectural marvels. I thought I was, prepared that is, but I really wasn’t. I did lots of homework or so it seemed. I laid out my priorities ahead of time. I read the guide books; interviewed others that had made similar trips; searched online and reviewed TripBucket Dreams. And then reality reared its ugly head – I learned the hard way that it is an impossibility to see, do, experience all there is in Washington DC in a few days. Walk with me as I try to relate:

That first morning in DC we were scheduled to tour the Library of Congress, previously arranged by our freshman Congressperson, Dr. Raul Ruiz. We set the alarm for 6:00 a.m so as not to be late. Since we did not yet have our bearings and certainly didn’t want to be tardy we hailed a cab outside our hotel and trusted that our driver knew exactly where to let us out. Only as we attempted to clear security (just like in an airport, belt removal and all) did we learn we were in the wrong building; our tour was to assemble in the foyer of the Thomas Jefferson Building (one of 3 Library of Congress buildings) across the street. We hightailed it there just in time to embark on an introduction to the world’s largest repository of knowledge and creativity encompassing more than 150 million items. A couple of hours later our guide bid us adieu after exposing us to countless treasures such as the Giant Bible of Mainz, the voluminous collection of Thomas Jefferson, an original Guttenberg Bible and the eye-popping glass, gold-leaf and marble mosaic of Minerva.

We then made our way by foot to the US Capitol Visitor Center where we found a cafeteria for a quick bite before we queued up for our pre-arranged tour (also courtesy of our Congressperson). Our incredibly engaging and knowledgeable guide introduced us to myriad treasures housed in the same building that hosts the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as we made our way up and down staircases, navigated long hallways and stood in amazement in cavernous rooms that housed uncountable treasures, including the incredible ceiling fresco, The Apotheosis of George Washington, painstakingly created by an Italian artist at the height of 180 feet above the rotunda floor. Sensory overload was starting to take hold and we were only to mid-afternoon of our first full day.

Our legs were already starting to remind us of our membership in the Society of Baby Boomers as we toured the nearby National Gallery of Art encapsulated by 2 separate buildings that provides exposure to a bit of everything in this grand museum and sculpture garden. The West Building features more traditional art (the Old Masters and the newly renovated 19th-century French Galleries), while the East Building focuses on more modern and contemporary art (Calder, Dubuffet,Rodin, Dugas, etc.). In this same area along the National Mall the Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History are found along with the National Archives.

Since our legs were now starting to wobble we grabbed a cab back to our hotel, fortified our clothing for the potential of a chilly evening outdoors, then left our hotel to find the nearest Metro Station where we purchased two $20 FareCards (arranging this online before your visit can save you $1 each trip; so we learned) – the $20 investment for each of our cards covered us for the rest of our visit. We then jumped on the Blue Line train to Navy Yard station, headed to Nationals Park to watch the Washington Nationals play baseball against the Cincinnati Reds from our previously purchased club level seats right behind home plate. The burgers and beer were good; the view of the Potomac River too from the expansive lounge area just behind our seating section. We were treated to a great game by baseball lovers’ standards (a 1-0 pitching duel including a triple by up and coming Nats star Bryce Harper that presaged the game’s lone run). We also lucked into a nice seat neighbor (a local) who gave us lots of pointers about different museums and the what, where, when and how to see things. He told us about a Washington Post Weekend section on Fridays that I discovered later can also be accessed online. This proved to be invaluable information for the rest of our trip highlighting current exhibits, operating hours and admission policies. After the game everyone headed for the center field exit that herded folks back to the Metro station. The first cars were far too crowded but minutes behind was a “special” train that accommodated us. After a few blocks hiking from the Metro station back to our hotel we collapsed in utter exhaustion.

The next morning allowed us to exercise our new found talent for riding the Metro and flashing our FareCards like Washingtonians. Off we went to Arlington National Cemetery to view the the Tomb of the Unknowns, the Changing of the Guard and the burial sites of President John F. Kennedy with its eternal flame, President William Howard Taft, Maj. Walter Reed and boxer Joe Louis among the other historic figures interred there. We also were able to locate the gravesite of my Uncle Neal, a captain in the US Navy, buried at Arlington National Cemetery along with his son. Interestingly, my uncle’s site is very near the monument that marks the grave of the father of baseball– Abner Doubleday. We walked up and down the hills that make up this massive plot of land donated to the US Government by General Robert E. Lee and then back to the Metro station where we rode back into the area of the National Mall. From there we visited Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden followed National Museum of the American Indian and the National Air and Space Museum – then we walked some more, to Union Station for a previously arranged Moonlight Monument Tour. Before embarking on the trolley based guided excursion we enjoyed drinks and an appetizer dinner at the bar inside Union Station. Our trolley boarded at 7. Over the next 3 hours we visited the US Capitol building (glows brilliantly at night), the Washington Memorial (currently closed for repairs), the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Marine Corps Memorial sometimes called the Iwo Jima Monument with the sculptured image of soldiers raising the US Flag at Iwo Jima honoring all US Marines who died in service; then we drove by Jefferson Memorial on into Georgetown with views of the city lights from bridges and overpasses before making a pass by the White House. As we curled up under the blankets that night I don’t believe I could feel my feet at all.

Protein bars and coffee in our room was all there was time for the next morning before we were off to queue up at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. We arrived online to score a ticket to the main exhibit at 10:45. Since the museum doesn’t open until 10 those arriving after us had ever later appointments to tour – thanks again to a tip from our seatmate at the National’s game. The museum honors the victims of one of mankind’s worst atrocities. Opened in 1993, it is one of the city’s most popular tourist destinations. We learned about the Holocaust through artifacts, testimonials and interactive exhibits that detail the lives of children who lived through it, the rise of the Nazi Party and the Nuremberg trials. After the Holocaust Museum we somberly headed off in a light drizzle past the Reflecting Pool that fronts the Lincoln Memorial brimming with baby geese and ducks toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial where the name of every serviceperson that died as a direct result of their tour of duty in Vietnam is inscribed; all 58,178 (plus 93 added since the wall was erected) of them. While certainly a national tragedy and a worthy memorial to those brave service personnel the ghastly thought of 58,000+ deaths somehow pales in comparison to the loss of life during the Holocaust that is thought to be more than 11 Million Jews, Romas, Russians, Disabled people, Homosexuals and other unfortunate individuals, including Millions of children, killed only because of their heritage, personal challenges or orientation.

After spending time at the Vietnam Vets Memorial and visiting the nearby National World War II Memorial we walked to the White House (our escorted tour was cancelled due to the Sequester) in the rain past a number of other significant buildings. We viewed the North and South entrances of the home of the US President in a steady drizzle and then found ourselves at the bar of the Old Ebbitt Grill (since 1856) nursing a couple of cold beers while watching the world go by one umbrella at a time. It seemed like the right thing to do.

The next morning found us enjoying the breakfast buffet at the Westin City Center since my traveling companion refused to take another step as a tourist without some formidable nutrition having existed primarily on Clif Bars and room-made coffee to this point because I didn’t want to waste time in restaurants, apparently. In any event, our focus for that morning, the National Geographic Museum, didn’t open until 10:00 am so we enjoyed the waffles, omelets, yogurt and fruit that found temporary homes on our soon to be cleaned plates. We paid the $11 admission fee and were then treated to exhibits about Pirates and “the” Birds of Paradise which highlighted the work of two individuals who documented all 39 species of the exotic birds living in New Guinea and virtually nowhere else. Although well worth the $22 for our entry tickets this was the only venue for which there was any charge for entrance (save the baseball game). Our afternoon was spent touring nearby Georgetown with its quaint shops, beautiful parks and famous university. My dogs were barking as we ready ourselves for bed on that last night.