Waterfront

Day 13, August 1, 2009

This morning we woke up just in time to watch the man with the fuzzy face head off to return the rental car and get the big white truck back. We all ate breakfast with our fingers crossed that it would run ok.

When he got back, we headed once again for the train station. But today was really annoying because of traffic. Note to self: next time I go to Washington, DC, don't be there on a Saturday or Sunday. (Not that I'll be heading there any time soon, certainly not by myself!) Traffic is worse than usual and the museums are PACKED!!!! It took us an hour to go 20 miles up the road. When we got to the Metrorail, they were working on the tracks so the trains were really slow and we had to change trains a lot at different stations.

We didn't even arrive at the American History Museum again until after 1:00, already tired, hungry and grouchy, and then because of all the people, every exhibit had a long line. There was a special exhibit of Abraham Lincoln that the old lady really wanted to see, but we couldn't even get near it.

Daddy and Auntie had a lot of fun in one room called the Spark Lab, where they learned how things were invented. They didn't even notice the guys with the big camera and the microphone waving over their heads. I would have been posing all over the place, but I was outside the room with the old lady and the man with the fuzzy face.

We finally couldn't stand all the people any more and headed outside, but everything we wanted to see was a long walk and the buses weren't running regular schedules. Stupid Saturday! So they decided to walk up the hill to see the Washington Monument up close. It really was amazing. We leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky. It was like we were lying down on a really long bed.

and then decided to find the Metrorail stop and try to find the waterfront. Auntie Jeanie said there were good places to get cheap food which was right up the man with the fuzzy face's alley. I was a little worried because I don't like smelling like fish and the old lady wasn't too sure where we were going.... Another Vaughanventure....

On the way to the Metrorail, we passed the IRS and the FBI buildings. I don't know why the old lady and the man with the fuzzy face kept scowling at the IRS building but Daddy really liked the FBI building. He says he wants to be a sheriff, a secret service man, or join the FBI.

Because we didn't know where we were going, the old lady picked a random Metrorail stop that looked like it was close to the waterfront. It turned out to be kind of a scary area and a few blocks from the actual water. Of course, we headed the wrong way from the stop and ended up as far away from the fish place as we could have gotten. Luckily, we ran into a nice lady who lived at the marina, walking her dogs, who gave us directions on how to find the fish market and how to find a closer Metrorail stop.

The man with the fuzzy face was in heaven. I could see the wheels turning in his head trying to figure out how he could get all that fresh fish back to the camper. As I feared, it was very smelly and dirty and I was terrified I'd end up smelling like a flounder. In the end, they ordered fried fish, crab cakes, and clam chowder and ate it under a highway overpass on a grassy hill. Oh, yeah, because it also had started to rain! I hate rain. Did you know stuffed animals get something called the wet disease which is very unpleasant and can be fatal?

The whole family was very tired, and very, very tired of walking, but they couldn't lay around under an overpass all night (the homeless guy living up the hill probably wouldn't have appreciated them invading his space) so they finally got up, trudged up the hill and headed toward the Metrorail stop which was underneath a fancy hotel. I don't think I'd want to stay there. Every time a train came into the station, my bed would shake and I'd fall on the floor.

On the way home on the Metrorail, Auntie took a close look at me and declared I was filthy and needed a bath. A BATH!!??? I hate baths! I hope there are no washing machines in any of the campgrounds on the way home!

It's late, I'm really tired and worried about that bath, so I'm going to sleep! Good night! And let's hope I don't have any nightmares about soap and water!