Washington DC, USA: Off the National Mall

There is much to do outside of the National Mall too!

For one there are (at least) two Smithsonian museums not on the Mall itself and open till late (if not later).

1. National Postal Museum

Located just outside Union Station, also great place to buy post memorabilia and/or mail them out!

 

 2. American Art Museum

I enjoyed visiting it - open till late and quite quiet. Also, just a collection of purely American Art - a treat! In addition, they have enough artworks to rotate around in exhibitions. 

 

    

The Modern Pueblo Painting of Awa Tsireh - I'm a fan. Meticulous, clean and minimalist. 

 

What else not to miss if you are visiting in winter: 

 1. Christmas markets if you are visiting in December - best when you least expect them

 

 

 2. Food!

Nothing beats having ramen in the Japan but I like to try things for the hype.

 

 

And of course some dessert:

 

3. Wander the streets at night, find interesting things and get some rest

  

Onward to Boston! 

Washington, DC, USA: National Mall

As mentioned, the photos are going to be a bit of a blur. But some of these are landmarks that you can recognize even if they are blur. The National Mall is a strip of monuments, memorials and museums. Most, if not all, are free - so no excuse not to visit!

It's huge, just to get around to the monuments, it might be more time efficient to drive to different parts of the Mall. And allocate time for the museums. 

I took, on-and-off, about 2-3 days to visit everything to my satisfaction. I made appointments to visit the Capitol but they were so strict with what you bring in, I never managed to visit - till next time!

 

   







































































Some souvenir shopping



A memory card packed with photos - idea!

Here are some museums, most of which are under the Smithsonian umbrella (think Night at the Museum). Given we had limited time, here are my top picks:

1. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

 

 

2. National Museum of Natural History

 





























3. Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art
Especially appreciate the free lockers - it fits all my luggage! Allowing for a comfortable visit of all the museum has to offer.

4. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Touch a piece of the MOON!

It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. 

- Robbert Goddard

Common sight on the National Mall

5. United States Botanic Garden
Must visit for corpse flowers blooms! However I didn't have the good fortune - a giant christmas tree and tropical plants will have to do.













Off the National Mall:
6. The Library of Congress
It's a pretty long walk and not much that you have access to. But it's so National Treasure-isque! 

Union Station - not an attraction but a way to get to other cities, touted as one of the most beautiful train stations in the world (european ones win hands down in my opinion).





Quick meal before ride to Boston



We also had a quick visit to Georgetown University, and had something off the line of food trucks!







For completeness, here are some insights at and around our conference (at National Harbour, which is really in Maryland).

 

























I haven't had such a long hotel stay since forever! #goodtimes #goodmemories #goodcompany