DC Guidebook: Riding the Metro

The Washington, DC metro is a convenient way to get around. It goes most of the places a tourist would want to go in the city. Here are the tips and tricks to it.

1.     Before you even leave your hotel room or even your home, look at the website- www.wmata.com. They have tons of helpful information. Study the map and compare it with some of the places you want to go. This will be helpful later. Lines are noted by color- red, blue, green, yellow, and orange, then by which direction they’re going, so make a note of the end stations on the lines.

2.     Decide which station you want to go to. Also determine which station is the closest, the one you will get on.

3.     Life is easy if you’re on the right colored line to get where you want to go- like you get on at Foggy Bottom GW and want to go to Capitol South. Then you get on the right direction, and you pay attention to the stops. If you have to transfer lines, don’t panic- I repeat, don’t panic. On the map, where the colors cross, means that’s where you can transfer lines.

4.     Metro stations are located underground, because the trains run, well, underground. That means you have to go down to get to them. On the street, you’ll see a post with a big M on it, and a color dot and the name of the station. Once you see one of these, escalators and elevators should be close by. Walk left, stand right, in single file. If you don’t, people get annoyed.

5.     You have to pay to ride the metro, and to do that, you have to get a card. These are available in from machines in every station. The first set of escalators that takes you down will put you on level with them. They look kinda like atms. All you have to do is follow the on screen instructions. You probably want a single ride pass, you put some cash on it, it spits it out. Grab it quick; it can be a bit windy.

6.     Take your card and put it in the turnstile- make sure its in the right direction. Also make sure the turnstile is ‘on’- they have a green light on the side. A red light indicates its not working right then. It runs the card through, it opens, you walk through while taking your card. Easy.

7.     Put your card somewhere handy- you have to do the same thing to get out of the metro, because that’s how they charge you. So don’t hide it in the inside inside pocket of your purse; then you’ll have to dig it out in ten minutes.

8.     Hopefully you’ve made a mental note of what line to get on. This is especially important if you happen to be at a transfer station, where there is more than one color. Read the signs; its all very clearly marked. Some are on columns, some are overhead signs. Just read them.

9.     Some stations have a single platform in the middle and trains going each direction come up on the sides. Some platforms the trains come in the middle and the platforms are across the track from each other. Middle platforms give you some leeway, since you can get on trains going either direction. Remember how I said they identify the direction by saying the end station? This is where it’s important to know which direction the stop you want to get to is. If you don’t know, calm down. There’s a list somewhere, probably on a column. Read.

10. Get on the train. Once you’re on, find a seat. It’s perfectly okay to sit next to strangers here. Really. If you can’t find a seat, hold on. It’s not the time to try to be awesome and balance while it moves.

11. Pay attention to the stops, either by listening (which is sometimes difficult) or by reading the signs in the stations when the train stops. Don’t try to read or jam out to your ipod, you don’t know what you’re doing and you’ll miss you’re stop and look really stupid. Just pay attention.

12. Get off at the right stop. Get your card out, so when you reach the turnstile, you don’t mess up the flow of people. Go up the escalators until you reach the outside. You’ve made it.

DC Guidebook: The Capitol

The Capitol

www.aoc.gov

Metro: capitol south, on the orange and blue lines, or union station on the red line. Capitol south is closer.

Hours: 8:30-4:30, Monday-Saturday

Touring the Capitol is free. There are several ways to go about it. The least amount of effort involves showing up in the Capitol Visitors Center and getting in the walk up passes line. They hand out extra passes every ten minutes, so depending on the line, this could take awhile. But it doesn’t require any preplanning. Once you get the pass, you stick it on, get in the movie line and go on with your life. But you may get there at ten in the morning and not get passes till one in the afternoon. Another option is to reserve passes online. Once you get the confirmation email, print it out (make sure it has a barcode) and take it with you. Then you can get in the reserved passes line. This is handy because you have a least some choice in what time you can pick, and can plan around that. Both of these options will give you a tour with the red coats- the very nice people who work at the capitol. They wear- you guessed it- red coats or vests, and work everything from the movie line to actually giving the tours. You’ll be in a large-ish group and wear headphones to hear the guide. Most of them really like their job, and they’re chock full of knowledge. A clue about your passes- the time that’s on them is what time you get in line, not the time you actually go into the movie. Just to clarify.

The third option is to call your congressman a little bit in advance- in the office I work in, it could even be the day before or the morning of really, but to be safe maybe call a couple of weeks in advance- and they’ll set you up with a tour. You will meet an intern in their office or maybe in the visitors center, and they’ll have your passes and everything ready to go. They’ll give a better tour- you’ll get to see at least one extra room the large tours don’t go into. I guess the fourth option is to be personal friends with a staffer or intern, in which case you’ll get a great tour.

Capitol tours take about an hour to an hour and a half. You get to watch a really cool fifteen minute film called E Plurubus Unum (which means Out of Many One, for those of you who aren’t Latin scholars or Classics majors). Its just a short intro, and gives you a little history while reminding you why America is so freaking awesome. They also picked really good score.

From the movie, you will either go with your red coat or your intern guide, and actually start touring. I’m not going to give you details, because you should just go on the tour and I don’t want to ruin it. I will tell you Rotunda is my favorite room. That’s it. Go on the tour.

Another reason to go with the Intern is they’ll bring you House and Senate Gallery Passes. You have to get these from a congressman. If you don’t go with an intern, you can go to the office itself and request some, but that would be an added step. Anyway, with the passes, you can go watch the Senate or the House in action, hopefully. Or maybe you can go look at a very pretty empty room. Either way, it’s a cool opportunity, one that probably won’t come up too often in life, unless you’re a congress member. Or an intern. Or a staffer. Once you get up there, you can stay for five minutes or five hours or however long you want. I would definitely recommend going to at least one of them, if your time allows.

There’s a couple of gift shops and a café in the CVC that is ridiculously overpriced and not that good.

A word on security- its ridiculous. No food or drink (with some medical exceptions- like being diabetic) is allowed at all. You will have to throw it away or they won’t let you in. Anything remotely pointy is also not allowed- cuticle scissors, knitting needles, etc. Really, all you need is your camera and wallet. That’s it. If you get thirsty, maybe you could buy a water bottle or a coke, and get over spending the two dollars for it. If you go into one of the galleries, you have to basically check anything with a battery- phones, ipods, cameras, car keys. Its like a coat check- they put your stuff in a little drawer or bin and give you a plastic card to claim it afterwards. They’re serious about security and security breaches, so don’t mess with them or think you’ll be the exception. You won’t.

The Capitol is a beautiful building, and should definitely be at the top of your list when visiting DC. If its not, I feel like you should probably question your level of patriotism, and you don’t want that, do you? 

DC Guidebook: Capitol Hill

National Archives

http://www.archives.gov

Hours: 10am-7pm in the spring and summer

Metro: archives/navy memorial on the green line

The National Archives is where many original documents are located- like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Here’s the deal: you get into the building (going through security, of course) and which may take awhile, depending when you go. Then you have to wait in line again to see the cool documents- they left that part out of National Treasure. I waited for probably 30 minutes to see the documents, but it’s definitely worth it. Those are the documents that the Founding Fathers signed, that created our country as a center of freedom in the world. They’re freaking important, and worth seeing. If you don’t feel that way, I don’t know why you’re visiting DC anyway.

They also have other records- from all the presidents, all the wars, and exhibits about how they archive pictures and documents. They have original pictures and documents from the earliest settlers in the west. Since I adore pictures, I like seeing all the old ones. I think this is definitely worth checking out, even if you just hit up the original documents, and maybe the gift shop. It has of course, copies of the documents you can buy, cool stationary, books, and journals. If you like to write, definitely check it out. But you should go to the Archives.

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/visit/

Thomas Jefferson Building

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8:30-4:30

Metro: Capitol South, on the orange and blue lines

I love the Library of Congress. How can you not love a building designated for keeping a copy of all the books in the world safe and secure? It’s also a very pretty building architecturally- columns and paintings and mosaics, all themed around wisdom and books. There are permanent and visiting exhibits. My favorite permanent collection is Thomas Jefferson’s Library. The Library of Congress was established in 1800, intended to be used as a resource for Congress. After the original collection was burned by the British in the War of 1812, TJ donated his entire personal collection to restart the library. Today it holds the largest collection of books in the world, including rare books, books in 470 languages, newspapers, microfilm reels, films, and sheet music. There’s an entire Modern Marvels episode about it, actually, if you want to learn more.

The Thomas Jefferson building, the main building, has the aforementioned exhibit of TJ’s books, as well as other traveling exhibits. There are guided tours you can take, or you can just wander around yourself. Take note of the signs about taking pictures. Everything is free at the Library of Congress- you don’t need a ticket to get in, or pay for a tour. Be wary of the gift shop though, especially if you like books. It’s very hard to resist. There’s also a tunnel to the Capitol Visitors Center, if you are so inclined. 

DC guidebook: Where the Wild Things Are

National Zoo

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/

Metro: Woodely Park/National Zoo Stop on the Red Line

Hours: 10am-6pm in the spring & summer

The zoo is also part of the Smithsonian complex, so it has free admission. You have to pay to park- but you probably don’t have a car in Washington DC anyway, if you’re just a tourist.

I was super lucky at the zoo, and got to see lots of animals. I have to say its probably the first time at a zoo that this occurred- usually you see some shadows moving somewhere in the back of the exhibits, but this time I got lots of good pictures of adorable creatures. The highlights were the baby lions and the tiger. I mean, baby lions. How could you resist?

However, there were lots of other animals- bears, anteaters, monkeys, lots of creatures to satisfy everyone. The small mammal house is probably a good choice- lots of small furry creatures, including lemurs, golden tamarin monkeys, Meer cats. Tons of fun. The great ape house was also neat, but smelled a bit like a barn. I don’t think I’ve ever seen gorillas the close before. I skipped the reptile house and the invertebrates- I like furry creatures.

Overall, the zoo was fun. I feel like I was really lucky to see the big cats- I went on an overcast day that wasn’t so burning hot, so that probably helped. It is a lot of walking, like the rest of DC, so be prepared. 

DC Guidebook: the Smithsonians, part I

Smithsonians

http://www.si.edu/

The Smithsonian Museums are a huge complex of museums, research centers, and galleries. Most of them are located in and around DC, particularly on the National Mall (not to be confused with a shopping mall). James Smithson, a British scientist, left his entire estate to the United States Government, with instructions to establish an institution for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Lucky for us, the government finally got their act together and created it as a trust, to be run by a board and a secretary in 1846. Don’t ask why a British man who had never been to America left us a huge sum of money to establish museums; no one really knows for sure. But I’m certainly glad he did.

Admission is free for most of the Smithsonians- check the website for exceptions. However some activities and exhibits inside the museum they charge for- so make sure you double check before you tell your kids they can see the butterflies or whatever. Word to the wise- the museums are much farther apart than Ben Stiller made them appear. Be ready for a lot of walking. For food, there are plenty of cafes located in the museums, as well as carts and stands on the mall for cold drinks or snacks halfway through the afternoon.

You could spend days at a single museum that is part of the collection, so if you’ve only dedicated one day, watch the time. It will be gone before you can count the airplanes in the Air and Space Museum, and someone will be upset that you didn’t see the ruby slippers or the dinosaurs.

Hours: 10 am- 5:30 pm, some extended hours in the summer

Metro: Smithsonian stop on the Orange and Blue lines

The Castle

Despite being featured prominently in the film Night at the Museum 2: Battle for the Smithsonians, the Castle doesn’t have that much in it.  There is one exhibit. Its really just a primer for the other museums, and has a small gift shop and café. If you’re in a time crunch, skip it and take the pictures of the building- it’s the most exciting part.

Natural History Museum

http://www.mnh.si.edu/

This museum has dinosaurs and the ice age creatures, the hall of mammals, human evolution, the ocean, bugs and butterflies, anthropology exhibits, space exhibits, gems and minerals exhibits, mining, as well as gift shops, cafes, and an Imax theater. It’s a pretty easy place to get around- exhibit entrances set in a circle around the main entrance hall, or rotunda. This is where the Hope Diamond is- the 45.2 carat blue diamond, now set in a necklace. Harry Winston, famous jewelry designer, donated it to the institution in 1958. There are also lots of other sparkly things to lust after in the gem collection, like Marie Antoinette’s earrings, emerald necklaces, and amethyst heart brooch. This happens to be my favorite collection in the museum.

Kids will enjoy the hall of mammals, which displays stuffed creatures from all over the world, with favorites like lions, giraffes, and polar bears, along with some creatures you probably haven’t heard of, like the galago and okapi. The hall of dinosaurs is neat too, but its always crowded. This is where the t-rex skeleton is, much to the delight of Night at the Museum fans. The only downside to this exhibit is its pretty much perpetually crowded, because, well, who doesn’t love dinosaurs?

They also have lots of anthropology exhibits, which I thoroughly enjoy. There is a hands on exhibit where you can look at bones and solve murder mysteries and the like, just looking at the bones. The exhibit on human evolution is also quite fascinating, as long as you aren’t bothered by the whole concept of human evolution in the first place.

On a time crunch, hit hall of mammals, dinosaurs, and the gems and minerals.

American History Museum

http://americanhistory.si.edu/

This museum contains our nation’s history, covering the ones you’d expect- all the wars, the presidents, important events- to exhibits on pop culture, medicine, and Julia Child’s kitchen. The most popular exhibits include the First Lady’s Dresses, which chronicles the fashion history from Martha to Michelle. Many inauguration gowns are displayed, as well as shoes, jewelry and other personal effects. Girls will adore this exhibit. Its one of my favorites as well.

Like I mentioned, there is plenty of exhibits from every major conflict as well, including the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry, and inspired the national anthem. There is also an exhibit on the presidents themselves, with many personal items used in office, from pajamas to chess sets and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat.

The most famous items in the museum, though are probably the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz. Many other items of movie and television memorabilia are on display as well- the exhibit, with the exception of the slippers, rotates periodically.

While there are tons of other exhibits, the highlights would be the First Ladies Dresses and the Ruby Slippers. On a time crunch, pick your next favorite exhibit to see- the presidents, the wars, the coins, the ships. This museum also has the best design, in my opinion- all the elevators are in the middle gallery area, with east and west exhibits on three floors. They also have an excellent gift shop- the best one is on the bottom floor, behind the stairs. They also have a military gift shop and a pop culture gift shop. In case anyone’s wondering, this is where I got my Kissing the War Good-bye poster, which is one of the best pictures ever. It’s also a handy poster if you can’t remember when VJ was. 

DC Guidebook: Explanation

This is going to be a series of posts about the places to go and see in Washington, as told by my experience there. Enjoy!

Places To See In DC

My List of my favorite places to go and see in DC. Most of them I have been to, but I want to make it back this summer. 

Smithsonians

      Air and space

      Natural history

     American history

     Art Gallery

Mt. Vernon

Shopping

Georgetown

Newseum 

Monuments

Library of Congress

Folger Shakespeare Library

International Spy Museum

National Cathedral

Ford’s Theater

Baubles, Bangles, & Beads

Direction

Everyone keeps asking what I want to get out of this. I’ve had to think about the answer. I hope to make some friends and learn, and know DC like the back of my hand, but my main goal is to figure out some direction. I really have no clue what to do with my life- what to major in, what kind of job I want, where to live. I really hope this internship and this experience will give me some hint, no matter how small, as to what direction I want to go. 

Vietnam Memorial

View From My Window

This is the best view I've ever had in my life! Note the Washington Monument.

One Liners

Where am I supposed to get groceries- scratch that- anything without a wal-mart?

How do you make friends? I haven’t had to make friends, besides college, since kindergarten.

I was annoyed at someone on the metro today, which is ironic, because three days ago I was probably the person everyone was annoyed at.

You can see the Washington Monument from my window. Be jealous. 

Top Ten Things I Will & Won't Miss

These two lists are a prediction of the things I'm going to miss, and the ones I'm not going to miss. I was kind of surprised I thought of the things I would miss much quicker than the things I won't. I realize that the list of things I won't miss is a bit repetitive. Is it ironic that it was harder for me to think of things I wouldn't miss, since I've been so hellbent on getting out of Lebanon? Perhaps. Oh well. Here's hoping a summer of surprises!

Top Ten Things I'll Miss
1. My Sister
2. My mom
3. My cats and dogs
4. My car
5. El Charro
6. Not being able to spend time with my high school friends
7. My Mizzou friends and not getting to attend guard camp
8. Being at home (not to be confused with being in Lebanon, which I won't miss at all)
9. Being able to watch television
10. Not worrying about anything- how to get places, if somethings open, etc.


Top Ten Things I Won't Miss
1. Lebanon
2. The people in Lebanon (with a few exceptions- you know who you are)
3. Having to deal with people in Lebanon
4. Wal-Mart
5. Paying for gas
6. Anything remotely "hick" or "country"
7. Lebanon
8. Being bored all the time
9. Having nothing to do all the time
10. Wishing there was something to do 

Packing

I'll be living in Washington for nine weeks- from June 5 to August 6. Its seriously hard to pack for that long in two suitcases and a backpack. I'm trying not to panic; after all, if I forget anything, I'll probably be able to find it in DC. Anyone have suggestions for my packing? Something you don't think I could live without?