On January 17th, I awoke Dave finally close to 9 a.m. I was ready to get up to enjoy Washington D.C.! We went and ate breakfast, then headed to view the monuments. The weather was very chilly and surprisingly few people were out…we were able to get up close to many of the monuments, a big surprise since so many people were expected to be visiting our National’s capital. We walked quickly so we were able to view nearly all of the monuments: Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and memorials for World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. We even saw the area set aside to be a memorial for Martin Luther King, Jr., who had spoken so passionately about civil rights for blacks and who helped to pave the way for this moment in history.
The afternoon we spent at the Holocaust Memorial, a sobering, thoughtful portrayal of the atrocities befallen 11 million individuals during World War II, including 5 million Jews, who were slaughtered because of their religious beliefs. (It is one of the most horrendous examples of genocide, but certainly not the only time we have witnessed this. Many occasions since that moment have occurred, more recently in Darfur for example, where millions of Africans have been displaced and are living in tents with limited water, food, and hygiene, while women and children have been raped, victimized and killed by soldiers.)
Actually viewing the atrocities was probably the best gift I could have had on my 40th. It was a harsh reminder that things can change in a moment, that beautiful happy lives can be taken in a moment. It showed that people can be both abhorrently evil and incredibly kind. It showed the worst and the best of all people. It was a great reminder of how fortunate I am to be experiencing my 40th b-day…many, many Jewish and other faiths who lived in Europe during World War II never got to experience their 40th. Many didn’t even experience their first or second birthdays. So sad to see the worst of people—really horrific, moving museum.
At 6 p.m., we went to a free play at the Kennedy Center. Every evening, 365 days a year, they offer free entertainment to people. It was a great way to see the beautiful center, which also has opera, plays, music, and other features. The “plays” were all short stories written by children, but performed in song and acting by adults. Most had a political-releated theme. It was cute, and a great way to see the Kennedy Center.
For dinner, I made reservations at Cashin’s a restaurant that served American cuisine. I found the restaurant based on reviews from yelp.com, a newly discovered website that provides reviews and suggestions for restaurants and dining. Apparently I had chosen well, according to a gentleman in the bar and a couple we sat next to. They raved about the restaurant and for good reason – the lamb Dave and I both had was so tender. (I am glad I don’t have to prepare meat, I would definitely be a vegetarian I think.)
For dessert, we actually got homemade doughnuts dipped in hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. They were divine! He also brought out a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream with a candle. A nice touch. The girl next to me was also celebrating her b-day. Upon inquiring, sure enough, she was born January 17th….so, apparently is Michelle Obama, our soon-to-be first lady. A lot of great people born on this day, apparently! LOL.
We took a taxi home and wow—what a difference a day makes. People had definitely started flooding into D.C. There were cars everywhere…and even though it was 11 p.m., it looked like a 5 o’clock traffic jam. Our taxi driver did a great job, but we still took awhile to get to our hotel room, and we ended up walking the last block.
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