Better than the Washington Monument

Old Post Office Pavilion

Next time you are in Washington DC and want to get an aerial view, head to the Old Post Office Pavilion instead of the Washington Monument. It has many advantages over the monument.

View of the Capitol from the Old Post Office Pavilion

First you will avoid the long lines if you come in summer. I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes for the next elevator in the Post Office Pavilion and the line is indoors as well instead of out in the summer heat. Most of the time there is no line at all. It is open year round.

Second, the windows at the top are huge with fantastic views in all directions. The windows are open with wires (on 2 sides) to prevent jumpers and people dropping things out of the window, but you can easily photograph between the wires a the edges where the gaps are wider as I have done for these photos. Because the windows are big and open, there is no fighting to get up close to a window the size of a computer screen to see out like in the Monument. It is also cooler in the tower because the windows allow breezes in and because there are fewer people.

View of the Washington Monument from the Old Post Office Pavilion

Thirdly, from the tower you can get a photo of the Washington Monument! Not possible to do this when you are "in" the monument.

And finally, the monument is on the middle of the mall with no food or shopping or toilets close at hand. The Tower on the other hand is in the Pavilion which comes complete with a food hall, shopping, toilets and is only a short walk to both The White House and the Hard Rock Cafe.

Example of the windows with wires

Free in DC

One of the great things about Washington DC is the number of attractions that you can visit for free. These photos are from the United States Botanic Gardens located next to the Capitol building in the heart of DC. There is lots to see, even for kids, and as a bonus, in the winter it is warm.

You can learn more about the gardens (opening hours, what plants they have, etc) here.

Carriage Museum in Leesburg

I have visitors from Germany and this week we toured the Morven Park Estate in Leesburg, Virginia. The mansion has been under going renovation for several years, so this was the first time I was able to see the inside, but the renovation isn't yet completed. Included in the tour price was a visit to the Carriage Museum on the grounds. All of the carriages on display were collected by one woman, Viola Winmill who donated them for this museum. Above is one example.

And they're off................!

Sunday we had a lovely time at the horse races in Charlestown, West Virginia. Just 45 minutes from Leesburg on a scenic road, it is a nice day trip when the weather is nice. There is also Slot Machine casino at the same location, but we just go for the horse racing.

We placed $2 bets on horses in 7 races and I won on 3 horses. I started with $20 and ended the evening with $14 so I had an entire afternoon of fun for a mere $6.

As you can see from the photo, the weather was wonderful.

Afterwards, my parents and my visiting Uncle Joe went inside the Casino to eat dinner at a buffet restaurant, but my husband, the vegetarian, didn't think he could get his money's worth from the buffet, so we left and ate on the way home.

For those who love slot machines, you can double your fun but playing the slots after the races.

Somewhere over the rainbow

As I was driving to the grocery store the other night in Leesburg, a brilliant rainbow appeared. Not only was it bright, but it was a full arch as well. Everywhere I looked I saw people taking photos of it with cell phones. It really was a stop-in-your-tracks rainbow. By the time I finished shopping, the sun had set and it was gone.

Willow Creek is affordable and comfortable

Had lunch at Clyde's Willow Creek in Ashburn yesterday and it was such a nice experience. This place is enormous with various rooms and we were seated in the "Barn" room. This was once a real barn that they saved and reconstructed on this site. My photo isn't great, but it does show you a bit of what it is like.

My food was delicious. And the prices were surprisingly affordable in such nice surroundings. Will definitely go back again.

Anticipation!

It's red, firm and unblemished and almost ready to harvest! Yes, my first tomato of the season and the best one I've ever managed to grow. I only hope it tastes as good as it looks. Many, many thanks to Graham for being chief tomato waterer. I think he has earned the first bite!