Preparing For The Trip

I love to travel. With that being said, I have some of my favorite items which I take with me everywhere that I thought I would share. To start would be my water bottle. On this trip there is plenty of water fountains so a water bottle is a must. I like the Brita bottle because of it's built in filter. The filter lasts up to 30 days. I also like the way the lid closes and the handle is plus.

I try not to carry a purse or backpack when out exploring. Instead, I have this great Nature Pioneor water bottle holder. It has two pockets which holds my phone and other items. The zipper strings are also long enough to use a locking carabiner to stop pickpocketers. This has been a big issue here in the United States over the past several of years. So remember to carry as little as possible.

I like to carry a small amount of cash in my water bag which is easy to open and then carry more cash with credit card and ID in this Travelon RFID blocking stash pouch technology tucked in my shirt to prevent electronic pickpocketing. This is when someone walks past you with a machine that can read your credit card information and then later will clone your card.

I've started noticing a lot of places no longer give you bags with your purchase so I have started carrying a foldable lightweight backpack. I like my hands to be free and don't want to carry bags so this backpack comes in handy. It hangs off my water bottle bag until needed.

Another anti-theft safety items I like is this adjustable phone lanyard strap with clip. One end fits under your phone case. The rope end has a clip which allows you to take the strap off when not needed. It has an adjustable slide which allows you to slide tight on your wrist to stop thieves from trying to snatch your phone out of your hand. It is also nice to stop you from dropping your phone when taking pictures. I'm able to walk around with it swinging from my wrist between picture taking.

The last item I like is a light weight sleeping bag. I've noticed some hotels aren't as clean as I would like them, so I care this sleep bag which wraps around the pillow and allows me to sleep without touching the pillows or sheets on the bed. It folds up to the size of a shirt and handy to travel with.

I recommend planning your trip two months prior which allows you to get the cheapest train tickets and hotels to save a little money.

The Cardinal 50 Train runs several times a week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) from Chicago, IL to New York, NY. The Cardinal 51 does the return trip. I bought a round-trip coach ticket which ran me $115 with the added insurance. This is much cheaper then gas money to drive as well as the parking fee per night at the hotel. I also heard that the parking garage has had some theft issues so keep that in mind if you want to drive. The train station does not allow overnight parking so I made arrangements to leave my car in the public parking garage on Dickinson Street and walked across the South Side Bridge to the station. It is $5 a day Monday-Friday and free on Saturday and Sunday. The walk will take you about 15 minute but the views are amazing.

I picked the hotel I was going to stay at because it was on top of the metro station. This allowed me to get off the train and hop on the metro to take me to hotel. To prepare for this, I pre-purchased a $10 SmartTrip Card for the metro and had it mailed to my house. The card costs $2 with $8 loaded on the card. Once I got the card, I went ahead and added an additional $12 to have a $20 on the card ready to go. Metro trips can run around $2.25 each ride. You can skip a physical card and use your phone but I'm old school and prefer cards instead of using my phone for everything. This purchase saved me the hassle of getting off the train and buying one at the station.

As for the museums. You do have to make a plan of what you want to see as some museums require a ticket. Most tickets are free but some will charge an online fee of $1. These are timed tickets which is why you need some sort of itinerary.

There is tons of walking so you should prepare for the trip by trying to walk 5 to 10 miles a day. Your feet and back will thank you!

Friday, August 29th

It was a beautiful morning to start my first Amtrak train trip from Charleston, WV to Washington, DC on the Cardinal 50. I drove into Charleston bright and early for my 8:31 am train. The station is small but I love the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express sign. Matt, the Amtrak Station employee, said a family member made him the sign for the station. He is also planning to add a half cart just like the movie for that added touch. I thought it was great as I'm a big Harry Potter fan. The train was late, which I'm told is normal. They had issues with a freight train interference and intermittent communication outages which made the train arrive at 9:43 am. I recommend you download the Amtrack App to get notices to keep you up to date throughout your travels.

With your ticket, as of this blog, you are allowed one carry-on personal item up to 25 pounds (14x11x7) and two luggage up to 50 pounds (28x22x14). You may also check up to two bags for free. Helpful safety tip: In my suitcase, I packed just my clothes and bathroom stuff and stored it in the overhead area above my seat. In my backpack, I kept anything of value. When I went to the bathroom or cafe car, I would leave the suitcase and carry the backpack with me at all times. For the train ride I recommend you pack water bottle, snacks, lip balm, earplugs, light blanket, charger, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes and entertainment (mini cards, games, book, etc.)

All aboard! I was expecting to hear this and a little disappointed when I didn't (joking). I was lucky enough to have a seat alone as the train car was pretty empty. We were allowed to pick which seats we wanted and there was enough empty space that I had the seat beside me empty for most of the trip. The seats all filled up in Charlottesville, VA so I had a seatmate for the last three hours of the trip.

Depending on what side of the train you are seating on will also determine the views you get. I sat on the right side which didn't show much until we crossed the bridge at Hawks Nest and then I got the river view with Galley Bridge. On the way home, I was on the opposite side so I got views from both sides.

The train is dated but comfortable. The reclining seats are way bigger then what is on an airplane and pretty comfy. There is ample legroom with a fold down tray and foot rest that adjusts to several different heights. Each seat also is equipped with a reading light and a 120v outlet on the wall.

Each train car also has two bathrooms and a place to refill your water bottles. The bathrooms has everything you need. I did carry a small thing of Clorox wipes to clean things before I used it but that is just a personal preference to battle any germs in public spaces. I also carried a small thing of hand sanitizer.

There is a cafe on the train. You can purchase snacks, hot meal or drinks (alcohol as well). Each train is different with what they offer and private rooms get upgraded meals that coach doesn't get. The cafe will also close during certain times to allow the private room customers to eat. On the way to Washington, I had the deluxe stromboli and ginger ale for $10.50. Don't forget to tip the worker if you are able. On the way home, I had the angus cheeseburger, doritos, chewy marshmallow bar and ginger ale ($17.50). I really wanted the coffee cake as I have been told it is really good but even though it is on the menu, the Cardinal does not carry it. The food wasn't bad. It was all premade and popped in the microwave but it was hot and eatable which is a win for me.

The train ride takes about ten hours and makes twelve stops between Charleston and Washington. These stops are only a few minutes to allow riders to get on and off the train. There is however a "Fresh Air Break" at the Charlottesville, VA stop which allows riders to get off and walk around for 15-20 minutes while the staff restocks and switches workers.

Once I arrived in Washington, it was easy to follow the signs to the metro station. Each route is color coded so you first need to find which metro you need and what the ending station is. That is how you know which way the metro is going. For me, I was headed to the Hilton so I needed to take the Red Line at Union Station toward Shady Grove but getting off at Gallery Place. At Gallery Place, I needed to take the Green Line to L'Enfant Plaza.

The L'Enfant Plaza is a place to find food and shopping but it is only open between 10:30 am to 7:30 pm. The elevator to the hotel is inside so if you arrive after 7:30 pm, you will not be able to use the elevator. You will need to exit the Plaza and go up a flight of stairs to walk around to the hotel. This was confusing but lucky I ran into a couple that just had the same issue the night before and was able to walk me right to the front door.

Helpful tip from the metro to the hotel after hours: Once you go up the very long escalator, you will be in a small area with the locked doors to the mall. Take the doors to the RIGHT which will lead you outside. There will be a flight of stairs to the right which you need to take up. Walk to the right around the building and then turn left. You should see the hotel sign then. It is right beside the Spy Museum.

I picked to stay at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf while visiting DC because I liked it had access to the metro. My two night stay in a king room ran $452.67 ($196 a night). Don't be surprised if they add a fee (I think it was an extra $100 a night) when you check-in, as it is a holding fee that you will not be charged outside of what you made your reservations for.

I was lucky enough to get a great view of the Washington Monument from my room (Room Number 14-214). This is normally an extra fee when making reservations. You can also add on breakfast for an upcharge of $30. I don't normally eat a lot for breakfast so I opted out. In the building is also L'Enfant Bar & Grill, Grab & Go Market and Starbucks which was a nice bonus. If you plan on driving, expect to pay an additional $65 a night for parking in the garage.

My room was nice and clean. I loved the black "makeup" washcloth you can see in the picture on the top shelf. That was a nice touch and I haven't seen that in other hotels before. Also there was two bottle waters which was a really nice touch and much needed. They provide soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bath slippers, coffee and tea but I didn't use any of these items.

Hotel is located at the M (metro station at L'Enfant Plaza). Follow the line up to the next M (metro station Archive).

Saturday, August 30

I woke up early and was ready to explore by 7:00 am. I took the elevator to the metro and road it to the Archives. The station is close to the Washington Monument and where I started. It was a beautiful cool morning which made for a perfect time to get most of my walking in before the day got to hot. There was so many people out running and enjoying the morning as well.

The Washington Monument is one of those places you will need a ticket for if you plan to go inside. I was on a tight schedule and the times of the tickets didn't match up for when I planned to be in that area so I had to enjoy it from the outside. This 555-foot marble obelisk tower was built to honor George Washington, the first president of United States. It began construction in 1848 and was completed in 1884. When it was completed it was the tallest building in the world. The designer was Robert Mills and the project was completed by Thomas Casey with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Fun history fact: West Virginia donated a small sandstone inscribed with "Tuum Nos Sumus Monumentum West Virginia," meaning Our Monument is Yours, West Virginia. It is located at the 200 foot level.

After the Washington Monument, I walked to the World War II Memorial. I was a little disappointed that the water had been drained for repairs so I didn't get to see it in its true glory. It still was a truly amazing site to see in person. This memorial opened on April 29, 2004 and consists of 56 granite pillars, decorated with bronze laurel wreaths that represents each U.S. States. There is also a memorial wall of gold stars representing the fallen within its own reflecting pool. The designer is Friedrich St. Florian.

From the World War II Memorial is the half mile walk down the Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool to visit the Lincoln Memorial. The pool designer was Henry Bacon. It was constructed in 1922 at approximately 2,030 feet long, 167 feet wide, depth of 18 inches and holds around 6,750,000 gallons of water.

The Lincoln Memorial is in honor of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of United States. His statue sits under the words "In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. The sculptor was Daniel Chester French who supervised the carvers, the Piccirlli brothers. It took a full four years to complete. The statue stand 19 feet tall from head to foot and made out of Georgia white marble. It sits on a pedestal made out of Tennessee marble. On the right (north) side of the memorial you can read Lincoln's March 4, 1865 Second Inaugural Address and on the left (south) side is Lincoln's November 19, 1863 Gettysburg Address. I have seen this place in movies so many times that it was just amazing to see it in person.

After the Lincoln Memorial, I visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Between 1950 to 1953, United States joined with the United Nations forces in Korea. At the end of the war, there was around a million and half veterans who returned home and this is to honor them. The statue sculptor was Frank Gaylord and the wall etch mural was Louis Nelson. It was dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the ending of the war.

After the Korean War Veterans Memorial, I made my way to the White House.

The White House was something to see. Guards had it blocked off so this was as close as I was allowed to get. There was several protests going on around the area so I'm sure it was a precaution. George Washington selected this site in 1791. The architect was James Hoban, an Irish Immigrant. It took eight years to complete construction and President John Adams was it's first resident. It was burned during the War of 1812 by the British and Hoban again rebuilt it. President James Monroe built the South Portico and President Andrew Jackson added the North Portico. President Theodore Roosevelt did major renovation moving the president's offices and also gave the house the name "White House". President William Howard Taft constructed the Oval Office. President Harry Truman had to do another renovation because of serious structural weakness. There is 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms and 6 levels in the Residence.

I made my way back to the Washington Monument and headed toward the American History Museum. I had an hour before the museum opened so I grabbed a quick breakfast at one of the food kiosk and just rested my legs. I had planned to try and eat breakfast at Old Ebbitt Grill but I didn't think I would have enough time to get there and back so I just settled for something quick and easy located right in front of the American History Museum.

Out of all the museums I got to visit, the National Museum of American History was my favorite. I love history so this was amazing to see and read about. This building is 800,000 square foot and home to the national treasures. My favorite exhibit is the original Star-Spangled Banner. The museum was first opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology but was renamed in 1980. There is three floors to explore.

After leaving the American History Museum, I walked right next door to the Natural History Museum. This place was crowded. It was hard to get around making it difficult to see a lot. This museum opened in 1910 and has 325,000 square feet of exhibits. There is over 146 million specimens to explore. I had time to spare because my ticket to the Air & Space Museum wasn't until 1:00 so I decided to grab lunch in the cafe while resting in the air conditioner.

My $35 cheeseburger lunch from Atrium Cafe turned into just fruit as the burger was horrible. I took two bites and tossed it. The fruit was fresh and a good snack with the added pure sugar iced coffee. Save yourself some money and grab something from the food kiosk outside. I looked for food trucks to try but all I could find was ice cream.

On my way to the next museum, I walked around the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. There was some strange pieces of art in there but I did really love this tree. This is the most recent addition to the National Mall opening in 1999. The exhibits are placed around a centered fountain which is converted into an ice-skating ring from December to March. There is also a Pavilion Cafe adjacent to the garden.

I passed by the United States Capitol after leaving the Garden and on my way to the Air and Space Museum. This building is the seat of the United States Congress. The central sections was built in 1800 but burned in the 1814 Burning of Washington. It was rebuilt in five years and then expanded in the 1850s. The south wing is the House of Representatives and the north wing is the Senate. The dome on top was completed in 1866.

The Air and Space Museum requires a ticket to enter. You have one hour after your ticket time to enter the museum but you can not go in early. It is a good idea to get in line early. By the time my ticket time rolled around, the line was around the building. The people in line early also gets to stand in the shade cover. This museum was very interesting. There was a lot of great exhibits to enjoy. However when I visited a portion of the building was closed so I feel like I missed out on part of the museum.

The building was opened in 1976 and it the fourth most visited museum in the United States and eleventh most in the world. The museum is 760,000 square foot of aviation and planetary science with some fun exhibits like the model of the starship Enterprise used in the Star Trek Series.

Next I was off to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This also requires a ticket with a $1 fee if getting online. It is a good 0.8 mile walk from the Air and Space Museum but you get to pass by the gorgeous castle. I was not happy to see a protest going on right in front of the museum. I thought this was very disrespectfully as once you enter the museum part, it was mostly silence. I don't think I have ever experienced anything like that. The place was packed with people, yet nobody was talking.

At the entrance you pick up an ID card which tells a story of a real person who lived during the Holocaust. My card told the story of Paula Wajcman. She was 14 when she was shot hiding in a small bunker her family made with her father on September 24, 1942.

This museum opened in 1993 dedicated to the documentation of the Holocaust. It is home to over 12,750 artifacts, 49 million pages of documents, 85,000 historical photographs, 1,000 hours of archival footage and 9,000 oral history testimonies. Inside is also the Hall of Remembrance which is the official memorial to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Visitors can light candles or just view the eternal flame.

After leaving the Holocaust Memorial Museum, I headed to the International Spy Museum which is across from my hotel. In my opinion, this museum wasn't worth the $40 ticket price. There is an extra charge to visit the James Bond Exhibit which I opted out of. This would be fun if you like games as it is heavy on the interactive part of the experience. At the start, you are given a badge and secret identity. From there you watch a intro video before you enter the exhibits and are supposed to use your ID to complete missions. There was way to many people in there so it was hard to see displays and what I did see was boring. The gift shop is pretty cool though. I should have just went there and skipped the museum. I really only went because it was across from my hotel.

I had plans to walk to the Wharf for dinner but after walking all day, my feet said no more. Before going back to my room, I went into L'Enfant Plaza and grab a pasta meal to eat while I relaxed in my room.

Sunday, August 31

I got up early and got ready to head home. I left the hotel around 7:00 am, taking the metro to Union Station. My ticket was for the Cardinal 51 at 10:59 am so I used the extra time to eat breakfast at Starbucks and to explore Union Station. Most of the shopping area doesn't open until 10:30 am so I missed out on a lot of cool stuff and had to entertain myself for hours. The gate to board the Cardinal only showed up 10 minutes before it was time to board.

The train arrived on time. This time, I was given a seat number because every seat was full. I sat beside a lady from Parkersburg and we got to pass the time chatting some. I arrived back into Charleston around 9 pm, walked across the South Side Bridge, grabbed my car and made my way home.

Conclusion

This was a really fun and exhausting weekend trip. I got to see so much in such a short amount of time. I do plan on going back so I can visit the other museums and I need to do better with my food choices. I also forgot to take a cellphone battery pack. With all my picture taking and google map use, it was running out of juice and a battery pack would have been nice for the quick charge while walking.

I ended up walked over 13 miles in total. I can't see kids being able to do this so keep that in mind while making plans. There is bikes and scooters you can rent but I just used my two feet. The area is much bigger then you might think. I also had great weather with temp being in the low 70's with a nice breeze so going late August was a good choice.

If you haven't visited Washington, DC, I recommend you go and enjoy all the wonderful free museums.