A Starbucks breakfast: regular coffee, and a sausage/cheddar/egg on an English muffin. A walk to the nearest DC Metro Station (Metro Center): the purchase of 3 day passes for our adventure.

masks on

an escalator

squeaks

a ride to posh DuPont Circle. we walk up tree lined sidewalks, past picturesque townhouses. A short ascent, and we arrive at Adams Morgan. Halal markets, a variety of diverse cuisines and a Greenwich Village feel characterize the neighborhood. Walking on to the outskirts of Calorama, we pass colorful townhouses that remind us of the three sisters in San Francisco. After a short detour, we reach another Metro station.

Above a bridge

An AM sign of

RBD

Union Station is no Grand Central, but it’s impressive enough. Columbus circle, with its circumference of flags, showcases the train station’s exterior. A short walk through senate gardens, and we see part of the Capital. A walk past one of the Senate buildings, and we soon reach the Supreme Court. We see the front of the Capital. Magnificent, neoclassical grandeur, sealed behind an iron perimeter fence. Without expensive tickets, we won’t see the inside. After a brief stop outside of the closed Library of Congress, we press on to our time-stamp reservation at the Museum of American History

echoes

of January sixth

afternoon sun

Another metro ride, this time to Smithsonian on the Mall. While seeking food trucks, Frank and I help an elderly woman who collapsed in her wheelchair. Moving on, we decide to visit the museum, hoping for food there. It’s overcrowded cafe featured cold wraps for exorbitant prices. We visit two exhibits, but hunger drives us to seek lunch. After one last failed bid to find food trucks, who’ve been cut off usual locales by all the fireworks street closures, we settle for cafeteria-style fast food in the Ronald Reagan building. Fortified, we return and complete the exhibits we all want to see: Presidents, First Ladies, Democracy, America’s identity. Then, it’s time for a break.

Sore ankle

the fatigue of viewing

exhibits

After resting up at the room, we discuss dinner, and settle on Tony Chiang’s in Chinatown. Mira is skeptical at first, but our dishes prove delicious. As Frank says, “you can’t eat ambience.” After dinner, we ride the metro for our crowning event of the day: the Washington DC fireworks show!

Mongolian Beef

the smooth flavor

of Yellow Tail

We ride to Arlington. Walk the opposite direction, toward the Potomac. Cross a bridge to one of the islands. Sit on the grass and wait. Chatting. Laughing. Resting. The show begins at 9:09. Twin displays over the National Mall, synced perfectly. Rocket after rocket: thunderous sounds and kale de scoping light. The finale awes with sound and light, leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake. It is a triumph!

“USA!”

Headed for the Metro

us and the crowd