Our granddaughter, KC is almost 10 and hadn't been to Washington, D.C. yet. We decided this would be the perfect opportunity although we hated leaving our grandson, JD.
We've been blessed with good luck on most of our trips. This would not be one of them.
First, the outdoor temperature was 99 degrees F (37.22 C), but the heat index was 112 degrees F (44.44 C).
Tiffany had paid ahead of time for 1PM reservations for the Washington Monument through the park service. Although it's free to go there, you can pay $1.50 a person to guarantee a time.
We'd also arranged for a White House tour through Mark Takai's (Hawaii's representative) office, but was denied by the White House after they changed the way you made reservations a few weeks prior to our visit. You have to make requests directly to the White House now.
Ahhh well...
We spent time cooling off at the Museum of Natural History. KC LOVED seeing all the rocks, minerals and gems. I don't think the Hope Diamond necessarily amazed her though.
However, she was thrilled to see the penny molding machine again. Her collection of pressed pennies was growing!
I wanted to stay in the air conditioning for the rest of the day, but it was soon time to trudge to the Washington monument for our tour.
KC was excited about going up the tall structure.
Would you believe it was CLOSED for maintenance?!?!? Arrrghhh! We'd gotten NO warning in advance. Instead, Tiffany got an email 3 hours later saying the monument was closed and there were no refunds on the processing fee.
We then walked to the Lincoln Monument. We had lots of water and tried to stay in shaded areas on the walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln, but the heat was oppressive.
This is when despite my solar umbrella and drinks of water, I was hit by heat exhaustion. I even stepped into the somewhat air conditioned gift shop at the memorial and couldn't stop sweating profusely. I was also feeling a bit light headed.
We did rest a bit and saw the WWII and Vietnam Memorial.
Eventually we made it to the American History Museum where we downed two HUGE glasses of cold drinks and rested.
Seeing the Greensboro Lunch counter where those black students made their brave attempt to focus on race equality was inspiring.
Then seeing Michelle Obama's 2nd inaugural gown made me smile.
We're making gains.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't backslide in November.
After a lovely dinner at Daikaya Ramen (KC loves noodles) we went back to the excellent Fairfield Inn and Suites and unwound!
I got over 20,000 steps on my Fitbit that day! But we were all exhausted!
We've been blessed with good luck on most of our trips. This would not be one of them.
First, the outdoor temperature was 99 degrees F (37.22 C), but the heat index was 112 degrees F (44.44 C).
Tiffany had paid ahead of time for 1PM reservations for the Washington Monument through the park service. Although it's free to go there, you can pay $1.50 a person to guarantee a time.
We'd also arranged for a White House tour through Mark Takai's (Hawaii's representative) office, but was denied by the White House after they changed the way you made reservations a few weeks prior to our visit. You have to make requests directly to the White House now.
Ahhh well...
We spent time cooling off at the Museum of Natural History. KC LOVED seeing all the rocks, minerals and gems. I don't think the Hope Diamond necessarily amazed her though.
However, she was thrilled to see the penny molding machine again. Her collection of pressed pennies was growing!
I wanted to stay in the air conditioning for the rest of the day, but it was soon time to trudge to the Washington monument for our tour.
KC was excited about going up the tall structure.
Would you believe it was CLOSED for maintenance?!?!? Arrrghhh! We'd gotten NO warning in advance. Instead, Tiffany got an email 3 hours later saying the monument was closed and there were no refunds on the processing fee.
We then walked to the Lincoln Monument. We had lots of water and tried to stay in shaded areas on the walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln, but the heat was oppressive.
This is when despite my solar umbrella and drinks of water, I was hit by heat exhaustion. I even stepped into the somewhat air conditioned gift shop at the memorial and couldn't stop sweating profusely. I was also feeling a bit light headed.
We did rest a bit and saw the WWII and Vietnam Memorial.
Eventually we made it to the American History Museum where we downed two HUGE glasses of cold drinks and rested.
Seeing the Greensboro Lunch counter where those black students made their brave attempt to focus on race equality was inspiring.
Then seeing Michelle Obama's 2nd inaugural gown made me smile.
We're making gains.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't backslide in November.
After a lovely dinner at Daikaya Ramen (KC loves noodles) we went back to the excellent Fairfield Inn and Suites and unwound!
I got over 20,000 steps on my Fitbit that day! But we were all exhausted!
I visited Washington in August and also took to the museums to keep cool. I did the walking tour of monuments and that was exhausting and hot. Well worth doing though. I did think the museums fabulous though.
ReplyDeleteI went to the museum and loved the war memorials, but I was there in March when the weather was pretty perfect. I get heat exhaustion easily, so I would have been miserable, too. Glad you're okay now. :-)
ReplyDelete20000 steps is a lot! So sorry the trip didn't go as planned but it was good family time, despite the heat.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it through. KC will remember it too, though not for the heat.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you visited when our heat was so bad. It has now broken into lovely fall weather...although we will still have three days of heat at the end of this week!
ReplyDeleteOh boy Kay, a few set backs and those high temperatures. I am glad you had the museums to cool down in. I enjoyed seeing the city through your camera lens.
ReplyDeleteI love Washington, but we took air conditioned buses everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWell done for persevering in that awful heat. I'm sure KC enjoyed herself.
ReplyDeleteheat can do it to you...I've never seen those important historical sites and probably won't.
ReplyDeleteYou managed DC during that heat wave? I'm surprised you saw as much as you did. It was terribly terribly hot.
ReplyDeleteWow. What an ordeal. I'm sorry that you didn't get to do the things you had your heart set on and planned for so carefully.
ReplyDeleteThe Monument of Licoln looks impressive
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you took the trip so I don't have to. Yikes! 20,000 steps and many taken as you turned away from anticipated events. Arrrghhh! is right.
ReplyDeleteSO hot! I once had heat exhaustion in Kona, at a secluded black sandy beach. Felt dizzy and saw stars and blackness. Uncle put me under a tree and after drinking water, I was all better. Scary.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like one advantage of the heat was less crowds. I've never been to Washington DC so I appreciate seeing it through your eyes, mahalo!
Washington in cherry blossom time -- note to self!
ReplyDeleteThat has happened to us too -- finding things cancelled once you get there.
ReplyDeleteAm enjoying the accounts and photos of your trips. Much to see there I'd like to go back to view as only had limited time there years ago one time and just drove past the White House another time before that trip. How disappointing you didnt get to tour the White House. or the Monument. The humidity would limit my activities. Glad you didnt have a more serious reaction.
ReplyDeleteIt would certainly be disappointing for a kid to find that after reserving you couldn't go up the monument. I didn't get up either. I was at a conference and had very little time for touristy things.
ReplyDeleteIt has been about 30 years since we visited DC. We did not have heat that oppressive, but it was hot. But then i was much younger and could handle discomfort better. It is an exciting place to visit.
ReplyDeleteAw. Looks like a fun and epic day. I'd love to visit that place myself.
ReplyDeleteMy wife really wants to visit DC and hope we get to go one day
ReplyDeleteI think with that heat, you can double your steps. You have my permission. You are far more stalwart than I. Impressed that you kept going. The Museum would have been my favorite place. Too bad about the White House though.
ReplyDeleteOh my how I would love to see all that but not in the heat. I just can't take the heat anymore.
ReplyDeleteSorry you were ill. I loved the scultpural exhibit near there!
ReplyDelete