resmarie

Early birds today, though a bit tired, maybe we finally realize we are on vacation? The plan was to visit Washington and take the Hop on hop off bus, but even I did not feel like it this morning. It was a lot of work going into town.

Instead we decided to go to the Air and Space Museum close to Dulles Airport, information www.airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center.  We arrived among the first visitors at 9.30 and enjoyed the sights of a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, early wooden airplanes and a Concorde. Most impressive was of course the space shuttle Discovery, a huge thing placed in the middle of the second hangar of the museum.

We saw three different IMAX movies, Living in the Age of Airplanes told by Harrison Ford (the best one, how airplanes affects us all by getting us closer together and delivering goods etc), Journey to Space (about space journeys with awesome sound effects, in 3D) and Hidden Universe (also 3D but a bit strange though interesting, we are all part of a star?). Information on www.si.edu/imax. You get a rebate after the first film.

There is also an air and space museum on the National Mall in Washington but the Swedish family we met in Shenandoah said the one in Dulles is better. We were happy with it. Since it was raining and impossible to see anything, the observation tower was closed, otherwise you are supposed to get a view of all of Dulles Airport.

After the museum we went to the shopping centre near our hotel, Arvid had a haircut. We also managed to fill up the car with gas and since my Swedish card did not work we had to pay cash in advance. 20 dollars gave about half a tank.

Now we are just resting at the hotel, looking forward to driving to State College, Pennsylvania, tomorrow.

We decided we did so much yesterday we could sleep late today, and we also had milk in the fridge and cereals for breakfast! We planned to go to the Air and Space Museum in Washington but were so late we were afraid that the parking garage would be full.

Instead we took out another brochure we had found about the Blue Ridge Parkway. Do you remember John Denver and Country road, take me home etc? He sings about Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River. Arvid had been talking about walking the Appalachian Trail and was keen on the park. Information www.nps.gov/shen.

The hotel reception told us to take the 28 south, continue on 66 and then take the Interstate 81. We took a short cut around Warrenton, it took about 1 hrs 45 min to reach the park. For 20 USD we were let in on the Skyline Drive, the Thornton Gap Entrance.

We stopped to look at the maps and find out what to do and met a Swedish family who had driven the other way, who gave us some useful information.

The Skyline Drive was constructed in the 30s for people wanting to make car excursions but also to enjoy nature. We could easily picture old cars and people agreeing to meet at the different viewpoints.

Since it was very foggy today the viewpoints did not offer any special sights. The scenery was nice but not extraordinary.

We stayed at Mile 39.1 an easy 0,9 round trip called Little Stony Man. A nice walk but the clouds were in the way when we reached the view point.

At Mile 41.7 we stayed at Skyland to eat and to do some shopping for souvenirs. Nice place and a good rest from all the driving.

A final stay at Big Meadows and Byrd Visitor Center at about Mile 53. We giggled when we saw the information since it is very different to what would have been presented in Sweden. Here all the men (not many women obviously) who made the park possible were introduced. Old songs were sung and the activities of man was well described. None of this would have been shown at home. Instead there would have been pictures of about three frogs, two birds and five plants that would be on the verge of becoming extinct. A full model of how the area was created and at what time in history. Maybe a date of when the park was started and nothing more about that. Leaving the area we discussed the different views on nature held by the Americans and the Swedes, if religion played any role in this and that kept us both awake until we left the park at Swift Run Gap Entrance.

Road 33 to the 81 and we stopped for coffee and books at Books-a-million, I think in Harrisonburg. Then the other way around, 66 East and 28 North to Subway and an evening meal. Arvid is now reading a new book about the Appalachian Trail and I am worrying about my camera that is completely dead. Since my phone was completely dead yesterday but has now returned, I hope for the same for my camera. If so, there will be some pictures on this blog.

Since we fell asleep early it felt OK to get up before 7, after all, time was close to 1 PM at home. Arvid didn’t quite agree, he had been training at home through late nights, but he got up. We went to Subway to get some kind of decent breakfast, and with help from a map from the hotel we managed to find the metro station.

Confusion in the parking garage, why do we not check in or pay? Nothing to put behind the windscreen? No, everything will be paid when you leave, nobody cares how long you will be staying.

Confusion by the ticket machine, how do we get a ticket? The kind staff helped us, we bought two farecards and filled them with 25 dollars each.

The train took about 45 min and we got off on the Smithsonian, didn’t find our way and walked around the impressive department of agriculture.

We started with the Natural History Museum. It is a fantastic museum, beautifully arranged, interesting facts and various fields. We managed to see two IMAX films, Mysteries of the unseen world and Dinosaurs Alive. I planned to sleep during the dinosaurs, I think I have seen enough of them after two boys, but the film was actually capturing and I was awake the whole time. For more information about the IMAX, see www.si.edu/imax. For information about the museum see www.nmnh.si.edu.

We went around all of the museum and stared fascinated at the lady who had various jars with her and gave around a cockroach for kids and parents to hold and look at. The green caterpillar that came next clung to her hand. Eventually we got tired and finished our visit by eating in the basement, not the best place but quite all right and well needed to keep the energy up.

We walked towards the White House but had to wait for a Chinese demonstration with people in yellow t-shirts telling us to fight the Chinese communist party. The white house was unbelievably small but lots of people had come to look at it. We took pictures and then decided it was time to take the train back “home”.

Back in the car we decided that we could not return to the hotel, then we would fall asleep immediately. A brochure said something about Waterloo Premium outlet in Leesburg and I knew I had seen the name Leesburg when we were trying to go somewhere else. So we went to Leesburg and there was, as always in the US, signs to follow and we had no problem finding the outlet with about 100 different shops. After coffee and a few hours at the outlet Arvid had bought a new jacket and I found a pair of jeans. Information www.premiumoutlets.com.

We also managed to find our way home. However, there would be nothing to eat waiting for us and it would be nice to have at least some fruit. So we went to Walmart close to our hotel and did some shopping.

No problem falling asleep after more than 12 hours “holiday”.

Efter en lång vår med influensor och mycket jobb känns det att det är dags för semester. Arvid och jag har sedan länge bestämt oss för att hälsa på kompisar i USA och har lite lyxigt bokat SAS direktflyg från Köpenhamn till Washington. Jag måste göra något fel vid bokningen för när vi kom fick vi besked om att vi skulle få våra platser vid gaten. Vid gaten förklarade de att alla ekonomiplatser var bokade när vi checkade in, och då var vi ändå tidiga vid incheckningen. De höll på att flytta folk till ekonomi plus, ja tack, sade jag, där vill vi gärna sitta. Platserna blev våra och vi hade en bra flight över Atlanten.

Jag brukar inte vilja köra direkt efter flygresa med tidsomställning men denna gång flög vi 12 på dagen och var framme 15 på eftermiddagen så det kändes som om det skulle ordna sig. Klassiskt rollspel utspelade sig när vi kom till biluthyrningen via en transferbuss.

-          Jag har hyrt (och betalt i förväg) en van och skulle vilja hämta den.

-          Vi har tyvärr ingen van inne för tillfället. Går det bra med den svarta GMC som står utanför?

-          Nej tack, jag har beställt en van och vill gärna ha det. Den röda utanför är snygg.

-          Den är uthyrd. Kan du gå ut och titta på GMCn?

Arvid och jag går ut och tittar.

-          Den är för liten. Jag vill gärna ha den van som jag beställt. Jag gillar den röda.

-          Kanske kan ni titta på Forden lite längre bort?

Arvid och jag går ut och tittar.

-          Det finns inget benutrymme och sätena längst bak går inte att sitta i. Jag vill gärna ha vanen som jag förbeställt och betalat för.

-          Jag får ringa vår kontakt på en annan uthyrningsfirma.

Tid går. Vi står lugnt och tittar på ingenting. Den röda bilen kör iväg.

-          Då får ni KIA Sedonian som står på plats A26.

Jaha, där har den stått hela tiden, så nu är denna charaden över. Ledsen att du inte kunde tjäna några pengar på att lämna ut en mindre bil än vad jag betalt för. Då börjar nästa omgång.

-          Vi rekommenderar att ni tar en extra försäkring.

-          Jag har redan betalt för full försäkring.

-          Ja, men denna försäkring gäller bara bilen. Den gäller inte om det händer passagerarna något.

-          Nej tack, vi har hemförsäkring.

-          Vill du ha bärgningsassistans om det händer något? Inte roligt att stå stilla på vägen.

Och så håller det på. Det blev inget extra för mannen denna gång. Innan vi tog bilen gick vi runt och kollade skadorna, fyllde i på besiktningslappen, lämnade en och behöll en annan.

Var tvungen att visa min okunskap när vi körde ut, ska jag tanka diesel eller bensin?

Arvid och jag (särskilt jag) var väldigt nöjd med vår van, 7 rejäla platser och ändå plats till packning. En fantastiskt bra början på vår resa.

Arvid dirigerade mig tappert runt kring flygplatsen men det tog lång tid innan vi hittade rätt till vårt motell, Suburban Extended Stays vid Dulles Airport. Helt OK men inget märkvärdigt. Skönt att inte behöva köra allt för långt. När vi väl kom fram orkade vi inte fixa mer och här finns ingenting i matväg att köpa, så det blev läsk och saltkringlor från automaten till kvällsmat. Jaja, det kan bara bli bättre.