US Trip – 2024 Edition – Page 6

Traveling across the North-East of United States, focusing mainly on New York but also visiting neighboring states all the way down to Washington. D.C. We find some great food, music and sights in a week long trip.

Day 5 – March 6, 2024 – Washington, D.C.

Our next options were either staying in Philadelphia and then going back to New York, or going further south. And so that we decided to go to Washington, D.C.

After making a stop for breakfast (of course it was another Philly Cheesesteak), we got back on I-95 and drove through Delaware, crossed the Susquehanna River and made it all the way to Maryland. Before our main stop at D.C., it looked like a good idea to visit Baltimore first. Just a quick stop for an hour to see the city and we didn’t regret it one bit.

Baltimore is the most populous independent city of the United States with a population almost 600,000. The land of Baltimore was used as hunting ground by Paleo-Indians. Port of Baltimore was established in 1706 to support trades of tobacco with Europe. The city also briefly served as nation’s capital.

During our short stay in Baltimore, we visited the City Hall. Close to it, there is the Battle Monument. The monument honors those who died during the War of 1812. Busy place is Washington Place in the Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood. You can find statues of important American historical figures there. These include John Eager Howard, George Washington (in the form of a monument), and Marquis de Lafayette. There’s also a sculpture of George Peabody as well as a Methodist Church.

What we missed was the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed a few weeks after our visit of Baltimore. Our next (and last) stop would be Washington, D.C.

The Baltimore-Washington Parkway is incredibly busy and even though it’s only 60 kilometers from Baltimore to D.C., it takes more than an hour and a half to drive there. It’s the rainiest day of our trip so far but it’s not going to stop us from enjoying our time in the capital city of the United States.

If you enter Washington, D.C. through New York Avenue Bridge, you will see art piece which was constructed in 2013. It’s called Gateway Wings and it’s made of two parts, one on each side of the highway.

As we wanted to park our car as close as possible to the White House, we drove through 16th Street, past the Lafayette Square and found a garage there. Our first steps led to the White House where you find TV crews filming Muslims-Christians-Jews protestors calling for ceasefire in Gaza.

Center of Washington, D.C. is full of monuments, memorials, museums. Washington Monument is 169 meters tall and it was built in the second half of 19th century to commemorate the first US president. Then you have the World War II memorial dedicated to 16 million American soldiers serving during the war. Passing by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, we make it all the way to Lincoln Memorial. Construction of the Memorial began in 1914 and finished 8 years later. The Memorial honors the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln led the US through American Civil War and was assassinated in 1865.

Before returning to New York, we went for lunch to P.J. Clarke’s, saloon established in 1884, making it one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in NYC. Originating in New York City, nowadays it also operates in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

It’s time for return though. Almost 400 kilometers drive back to New York City. Before leaving D.C., we take a closer look at the United States Capitol and then back on the highway. Short stop and Popeyes on the gas station in New Jersey and we’re back to Manhattan, where we return our car after close to 1,000 kilometers.