Looking Back on D.C. Visit

On our trip to Washington, D.C. this past week, Melissa and I enjoyed exploring the sights, most of them centering on the Mall...this despite the fact that in the middle of it all I experienced a severe, painful dental emergency and had to undergo a root canal!  Still, during the "toothache" part of the stay I managed to dissociate the pain from the very interesting touring we were doing...I really got to dig being in our capital city.  Our hotel was just a block south of the Mall area, right near the Smithsonian Space and Air Museum.  After check-in late Tuesday afternoon, we walked out to the middle of the Mall to survey the scene...the Capitol building to the east and the Washington Monument to the west, with the Lincoln Memorial behind it.  Wednesday we made a day of visiting the Capitol and also ventured into the adjacent Library of Congress for a while.  Thursday, alas, had me first undergo my adventure in D.C. dentistry...thankfully they graciously fit me into their schedule and did a great job...after which we went on an evening open-window trolley tour through the capital, starting from the beautiful Union Station and stopping at the Lincoln Memorial, Iwo Jima stature, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  Friday we explored some of the museums and gardens near our hotel as the rain began to fall outside from the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Willa. And yesterday we returned.  There is so much to explore in this great city and its surroundings that just three full days looking around doesn't even began to scratch the surface.  In coming articles I'll write from time to time in greater detail about some of these and other aspects of our trip and stay.  Right now, I'm very happy to be back home!