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Day 7

Today saw us venture into the Flatiron District, but not before we stopped in to see the Chrysler Building. We didn’t get the best vantage point for it, but we had seen it from afar a fair bit before so wanted to get up close which gave us a different perspective.

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DS is an aspiring journalist so thought this may be somewhere he ends up one day!
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Then we went to see the Flatiron Building at 175 & 5th Ave, . You might not know it by name but you have probably seen it. The building is very thin, long and not very tall in comparison to most other NYC buildings, as it's only 21 floors.

We also went to Bryant Park, another great green space in this city of skyscrapers. Really relaxed feel about it. There were some markets going on and just people enjoying the outdoors in general.

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Building used for the exterior shots of Atlantis World Media headquarters in Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom.
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This truck was promoting a new app. It puts you in touch with people who will wait in a queue for you. yes you read that right, queue holders!

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Flatiron Building

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Day 7 Part 2

[wiki]

Union Square is an important and historic intersection and surrounding neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, located where Broadway and the former Bowery Road – now Fourth Avenue came together in the early 19th century; its name denotes that "here was the union of the two principal thoroughfares of the island" rather than celebrating either the Federal union of the United States or labor unions . The current Union Square Park is bounded by 14th Street on the south, Union Square West on the west side, 17th Street on the north, and on the east Union Square East, which links together Broadway and Park Avenue South to Fourth Avenue and the continuation of Broadway. The park is under the aegis of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.


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Believe it or not the next photo is a Clock…

So how exactly does the clock work? “The Passage” is a 15-digit clock that counts the time from midnight. When read left to right, the seven numbers to the left count the hours and minutes that have passed since midnight. When read right to left, the seven numbers to the right counts the hours and minutes remaining until midnight. The number in the middle is a hundredth of a second and is just a blur to the naked eye.

For example, if the clock reads 070437000235616, it means that 7 hours, 4 minutes, 37 seconds, and 0 tenths of a second have passed since midnight. Therefore, it is 7:04 AM (and you’re still drunk in Union Square). There are also 16 hours, 56 minutes, 23 seconds, and 0 tenths of a second until the next midnight.

if you want to know more then …

https://nyulocal.com/solving-the-union-square-numbers-once-and-for-all-a3a1d5f6b8df

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Day 7 Part 3

We went down to Central Park again in the afternoon as we wanted to take another photo of us all like we did in winter at the Bethesda Fountain. I brought my tripod with me on the trip so it was easy to set up and take.

Winter & Summer Comparisons (18 months apart)
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After that, another walk through this magnificent park

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Day 8

Our final full day in NYC (for this time) took us down to Chinatown and Little Italy. Lots of walking followed by a bit of eating!

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Some photos of our apartment in New York. We stayed at the Beacon Hotel which is in the Upper Westside. A really great area and I’d totally recommend it. We did have a slight issue with one of the check in staff at the main desk, but I wouldn’t let this spoil our feeling for the hotel or the area.


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Taken just before we left so a little messy.
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The kitchen was great for breakfast for croissant and bagels that we bought each day from the market across the road.
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Great to have so much space With a seperate living and meals area in New York
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Day 9


Interesting morning, Uber didn't show up. Taxi wouldn't take us ended up walking from hotel to 72nd st subway (not too far) and catching subway to Penn Station with all our luggage in tow to get our Amtrak train to DC. Little stressful for us but we've calmed down and went to relax in the Acela lounge before our train trip. I did just buy DS 3 copies of the same magazine so he could get the three different Star Wars covers !

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We, along with a few others, used a Red Cap which the lounge arranged for us. I couldn’t believe the amount of luggage he carried on his cart. We got taken to the train first and got settled in quickly. Before long we were being offered a drink

It was 2hr:55mins, very relaxing , had a nice meal along the way and saw some nice countryside

Video of our setup on the Acela NYC to DC service


Some photos of the trip.

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Loving reading the trip report. NY looks amazing. Thanks for the points tips. I have got a credit card that had a mediocre points award at the start - about 40000, but now I'm reading that I could have got much bigger! bummer.
 


Day 9 Part 2

Our adventures today continue. We arrived at Union Station, our car was there to pick us up and we were before to long arriving at the historic Willard InterContinental and when walked inside the lobby we were greeted by a dozen Secret Service Police, metal detectors, and baggage X-ray machines! Least we feel we're in a pretty safe hotel! We found out it's because the Indian Prime Minister and his entourage are staying here. The Secret Service police were great. They did laughingly comment about the size of DW’s suitcase as it only just fit through the X-ray machine!


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Here are some photos of our room/suite

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The view from the window of the lounge of the Washington Monument was fantastic
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And here is a walkthrough of the suite.


There is a lot of history in this hotel. I wrote a bit about it in my last trip report. I’ll repost that info here for anyone who may not have seen it and is interested.

I was reading various blogs and hotel review and the more I read about the Willard the more I really liked it. I had learned that President Lincoln had stayed here as had many other presidents. The bill for Lincolns stay was framed and was hanging in the lobby. I also learned various political advocates used to wait in the ‘lobby’ of this hotel for an opportunity to talk to the then President Ulysses S. Grant to push their agenda and so the term ‘lobbist’ was coined.
 
Loving reading the trip report. NY looks amazing. Thanks for the points tips. I have got a credit card that had a mediocre points award at the start - about 40000, but now I'm reading that I could have got much bigger! bummer.

Well CC companies are pretty generous with giving people their cards so you can alway get another one or two! Of course just be sure to spend wisely or you could be in trouble!!

I'm glad you like the report thanks. NY is just a fantastic city and I'm so glad we got to see it in summer also. I would like to experience it when it is snow covered though it seems like it can get pretty extreme pretty quickly so I'd always be a bit apprehensive about that. I'm sure (hope) we will get back there in winter again one day to experience that.
 
What lovely photos of you and your family :) - especially liked the 'winter and summer comparisons'. Looks like you had a great time just soaking up the atmosphere and the beautiful architecture.
 
Brilliant pictures and loving your report now I have time to catch up with it! Making me want to go back to NYC SOON!! (NB which program are you now using to post with - Fickr?) Also whenever we next visit we must go looking for more of the statues that you photographed in Central Park and that we missed - but then so much artwork in NYC, I imagine it takes a lot of visits to unearth them all. We really loved the different feel of each of the different areas in NYC. Since we stayed in Chelsea we bordered Greenwich and the Meatpackers District so it was fun exploring those areas and so different to the Upper East and West sides. Like you I also love how green and in places, "wild", central park is. Awaiting your report on Boston with interest never having visited but having heard a lot of people who rave about it but obviously you, less so?
 
Brilliant pictures and loving your report now I have time to catch up with it! Making me want to go back to NYC SOON!! (NB which program are you now using to post with - Fickr?) Also whenever we next visit we must go looking for more of the statues that you photographed in Central Park and that we missed - but then so much artwork in NYC, I imagine it takes a lot of visits to unearth them all. We really loved the different feel of each of the different areas in NYC. Since we stayed in Chelsea we bordered Greenwich and the Meatpackers District so it was fun exploring those areas and so different to the Upper East and West sides. Like you I also love how green and in places, "wild", central park is. Awaiting your report on Boston with interest never having visited but having heard a lot of people who rave about it but obviously you, less so?

i'm using Imgur. really bummed that my previous trip report is ruined with the Photobucket changes. I'm going to try and upload and relink the photos from the previous ones, but that will take some time for sure.

I was so very much looking forward to Boston. I don't know what it was about it that didn't live up to our expectations. I am glad I've seen it but I wouldn't be rushing back in a hurry, though DC & NYC I'd be back in a heartbeat
 
What lovely photos of you and your family :) - especially liked the 'winter and summer comparisons'. Looks like you had a great time just soaking up the atmosphere and the beautiful architecture.

thank you very much. I look back on the photos from all our trips and the memories they bring me, get me through a lot.

The winter and summer comparison for both NYC & DC was so stark. We are very lucky to have experienced both seasons. I really want to see DC in the Spring with the Cherry Blossoms blooming next! and a snow covered NYC is definitely still on the bucket list
 
Day 9 Part 3

We went for a walk around DC. Because we had been here before we knew our way around a little so we headed straight for the North side of the White House.
We were met with blocked streets and more Secret Service Police directing everyone to wait. There was a motorcade on it way and they had closed Pennsylvania Ave & 15th st. It didn't take too long, maybe 5/10 mins, then we were let on our way again and we got to some familiar sites.

Streets blocked for the motorcade
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The Capitol
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They have kept the public back even further that they were in 2015
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The National Christmas Tree
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Day 9 part 4

Some night time photos from our suite. When I look at these I am so glad that I packed my tripod ..correction DS's tripod (he would want me to correct myself!)

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Captured a plane taking off from Ronald Reagan International Airport
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Day 10

Today we walked to one of the Smithsonian, The Museum for American History , which covered such a wide range of historical topics, I couldn't begin to list them all. I'll just post some of our photos and I mean just some as I took 100's , these just scratch the surface, so much to see and explore in this place.

I did make some notes in the Harry Potter notebook I bought so I could jog my memory when I got back and came to writing my trip report!

The museum covered a lot of history , below are just some :

Inventions, eg lightbulb, electricity, water turbines etc

Automotive

The river transportations, trains & cars

Revolutionary war and History of Independence

Currency

Japanese Interment – this was really quite moving

Popular Culture

Presidential




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The kid mannequins were a bit creepy
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Electric Socks!
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I remember this packaging
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I thought these looked Lightsaber!
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Abstract US Flag
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This section was really eye-opening and quite emotional
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Wall of Presidents
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There were some other artifacts here from the German regime in the war inc the Nazi swastika flag but I couldn't bring myself to take a photo of it.
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Day 10 Part 2

A short stroll down the National Mall and we were at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum opened in September 2016 and is VERY busy, so busy that you need to get timed tickets to enter. The Concierge arranged ours for us or you can do it online. they don't cost anything, but because it is so popular being so new, you need to get tickets to visit.

The museum takes you on a journey from the 1400's to current day. There is a large section on slavery, the fight for freedom, segregation laws and the civil rights movement. It was a most educational and sometimes eye-opening experience.

While it was very crowded, it seems to me that the design and layout of the exhibits actually hinder the flow of people through it. For instance, to start everyone has to go into this large lift to go down three floors where the exhibit starts. This creates a massive bottleneck from the get go and then everyone following the same track so it's a snails place.

Also in the Galleries we also found that there were lots of parts where you got to a dead end and had to then double back which just caused congestion. Maybe it wouldn't have been noticeable if it wasn't so busy but when we went it was and this is what we observed.

The slavery section was very moving, I didn’t realise how far back slavery went (1400’s)

I was also really interested in the section which went through the conflict and the “compromises” for the states when considering or being challenged fo the continuation of slavery in their states.

National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Little did we know we would have an encounter with Oprah later on in the trip! stay tuned...
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no fake news here
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Day 11 Mount Vernon - George Washington Estate

Today we went to Mount Vernon - George Washington's Estate in Virginia. It was about a 30min Uber from the hotel and cost $29. Driving through Virginia it really felt like we were in the countryside, tree lined winding roads, which reminded us a lot of around Mt Tamborine for those that know that area.
We got to the Estate and it is huge. We had a tour of the mansion booked for 11:55 , we arrived about 11:20 and they told us we should make our way directly there as it was a bit of a walk. The Mansion tour was interesting to see and we got to hear a bit of history which was good, though overall a bit over rated and priced in all honesty. It was $20/person ($18 online), was probably worth $5-10, but hey you get that.

Good to see ad hear the history but quite basic. Quite a long wait before it starts despite being given tour time. This is when you line up. Visited rooms inside the mansion including servants house, Main receiving room, parlours, bedrooms, study an kitchen. Also other buildings not attached to mansion, Stable, smokehouse and laundry.

The vista out to the Potomac River is quite spectacular. We also got to see the Washington Tomb, both his current resting place and the Old tomb.

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The Mansion
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Servants house
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View out to the Potomac
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Kitchen
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Smoke house
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Martha & George Washington's resting place (George Washington in RHS sarcophagus)
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Day 11 Mount Vernon Part 2

There were are number of other buildings , sights and memorials, including a Slave Memorial, on the Estate also. they use the term "enslaved persons" instead of slaves in most instances on the estate which they say they do so out of respect, though still an abhorrent practice. It was interesting to learn how Washington's view on slavery changed over time to the point that in his Will he declared that all his owned slaves were to be given their freedom. There is also a Museum and Education Centre but no photos allowed in there.Lots of artifacts and documents from Washington's life. Well worth a trip.

Lunch was at the food court at Mount Vernon with standard US fare, did have a Papa Johns Pizza.

We spent about 3 hour at Mount Vernon and could have spent another 1-2 hours quite easily.

Going back to hotel I went to order an Uber and read it wrong, I thought it said that they would be 25mins to pick up, so we decided to just get in a taxi which was already there. As it turns out it was 25 min to destination and only minutes to pickup but I didn't work that out till later. The cab ride back was so much more expensive, cost over $50 + tip. Lesson learned. We have caught Ubers here a lot, they are so cheap. We were going to go to Arlington Cemetery, but it started to rain on the way back in the taxi so we just went back to the hotel for some down time.

Dinner that night we went to a restaurant called Georgia Browns on 15th St which was Southern styled cuisine. The food was very flavoursome. I had a deconstructed jambalaya which had lots of flavour but because it was deconstructed it didn't have the stew like flavour/consistency. We walked from the hotel to the restaurant it was on 5/10 mins and being summer daylight was till about 9pm.

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You could do a boat tour on the Potomac, which I think would be a really nice trip.
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Someone wanted to go for a walk!
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