Washington, DC

On the way to DC we stopped off at some outlets in between to catch up with my dad and do some shopping. It was a nice afternoon and I ended up buying some running shoes (will post all buys from this trip later). Now all I have to do is find some time to run, I guess I'll save them for Norway where I will have to supplement my lack of surfing with other activities. Hopefully I'll find a handball team to join actually!

We made it to DC on the night of the 3rd so we could spend 2 nights and be there the entire 4th of July. It was hot and humid during the day (# Chiara) but cooled off in the evening. The hostel we booked was a shambles but at least was clean and secure. By a shambles I mean overbooked with people losing beds and some even having to sleep on couches near reception. Do not go to The Capital Comfort Hostel.

The city itself was clean, had nice buildings and wide streets. The parade was pretty cool and a good American experience in my mind. Seeing The White House was a major disappointment. You can't get close to it and looking through the gates it's tiny. I much preferred The Portrait Gallery and The Lincoln Memorial. I'd been super keen to see the big Lincoln statue and it didn't disappoint. The Portrait Gallery I stumbled across accidentally.

Of course there were fireworks in the evening. It was a great show that lasted about 20 minutes and had a large variety of different fireworks. I had never seen the smiley faces before and they were pretty cool. The best were these snaking flare fireworks all at once moving around each other.

One of the largest indoor public areas at The National Portrait Gallery. Such a cool roof.

A good reason to be a cop.

The Lincoln Memorial.