THIS IS BATCH ONE - overview of the trip (without much commentary/opinion, I'll save that for some other time).
Day 1:
Arrived in NYC. It took ages to get out of the airport so we couldn't actually do anything that day. Went to dinner in a pizza place and bought one slice which was the size of a regular pizza here and couldn't finish it. xD Went back to the hotel when GUESS WHO WE SAW OUTSIDE OUR HOTEL?
EDDIE IZZARD.
I got an autograph too! And you can see the Hotel Edison in that photo which is where we stayed.
Day 2:
Took the subway to Battery Park. Got on the ferry to Liberty Island and climbed up the Statue of Liberty where I took this shot:
Then we went back down and around the Statue.
Then back onto the ferry and went to Ellis Island.
Went back to NYC and had lunch in Chinatown.
In the afternoon, we visited Grand Central Station and then the outside of the Rockefeller Centre.
Day 3:
SHOPPING DAY. Went around 34th Street by Macy's, and also around 57th/58th street for FAO Schwartz etc.
Day 4:
Visited Central Park.
Sat around near the Bethesda Fountain.
Oh and it started raining. Heavily.
We visited Greenwich Village and afterwards, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Then we took a subway and saw the Blue Man Group!
Day 5:
Left NYC for Philly on the 'death coach' (no air conditioning and outside temp was in the 100sF).
Saw the Liberty Bell, had lunch at Reading Terminal Market.
Got back on death coach and arrived in Washington 3 hours later than expected because death coach decided to die on us and spent the last 100 miles constantly breaking down and starting again. ;_;
Had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Day 6:
Plan was to visit loads of monuments...in the end, we only visited very few. Heatwave warning was in effect and it was impossible to be outside for much longer without melting.
Walked along the National Mall and past the White House.
Got the view from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial (didn't go up because stairs in 110F heat?).
Went to the Vietnam War Memorial.
Also went to the Korean War Memorial. Then back to the hotel.
In the evening, we went to the National Holocaust Museum. No photos allowed in there but I might scan in the postcards I bought.
Dinner was at Du Pont Circle.
Day 7:
Visited Arlington Cemetery in the morning. Took a look at where the Kennedy's are buried, then to the tomb of the unknown soldier, and then left because it was too hot.
I was struck by how it's a working cemetery, and new graves are being dug all the time...;_;
Afterwards, we had a tour of Congress!
After Congress, we went to the National Archives.
Also passed a Boys Scout Parade (Jamboree?).
Day 8:
Went to the Newseum.
Snapped a pic with my favourite gangster, John Dillinger.
They have a beautiful view of Congress from their balcony.
Then we went to the Museum of American History. They started singing the National Anthem and unfurled a flag in the middle of the day.
In the evening, we went to a baseball game! Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves (Nats won 3-0).
Afterwards, as it was our last day in Washington, we took an evening stroll and saw things at night.
Such as Congress
And the WWII memorial by the Washington Monument.
Day 9:
Visited Air and Space Museum.
Then got on the plane back to England. I took a photo of the sun rising from the window of the plane.
And now I'm home!
