26 April - Washington DC

This will be the final blog entry for this trip. Tonight is our last night at the Hyatt Regency hotel here on Capitol Hill.

Tomorrow we fly to LA from Washington's Dulles International Airport and from LA, the 14 hour trek to Melbourne. The forecast for today was rain and thunderstorms so we had decided to make it our shopping day. The main shopping centre for Washington is located in Arlington VA, just across the river from Washington so this morning we once again used a trusty Uber to take us there, and not long after crossing the Potomac we passed the famous Pentagon (Dept of Defense) building on our right hand side.

The Pentagon Mall is a huge multi level shopping extravaganza and we spent a couple of hours there so Mark could get what he needed. By the time we finished here, after a quick lunch at Shake Shack the thunderstorm had truly set in and the resulting rain was of tropical proportions. So, back to the hotel and out of the rain, and all that's left now is to do our final packing and to get ourselves to the airport tomorrow after noon.

What a trip it has been. With modern technology it is easy to plan and book a trip such as this, and now having actually lived through it I am still amazed that all the arrangements we made unfolded perfectly as planned. The main event of the trip was the Boston Marathon. It is quite an experience to watch, over the years, the planning, dedication and commitment Mark has needed to finally get to the starting line in Boston. I feel very privileged to have been able to share with Mark the preliminary events and the finish of the actual run, and then to enjoy, from the sidelines, the congratulations and well wishes of many perfect strangers we encountered along the way.

Beyond Boston we were lucky to be able to extend our trip to New York and Washington which for me meant the opportunity to re-visit some previous experiences, but also to catch up on some for which there was no time on previous visits. Finally, this visit reinforced my earlier impressions of the US and its people. Once again we found without exception, that the people we encountered everywhere were, without exception, friendly, courteous and helpful. 

25 April 2019 - Washington DC

Another nice day today and after a quick breakfast we decided to take an Uber to Arlington Cemetery, America's most famous burial ground. Being spring time here and with the trees in full blossom Arlington was a magnificent sight. We had a quick look around and did what everyone does and that is to visit the JFK burial site. As you look around in every direction it's rolling green hills and white marble monuments. Next we decided to walk from Arlington to the Lincoln Memorial across a bridge over the Potomac.

There are quite a few school groups in town as the moment, but Washington is so large and spread out that it is not really crowded anywhere, and the Lincoln Memorial was well attended but not crowded. Just like our last visit, Abe Lincoln is still sitting there in his large marble chair looking out over the National Mall. Our next visit was to the Martin Luther King memorial which is also a massive statue of the man with the surrounding walls quoting some of his most famous sayings.

From here we continued our walk around a beautiful lake which features the Thomas Jefferson Memorial which ia another wonderful shrine to another famous American.

Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, was a Founding Father of the USA and the third President of the United States. As a product of The Enlightenment he understood the necessity for the separation between Church and the State and ensured it was enshrined in the US Constitution. After spending a little time with Thomas we walked to the Washington Monument with the idea of riding to the observation platform at the top, only to find that it is closed for renovations until August this year. By then it was well past mid afternoon and we continued our walk back to the hotel. Mark's watch estimated that we had walked 13km which is probably the longest walk I've done in decades.

It was really nice kicking back in our hotel until it was time to choose a place to have dinner. I've generally found that in the US one tends to eat a lot of hamburger/pizza/sandwich type meals and as we were in the mood for something a bit more substantial and balanced we chose a little French restaurant called Bistro Biz and had the best meal of the trip so far - Beef Burgoignon for me and Duck Comfit for Mark. 

A memorable meal indeed, followed by desserts to match. Tomorrow is our final day here in Washington DC and we plan to spend it at one of the major shopping centres here in the capital, and then on the following day it is time for the long flight home.

24 April 2019 - Washington DC

Our first full day in Washington DC. Our hotel is quite close to Capitol Hill and the National Mall so we headed there this morning. We walked to the Capitol Visitor Centre and were immediately able to join a guided tour of the Capitol. This tour takes you straight into the area under the central dome and is quite magnificent.

Mark took this photo standing directly under the dome and looking up. The room in which we are standing features many large oil paintings depicting scenes from US history.

It was a bit crowded as there are many tours happening simultaneously but eventually we got to see everything and with the help of our excellent guide came to understand the significance of many items in this 'sacred site' of US history. When this tour, which lasted about 45 minutes ended, we walked along the National Mall to find the Smithsonian Museum of Space and Flight. Like the Capitol, Rosa and I visited here with our friend the Hirs' some years ago, but it was great to once again visit the collection of history making aircraft and space vehicles. A highlight of the visit once again was to see the original Wright Brothers 'Flyer' the first aircraft ever to fly.

From there we continued on down the Mall and visited the Museum of American History, focusing mainly on the American Civil War display, and then on to the Holocaust Museum, which took us almost to the Washington Monument. We will continue our trek down the mall tomorrow. From here we walked back to our hotel for a bit of a rest (in my case) and a stretch on the treadmill in Mark's case.

This evening Mark used TripAdvisor to find a nearby Irish pub, The Alibi, for dinner.

Couldn't resist the opportunity to have a Guiness with my beef stew which was excellent. Mark had 'bangers and mash' with a side of steamed vegetables. Very nice meal. We continue our exploration tomorrow.

23 April 2019 - New York to Washington DC

We left NY this morning on the 10:25 Amtrak and arrived in Washington DC after travelling through New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. We arrived at Union Station around 2pm and found we were only a 15 minute walk from our hotel the Hyatt Regency on Capitol. Once again check-in was smooth and we were soon unpacking our suitcases (for the last time). While Mark did his 10k in the fitness centre I caught up on a bit of washing, and then it was time to go for a walk and orient oureliselves. The famous Capitol building is only a short walk from here and we visited just long enough to get familiar with our surroundings and to take some photos.

The temperature here in Washington today was 30ºC and even the evening was quite balmy as we strolled around looking for somewhere to eat. We eventually settled on Carmine's Italian restaurant which has to be experienced to be believed. It is an old fashioned Italian family restaurant which means that whatever dish you order comes out large enough to feed a number of people. We took a chance on the Penne Meatballs and when it finally arrived it was the largest plate of food we'd ever seen.

The meatballs and the sauce were both outstanding and we managed to almost finish the whole lot, leaving just a few scraps of penne. Believe it or not we then followed that with a family serve of the most delicious chocolate torte I have ever tasted. We managed about half of that and the rest is in the fridge in a take out box for later. After dinner it was still a lovely warm temperature and we decided to walk back to the hotel. Everywhere you look in Washington there are beautiful buildings and on our way we passed the District of Columbia Court of Appeal courthouse.

Altogether a big day. We left NYC this morning and we go to sleep in Washington DC and tomorrow we start the last stage of our trip.

22 April 2019 - New York

Woke to the sound of rain on our last full day in NYC. Not heavy rain, just a steady drizzle. We walked to Fluffy's for breakfast and then caught the subway all the way to the bottom tip of Manhattan to catch the Staten Island Ferry.

Staten Island is one of the five burroughs of New York city and is accessible by a ferry which leaves every 30 minutes and which is free. 

The attraction is that the ferry sails right past the statue of liberty. I was hoping to get a good photo as we sailed past but the windows were were totally covered in salt spray and rain drops and this is the best I could do.

Once we arrived at Staten Island we hopped straight from our ferry to the one returning to Manhattan. From there back on the subway and back to our hotel. We've both pretty well covered everything we wanted to do in NYC and with the steady rain we spent the afternoon resting and getting ready for our train trip to Washington DC tomorrow. For dinner we walked to Luigi's Pizzeria for a genuine 16" New York pizza which was terrific, but i couldn't eat all of my share. Tomorrow we catch the AMTRAK at 10:30 to Washington, for the last part of our trip.

21 April 2019 - Easter Sunday in New York

With the promise of good weather today we decided to take the subway to Brooklyn on the other side of the East River. Thirty minutes later we were having brunch in the Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar which turned out to be a very good choice. Then we walked down to the the area called DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) which is essentially an open area right on the water with parks, restaurants even an old fashioned carousel. From here we gained fabulous views of Manhattan and the Brooklyn bridge.

We spent a bit of time here taking photos and video and just enjoying the wonderful views and the great atmosphere.

Eventually it was time to return to Manhattan and we started our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge which is very busy.

It is absolutely chaos with lots of pedestrians and lots of people on bikes. It is fairly difficult to even photograph the bridge because of all the people but with a bit of patience it can be done.

After our long trek back the hotel it was time for a bit of a rest, for me anyway, Mark went on a 10km run around Central Park. This evening we decided to catch the lights in Times Square, which as always was also extremely crowded.

We stayed here just long enough to get photos and videos of the coloured lights and then walked all the way back to our hotel. Tomorrow is our last full day in New York and on Tuesday we catch the train to Washington DC.

20 April 2019 - Easter Saturday in New York

First of all - Happy Easter to all in Australia. It's still Easter Saturday here. Today was an overcast day with the threat of rain never far away.
Last night Mark and I attended a great concert at the famous Beacon Theatre. Nick Mason (Drummer - Pink Floyd) and band performed a concert of early Pink Floyd hits. The show was titled Nick Mason and the Saucerful of Secrets and it was fantastic. We had seen it advertised in Australia and the cheapest tickets were in excess of $100.

Yesterday Mark continually monitored availability and prices online and eventually picked up two great tickets for around $40 total for two tickets.

We decided today was shopping day and travelled down to Macys on Broadway - the world's largest store - it takes up a whole city block and many floors.

One thing we noticed straight away - it is much quieter in NYC on the weekend - it is actually quite pleasant to stroll around streets with far fewer pedestrians and streets without cars. After a few hours of looking and shopping we returned to the Salisbury to rest the aching feet. Having rested a bit I took a subway to photograph the famous Flatiron building in here in NYC. Didn't get to see it on previous visits and it is such an iconic building I'm glad I made the effort.

This evening we had dinner in a Cuban eatery called Sophie's kitchen. The food was fantastic and relatively cheap and as always in the US, far too much for me. Now we are hoping for the rain to clear up so that we can visit Brooklyn and walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge - fingers crossed.

19 April 2019 - New York New York

Woke to another noisy day in NYC. We hit the pavement around 9:30 with the aim of walking the High Line.

This fantastic feature is a long elevated park constructed on a discontinued elevated railway line. It runs through the city and provides unique views of the city as you stroll past railway lines and through beautiful park features. What a great idea and a wonderful experience. Next we hopped on another subway to travel to the site of the Twin Towers destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today the site features a memorial pool and a new building called the Freedom Tower. On the surround of the memorial pool are inscribed the names of all the people who lost their lives on 9/11. It's a very moving experience and I'm glad Rosa and I visited here some years ago when it was still just a hole i the ground.

From here we walked through various parts of the city and took photos and generally enjoyed the great variety that NYC offers.

Mark has his new iPhone X and is really enjoying using the camera even taking the occasional selfie.

On our way home we called into Grand Central Station. The mezzanine floors of this beautiful old station have now been converted into an Apple store - incredible. We spent the afternoon resting our feet and tonight we are going to the Beacon Theatre for a performance featuring Nick Mason, of Pink Floyd fame performing early Pink Floyd music with his band. Mark spent a couple of hours watching the ticket prices rise and fall and snatched a couple when they hit rock bottom. So, a night out at one of New York's iconic theatres.

18 April 2019 - New York

Slept in this morning, woke about 10:50. Had a quick brunch at a cafe nearby and then decided to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) which houses one of the greatest art collections in the world.

It would take weeks to visit this museum properly so we concentrated on the European art section. One enjoyable aspect was that it was not crowded. We could walk up close to each painting for a close look and take our time. We visited one room which had all the famous van Gogh's in one place, except "Starry Starry Night" which is located in the nearby Museum of Modern Art.

I've always wanted to see Irises and I did that today. It is a stunning piece of art as are all the Van Gogh's in this exhibit. Also surprised to see Rodin's "The Thinker". Surprised because  I didn't know it lived here in New York and also because I had always imagined it to be a large sculpture but it is only about 1m in height.

It was amazing how quickly time went, we spent nearly four hours in the museum before deciding to walk back to the hotel via Central Park.

In Central Park we also visited Strawberry Fields (of Beatles fame) and visited the John Lennon memorial Imagine.

I'm really enjoying all the walking we are doing on this trip. It makes up for several 'slack' periods in the weeks leading up to it. This evening we decided to try the hamburgers at 'Fluffy's' which were great but I struggled to finish mine. Tomorrow's plans will depend on the weather, which is a bit changeable at the moment.

17 April 2019 - New York - USA

We departed Boston this morning on the 9:30 Amtrak which runs from Boston to Norfolk Virginia, via New York.

 

Really enjoyed this trip which took about 4.5 hours. The trains were very comfortable and the service was terrific. It was fantastic watching the towns and countryside rolling by as we travelled through Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. I usually struggle to stay awake on trains but this time I had no problem. Finally as we approached NYC we could see the Manhattan skyline in the distance and then suddenly the train plunged underground under the East river and our trip ended in Penn Station. From there we walked a block to catch our subway to the Salisbury Hotel.

This hotel was a pleasant surprise for me (Mark had stayed here before). The room is more like an apartment with a large lounge room, a kitchenette, and a large bedroom with two double beds. The location is great too. We are right on the edge of Central Park, and Carnegie Hall is across the road from us. After we unpacked we did a bit of exploring and ended up having dinner at the Bengal Tiger a nearby Indian Restaurant. The food was terrific, and now we are back at the hotel finishing our unpacking and getting organised for our Easter in New York.

16 April 2019 - Boston USA

Our last day in Boston. The weather looked great but we knew from the forecast that the top temperature was only going to be 15ºC. Took an Uber into town as the plan was to visit Fenway Park, home of the Boston Redsox baseball team, and the oldest baseball stadium in the USA. We were aiming for the 11:00 guided tour. I found the tour and the stadium very interesting despite knowing little about baseball. Baseball is a very traditional game with a very interesting history and our guide knew all the anecdotes to keep us interested.

After the tour we decided to walk back into the city and then on to Quincy market for lunch. Had hamburgers for lunch and then finished off with Ice-cream Sundaes at Ghirardelli's. Our orders looked a reasonable size on the menu but when they arrived they were huge.

After consuming all this icecream and cream we decided it would be good idea to walk home. All up we nearly walked 10km today. Relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and I started packing in preparation for our departure tomorrow. On our final night here we decided to dine at the Helgand an Afghani restaurant nearby - very nice. Watching the Red Sox getting thrashed by the NY Yankees on TV at the moment.

15 April 2019 - Boston - The Marathon

Woke this morning to the gentle patter of rain on the window, not good if you're running a marathon.
Mark had an early breakfast with the aim of leaving the hotel at 07:00 to make his way into the city. Marathon runners were transported from Boston to the starting point located in the town of Hopkinton some 42km to the West of Boston.

Mark was due to start his run at 09:30 and not due to arrive in Boston for at least 3 hours after that, so I had a leisurely morning and by 10:30 the rain had cleared and I decided to walk into town, with the aim of getting a good observation position at least an hour before Mark was due to arrive. The marathon here in Boston is a huge event. With 30,000 runners the entire route is lined with spectators and security, and over the last few kilometre which are actually in the city itself there are tens of thousands of spectators all cheering on the athletes. As I approached the city the first runners were just entering the city and I could hear a distant roar as I drew closer to Commonwealth Avenue which is one of the main avenues for the marathon. By the time I reached this road the roar of the crowd was absolutely incredible. Security was paramount with hundreds of police along the route. My intention was to get as close as I could to the finish line but the crowd became impassable about 300m out. I spent an hour 'squeezing' my way into the throng lining the barriers and eventually I managed to get right on the barrier with my camera at the ready. I must say I was overwhelmed by the experience of watching the runners arrived. Some seemed fit and fresh after their 42km ordeal, but many seemed to be in pain, in a daze or simply exhausted. Quite a few reached the finish line only with the help of one or two other runners supporting them - such great camaraderie and sportsmanship. I was able to watch Mark's progress on the Boston Marathon app, and I could see exactly when he reached the final turn for the last leg home. By then the noise from the crowd was absolutely deafening and then, just before 1pm Mark made his final dash to the finish line.

Then came the task of meeting him at the designated family meeting point. Because of the immense crowds this took another 30 minutes but finally I was able to find him to bring him his celebration jacket.

Mark looked great in the jacket and was now able to show the beautiful Boston Marathon medal.

By now it was raining again and we struggled through the crowds to find a place where we could arrange Uber transport back to our hotel. Everywhere we walked total strangers were coming up to Mark and congratulating him on finishing the marathon. I'm sure it's a day Mark will never forget, I know I won't.

14 April 2019 - Boston USA

Another fine day today. The last day before the marathon is planned to be a relaxing one and we spent the morning just kicking back in the hotel room. Our hotel, the Royal Sonesta is located on the Charles River and I spent an hour or so walking along the river taking photos.

It is almost impossible to look in any direction and not see a runner getting in the last run before the main event.

This afternoon we made our way back into the old part of Boston to have a look at some of the historic buildings of which there are many. The city was jumping with people dining out and being entertained by street entertainers. The nearby Quincy Market was a fantastic bustle of people shopping from the incredible array of food on display. On the evening prior to the Marathon, there is a pre-Marathon dinner and Mark had booked both of us in for that. It is hard to imagine catering for a dinner for some 30,000 people. The organisation and security arrangements for such an event are unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Because nearly everyone there is running tomorrow it is a very social scene and Mark had a great time chatting with other runners and comparing notes. Now it is just a matter of relaxing until tomorrow morning when Mark will be transported to the starting point some 42 km away. I'll be able  to sleep in and make my way into the city by about noon and wait for him to cross the finish line.

13 April 2019 - Boston USA

Woke this morning to rain and grey skies. The forecast promised a gradual clearing and by the time we finished breakfast the rain had disappeared and we decided to take an Uber to the historical Boston Harbour where the events of the Boston Tea Party took place starting the American War of Independence.

Like most American historical tourist attraction the one hour tour here is fantastic. We were initially led into the town meeting house where the events leading up to the Tea Party were re-enacted by actors in period costume.

Then, acting as an angry mob of colonists we 'stormed' one of the ships carrying tea and participated in tossing it overboard just as the real colonists did 250 years ago. After a quick tour around the ship (I cannot imagine what it would have been like to cross the Atlantic in one of these vessels) we entered the magnificent museum which featured holographic re-enactments and paintings which suddenly spoke and became animated. All very informative and extremely well done. Then finally some time in the magnificent gift shop and back on to the streets of historical Boston with the rest of the day for exploring. We made our way then to Boston Common stopping only for coffee and pastries at Nero Italian Cafe.

Located at the top of Boston Common is the magnificent State House of Massachusetts with a beautiful golden dome. Boston is a very beautiful old city with historical buildings everywhere and by the time we reached this part of the city the clouds had all but disappeared and it was getting quite warm. One highlight was the Granary Burial Grounds one of the early cemeteries in Boston. At one time it would have been on the outskirts of the city but now it is right in the middle of down town.

For anyone interested in exploring old cemeteries this is a highlight. There are some very famous people buried here including John Adams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Most of the graves date back to the 1700's. After all this we decided to walk the 2.5 km back to the hotel for a bit of rest. Mark's marathon preparations call for loads of pasta from today on so for dinner, it was back to the Cheesecake Shop Restaurant for pasta. Tomorrow is our final rest day before the main event - the Boston Marathon. 

12 April 2019 - Boston USA

Yesterday was one of those days of endless hours in queues and in airplanes and in the end it all blurs into one exhausting day. All went well until we reached Los Angeles airport where we were to connect to our Boston flight. We were kept waiting in line for immigration and customs for 2.5 hours which meant we were probably going to miss our connecting flight. By the time we emerged from that process we were resigned to the fact that the flight to Boston was gone and were very pleasantly surprised to find when we got the United Airlines desk that the flight had been delayed - what a relief.

We were very pleased to arrive at the Royal Sonesta hotel just after 6pm, dumped our stuff and went straight to dinner at a nearby Cheesecake Shop Restaurant just across the road. Struggled to stay awake during dinner and very relieved to have a shower and collapse into bed.

I woke this morning at 10 am, and Mark had already had a session in the gym. By 10:30 we were ready to hit the road and catch an Uber into the city where we attended the Boston Marathon Expo. This is also the place where Mark had to pick up his number for the expo.

The organisation behind this activity is incredible and very efficient, and within minutes Mark had been issued with his official number and other goodies.

The size of this event becomes apparent when you reach the convention centre where the expo is held. 

Mark's number is 11041 and here he is with the bib he will be wearing during the marathon. As you wait in line for various things you find yourself talking to other runners, and they are here from all around the world. 

Next, it was time to hit the Expo itself with an infinite variety of merchandise especially designed for the event. Mark knew exactly what he wanted but then he had to navigate the lengthy queue to reach the checkout. We are still some days out from the marathon, but the atmosphere here is electric. The marathon day itself is a public holiday and we expect huge crowds here on the day. Now we just need a little cooperation from the weather.