Washington DC and Pittsburgh: July 22 - August 5, 2021

 Because we were both vaccinated and the virus was waning at that time, we decided to go to Pittsburgh to visit my sister and attend grandniece Katelyn's wedding. Since Washington DC was on the way, we spent a week there, visiting my longtime friend Sue who is in a nursing home, and seeing the sights of the city.

The night before leaving, we had a minor emergency that was helped by Alan's routine checklist before travel.  Among other things, he always checks tire pressure on truck and trailer.  When he did, he found a nail in one of the trailer tires.  He was able to find a new one the next morning, but jacking up the trailer to put it on was quite a feat on our very steep driveway.  He used a mechanic's creeper to get up under the trailer, but it kept wanting to roll down the hill.  He had to brace himself with one foot, all the while he was doing the difficult job of jacking up the trailer and changing the tire.

Week  1:  DC:

We happened to catch DC just as it was reopening a lot of the museums, although many were still closed or with timed entrances.  Not sure what they are doing now with the Delta Variant so dangerous.  We focused on doing things that were outdoors or in large places like the National Gallery of Art.

The campground we were staying in was in College Park, MD.  They had a large bus that for a reasonable price took you downtown and picked you up later in the day.  It was a really fun and easy way to deal with DC traffic.

Karen, our driver, was amazing. 
She could plow that 60 person bus through traffic with ease,
without scaring anyone onboard.

Once downtown, we took the free Circulator buses.  They do a figure eight through the mall with 15 stops.  The buses come by about every 10 - 15 minutes, which made it really easy to see several things in one day.

Things we saw and enjoyed:

FDR Memorial:  We really liked this.  It covers a large area with many sculptures and waterfalls.  I only took a few pix, but you can get the idea.

MLK Memorial:  Not as impressive as we had expected.  Alan said, "He deserved better."

With people, so you can see scale

U. S. Botanical Gardens, right next to the Capitol.  The conservatory was closed, but we toured the gardens on a very hot day. Not being as much of a flower lover as I am, Alan sat in the shade next to a fountain for some of it.

Interesting large sculpture, play area labyrinth

U. S. Grant Memorial, which is in front of the Capitol.  

Bright sun didn't help pix

One of the excellent side sculptures

We saw the Capitol from the Grant Memorial, happy to see that it was still intact, with most of the fencing gone.  We were sad to think of what the building, the Capitol Police, and the members of Congress endured on January 6.  A devastating day for our country.  Like most of you, we watched in horror as the events of the day unfolded.

We spent an entire day at the East Museum of the National Gallery of Art, where the modern art collection is.  Our favorite was the Tower Room, which was filled with Caler pieces.  They had very gentle air movement in the room, which caused the mobiles to slightly move. I can't figure out how to get a video in the blog, or you could see it.

Fun sculpture on the roof next to the tower

We also enjoyed the West Gallery of the National Gallery of Art, but not as much as the modern one.  Alan kept accidentally causing problems with the guards and automated sensors because he wanted to look closely at the pictures and the beautiful furniture.  Several times he set off automated alarms that said, "Please step back from the exhibit!!"

The background was originally purple, to show off the blue coat.
The purple faded over time, so it is almost as blue as the coat.

Beautiful courtyard with many orchids

The happy tourists on the mall.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens:  We drove to these because they are not downtown.  Huge ponds full of all sorts of varieties of water plants.  The lilies were gorgeous. 

One day was nostalgia day.  We drove to Prince George's County and looked at the house I owned there and the school I taught at for 10 years. (Eugene Burroughs Junior High School) The school is now a middle school on a large complex with new buildings added on.  The original building looks much as it did when I taught there from 1968 - 1979:

Week Two was spent in Pittsburgh visiting with my sister and her family who had assembled for grandniece Katelyn's wedding.  It was wonderful to spend time relaxing with them, sitting on my sister's side porch in the cool weather of Pittsburgh. I was so happy to see and spend time with my sister, who is in the process of cleaning out her home, so she can move to a retirement community near my niece Jeanne and her husband.  Rosemary is moving on to a new phase in her life, after the death of her husband Ralph last March.  

I didn't get pix of the wedding, but the reception was fun. It was at a beautiful local country club.

Katelyn and Ethan's first dance

Katelyn dancing with father Kris

Rosemary and I at reception

Shelby accompanied us as usual, spending her days snoozing in the trailer while we were off doing other things.  We did leave the Disney channel on for her one day, but I don't think she noticed.

Basking in the sun from front window of trailer

It was nice and cool in Pittsburgh, so we could have the door open. 

Curled up in her favorite sleeping spot
under the closet next to the bed.

We arrived home safely, but unfortunately I messed up my left knee by sitting in the truck for long hours without a break.  I was able to get a steroid shot after a five-hour wait at the walk-in clinic for my medical group.  Not fun, but the pain is better.  I have to lay low for a week or so, using ice and compression band and hope it gets better.