Home sweet home

Pretty clouds somewhere over America

So good to see that QANTAS sign

My home from LA to Sydney

Do I look the part with my
Orioles Fedora?

How sexy am I?

Final leg on the train home

After a few skype chats and then a long sleep in. Its time to get up and get moving. How am I going to fit all this stuff into two bags? Pack some, change my mind, pack some more, how can I get this Orioles cup home in one piece? Oh, oh I forgot the Christmas decorations are fragile, repack. Finally getting there.

What’s that noise? A helicopter, is it him? It has a white stripe, there are other helicopters flanking. I think we can assume Obama flew by to wave goodbye to me before I go home! (Checking on his schedule later I am even more convinced it was him)

Lets take a break and log in to QANTAS to see what is happening with the flight. Yes, I have been upgraded to business class from LA to Sydney! The final packing is done and in the end I only have a very restrained extra 15kg of shopping.

Now lets hop in taxi and go to the airport. Finally I get to see the Pentagon, the only landmark left in Washington. Tick. Washington to LA, 5 hours, done.

Lets get into the rarefied air of business class. There is my seat, with mattress, blanket and pillow. What a great way to spend 15 hours at the end of a big holiday in a personal cocoon.

Would you like a champagne, oj or water? Can you fill out your breakfast request? What would you like for supper? This is such an experience. I lap it all up. Then the hot towels come to wash your hands, now the pj’s with QANTAS logo and the Kate Spade toiletries pack. Getting really tired now so its time to setup my bed and get some rest. The cabin is dim, everyone is quiet and off to sleep I go.

Somewhere over Fiji there is turbulence, it must be a big storm to rock an A380. But back to sleep I go to awake to the sounds of breakfast being made. Breakfast arrives on a tray with a white linen cover. I could so get used to this.

We land on time. Walking out of the gates is the best bit at the end of a trip. Where is he, there he is! YEAH!

Nature and art

Natural History museum

Hope Diamond

Sculpture park, the fountain
 is turned into an ice rink in the winter

Tunnel between buildings at National Art Gallery

Someone has to use her glasses
 to read the map

Dogs in many different painting

Alberto's pizza in Dupont Circle the slices are jumbo sized

Its my final full day in Washington, so I better get out there and make the most of it. It’s so hot out already, going to be another steamy day.

First stop is the Smithsonian Natural History, it feels good just to be off the street and back into air-conditioning. Lets escape all these kids hanging around the elephant and go upstairs to the gems collection.

Well there it is, the most famous diamond in the world - the hope diamond and it even has a diamond necklace to go with it. It is displayed in a cabinet made of bullet proof glass and the pedestal revolves around every 30 seconds so everyone can get a good look. Now onto the rest of the collection, this is even better than going shopping at Tiffany’s, so much sparkle.

Onto the rest of the museum, I really like the insect zoo with live insects. Now there is a big exhibition of Australian animals with a koala and platypus. Our animals do look really strange next to all the others. Finally let’s move onto bones and human evolution. One visitor comments to his friends, I wonder what the creationists think of all this science.

Now back out into the furnace to walk the few steps to the National Gallery of Art. I am in the West building and make my way slowly through, lets start with a Raphael, there’s a portrait of Napoleon, my mate Lippi, an angel, oh, the only da vinic in America. Someone on the board of this place likes dogs they are in paintings everywhere. The exit through the gift shop is particularly good, Jane would go nuts here.

One more museum, this time its Newseum A new place that focuses on journalism, favourites here are the view of the Captiol building, the presidents dogs and the 4D movie with the scary rat movement at your feet.

That’s enough a few final shops and lets call it quits. What the National Portrait Gallery is directly in my path. Ok I just have to check out the American Presidents room. Tick. Enough.

Back to Dupont Circle and the place is pumping, there is a line several hundred people long to get into a bar called Buffalo Bills. I learn USA is about to play Ghana in the FIFA world cup.

As it is my last night its pizza from Alberto’s tonight and when USA scores a goal the whole street roars. Everyone must be watching. USA finally win.

All American gal

My first American hot dog,  yummy

The beer was good to

A sea of orange for the Baltimore Orioles

How close are we!

Do you like my hat!

The National Anthem

Sue and Bruce

The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived!

Bruce and Sue arrive to pick me up and we are off to get to the game. Our destination is Baltimore about an hour away.

Some background to this day, Sue and I met through work and when she heard I was coming to America and her home town a plan was hatched to catch up. Her husband Bruce is a long time Baltimore Orioles fan and as they say the rest is history.

We are in the car chatting and before I know it we are here at the home of the Orioles. I start to get an inkling we are in for VIP treatment when we pull into the car lot next to the stadium. Across the road we go and merge into the sea of orange. I so picked the right t-shirt to wear and Bruce has given me my very own Orioles cap to wear.  I fit right in!

First port of call is to get in the line for a hot dog and beer. Yes, you read correctly its traditional to drink beer at the game. Mission accomplished. Now we have to go over to the sides stand and add ketchup, mustard or one of the other condiments to our hot dogs. How cool is this.

There is lots of music coming from the stadium what is going on in there. I want to see. We go through the tunnel and down to our seats, and then down some more, and then down some more. We have front row seats right behind the batters. This really is the VIP treatment.

Now we know I am not the most sporty of people however with Bruce’s explanations I get to understand some of the basics. But it’s the tactics that are most interesting to me, every part of the field has something going on. The Baltimore Orioles are playing the Toronto Blue Jays. Both named after birds I saw in Central Park with Ricki.

I learn baseball is not just hitting the ball and running as fast as you can. It’s more about the strength and skill of the pitcher to win the game. There are 9 innings and between every innings there is something happening. The crowd interaction is what makes the whole day so special.  From the little kid who is selected to run out and steal second base to the crazy games between each innings on the big video screen.

My favourite player of the day is Adam Jones who gets to second base with a magnificent slide. Then later in the game he hits a home run! Alas we did not win the game outright, but I barely noticed.

My summary of baseball is there is never a dull moment. I could have come to a baseball match by myself and I would have been in the crowd somewhere enjoying the excitement however the amazing seats and the expert commentary from Bruce made it such a unique experience.

But the day has not ended there I get a tour of Baltimore harbour, see Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem, star spangled banner and have the best Maryland crab cakes at an authentic dinner.

A big thanks to Bruce and Sue for a day I will never forget.

[Local news article about the game]

On the buses

Me and the boating party, I should have worn
a shirt to complement the colours

Washington Cathedral

Georgetown 

I remembered to wear my hat today,
so my hair stopped flying around on the bus

Arlington Cemetery

A sleep in today as my first objective the Phillips Collection is only a few minutes walk away. The jewel in the crown of this art collection  is The Boating Party by Renoir. I arrive just as the doors are opening and there are half a dozen locals waiting and not a tourist in site. I hightail it to the top floor to see the painting and have the room to myself. As usual these long admired works are so much better in real life, so light and open when compared with dull postcards and books.

Now I hop on the trolly bus to explore other parts of Washington, first up is the Washington Cathedral. It’s massive (like everything else in Washington) my favourite bit is the space window. Michael Collins an astronaut and part of the Apollo 11 mission went to school next door and he donated a moon rock that forms part of a beautiful stained glass window designed by Rodney Winfield the window includes the sun, stars and orbiting planets.

Now its time to move down Embassy row and onto Georgetown, full of quaint little houses and lots of colour. Finally I get to see the Kennedy Centre a living memorial to President John F Kennedy. This is much better than an old statue it is a cultural centre where everyone can enjoy themselves with reasonably priced or free events.

The bus is stuck in traffic there is a bathtub derby and a protest today so some streets are blocked, but finally we make it back to change to the orange route. Then a few more blocked streets around Union Station and I am finally on my way to Arlington Cemetery.

Arlington Cemetery was set up to honour the military dead. It was created in the grounds of Robert E Lee’s home as an insult to him for fighting with the confederates in the American Civil War. I think that backfired on the man that made that decision, as it is now hallowed ground. I actually love cemeteries, not in a morbid way it’s just the fascinating stories behind the people that make up life. I visit all the main sites and then make the pilgrimage up the hill to Lee’s house. I learn a lot more about the family, the step son of George Washington who built and owned the house and even see the slave quarters.

On the way back down the hill a Blue Jay flutters in front of me on the path and many birds are calling from the trees. Surprisingly the birding is quite good here and a few people are running around with binoculars. I have had enough of buses and traffic for one day, its onto the metro and home for me.

A visit to Rome, Egypt and Greece in one day

US Capitol

US Capitol in the rotunda

With Franklin D Roosevelt's dog, Fala

The ducks like the rain

Lincoln memorial as the sun is setting

Iwo Jima, for the marines in the night

Its up and at ‘em for Day 3 of Washington, a quick ride on the metro to kick the day off with a tour of the capital building. It’s the only way to get into to see the Rotunda and a particular painting I am interested in.

Through the obligatory security screening and now I start the tour, first up is the crypt. Now shuffle, shuffle with all the other people and that is where the President and family wait before inauguration, then that is the steps he walks down. Now finally into the Rotunda which is the domed area under the capitol building, this the most impressive bit of architecture and design I have seen so far in Washington. There is the painting, it’s about 3m x 5m and one of 8 panels around the room. This place is huge, there is even a Brumidi interpretation of the Sistine chapel on the roof with Washington surrounded by 13 ladies representing the initial states that formed the union. Our guide Paul is a legend, pointing out interesting bits and telling funny anecdotes.

Each state can donate 2 statutes of important people to the building. Paul has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the statues and gets the Americans to call out where there are from and then he explains who there statue is and always has some funny bit about the person to share. Fascinating. My favourite is the astronaut, Jack Swigert. You can even see the dome of the capitol building reflected in his helmet.

What’s that, sunshine? Yes, onwards to the monuments I go. Hop on one of the cute little trolley buses and head towards the Jefferson memorial. As the bus goes around the tidal basin the memorial, comes into view, that’s big and beautiful. Hop off and explore all around, it is based on the Pantheon in Rome. Next stop is FDR memorial, which even includes his wife Eleanor and more importantly his dog Fala. The ranger tells me a whole lot of sorties about Fala a Scottish terrier who got into lots of trouble and was even was included in a speech.

These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family don't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them.

I could stay and chat to this ranger all day, but alas it is time to move on and met the newest addition, Martin Luther King. Now onto the Korean memorial, so real and finally Lincoln Memorial based on a greek temple this is extra big and impressive.

Time for a break under the trees, it looks like it is going to rain so will just hang nearby Lincoln memorial so I have somewhere to get out of the rain. Well the rain hits and it is torrential, not enough time to get up the steps to the memorial and thankfully I end up under the eaves of a shop with a bunch of kids from Mississippi and a tourist from Bath. We chat and get wet and have a excellent time. 45 minutes later and it is still raining, we valiantly decide to move on and keep exploring in the rain. I am heading for the Washington Memorial the great Egyptian style obelisk that can be seen from all over. The ducks are enjoying the rain. Alas when I finally get there the memorial is shut because of the weather. There is a lift right to the very top but not much to see under these rainy skies. Now to get back on the bus and rest these weary legs. This trolley bus driver is excellent and his narration of the different sties as we travel along is enjoyable, a pleasant hour. Time to find some dinner and rest up for tonight’s event.

Its 7:30pm and I am back on the bus for a night tour, back around the monuments with the lights on. Iwo Jima is the best. Its pretty eerie seeing a little bit of Arlington Cemetery in the dark with rows and rows of white headstones. Final trip for today in a taxi the driver, originally from Ethiopia tells me Australia lost in the soccer today.

Everything is big

Library of Congress, also includes
Thomas Jefferson's books

American Indian Museum,
 great indigenous food in here

American and Russian spacesuits side by side

Me on the moon

Found my first castle in America, looked out of place
with all the other buildings on the mall

Michelle Obama's inauguration gown
and Jimmy Choo shoes from 2013

The Love symbol, 3 cities and counting

I wake up to grey skies but no rain, so out I go to explore. Hop on the metro to Union Square and I am walking down towards the Captiol building and get my first glimpse of the dome. It’s big. Get there and it’s even bigger. First visit is into the Supreme Court, TV cameras out the front there is going to be an indictment announced today so everyone is in a tiz and nothing much to see here, move on. Lets cross over to Library of Congress, this is big, but dull grey on the outside after wading through hordes of school kids to get in its, much, much better on the inside. Amazing architecture, ornate staircases and painted roofs but only two books, I suspect the books are hidden out the back away from tourists.

Its still grey with spots of rain so decide I will stay in the museums for the rest of the day. We will not go through a blow by blow account of the amazing encounters with past and recent history that occurred today. Here is the very short version.

American Indian was a compelling building I just had to go in, lots of design and colour in all the pieces, from mittens in Alaska to baskets in the south. Great café with American Indian traditional food from different areas set beside a waterfall. Best place along the museum strip for lunch.

Air and Space be still my beating heat, finally I am here. Planes, space stuff, did I mention more space stuff. I want to be like the little kids and put on an astronaut suit and run around. To think everything in this museum was invented in the last 100 years, from the Wright brothers plane through to drones, we really have accomplished a lot. The most striking thought is many of the astronaut stories I have read talk about how everything was held together with gaffa tape and tin foil. Well when you see them up close that is right! How they ever got to the moon and back in some of this equipment is amazing.

American History, not on of my favourite topics (except civil war) and in my opinion often has a narrow viewpoint. Well this museum is superb, highlights included the March on Washington in 1963 for civil rights and the First Lady dresses. I even saw the star spangled banner the flag that inspired their national anthem. Alas I missed out on finding Michael Jackson’s glove.

The day summary is big streets, big statues, big buildings and big ideas. After all that sensory input, so tired now must get back to the circle, for tomorrow is another day.

Goodbye NY, Hello DC

Stephen's view of the train trip

I want to go in

The front side

They needed someone to talk about how
schnauzers can help with world peace

Then I signed a declaration
today will be National Schnauzer Day

The Willard Hotel, this is where in the 1860's President Grant
 would drink in the lobby and be approached by
"special interests"
-- the origin of the term lobbyist

Bags are packed and its time for my first taxi ride in New York. Some of the other tourists have told me about their dare devil adventures in taxis however there is too much traffic down 5^th avenue for my driver to play Jack Brabam. We have a great chat about how Rudy Giuilani cleaned up New York.

We arrive at Penn train station and I hop out right where the Channel 9 TV guys are. They are going to Washington to film Tony Abbott and will be on the same train as me. It really is a small world.

Now on the train and heading out of Manhattan, lets see if I can get the wifi working. Yes am online, so skype with Stephen as he also watches the train move towards Washington on an online train tracker. We are doing 105mph, it seems pretty amazing to be having a skype video chat as well from different sides of the world. For the rest of the trip I have a lovely chat with Lois who is just back from 70^th anniversary of D-Day in France and works for IBM on SAP implementations.

Arrive in Washington DC, Union Station looks even more impressive than Grand Central station but will check that out another day. Its time to hop in a taxi, check in and dump this bag. Now the Washington fun can begin.

Out into the oppressive heat I go its only 30C however with the humidity its pretty hard going. I like Washington’s big wide open streets it feel quite different. What this a street crossing without traffic lights, how do I get across? The cars are coming from every which way. Eventually I make it across and I am on my way to the White House.

Walking, walking, finally I see some a glimpse of white through the trees, is this it? Yes, cross a few more streets and I am here on the North side, with tourists, crazies and police cars. It’s much closer than I thought. According to the presidents schedule he is not in at the moment but he will be later.

Its so hot but must keep going, by The Treasury building and to the ‘front side’ of The White House. Now they invite me in to help out, how could I say no?

Moving on now to the Willard, time to sit on that nice chintz covered lounge chair in the corner and think about history and rest a while in the air conditioning. Slightly recovered now its time to go and find a metro stop and go back to Dupont Circle. There is the station, machine to buy ticket, red line is what I need, there it is and I am back. I declare Washington’s trains the easiest I have ever used.

For dinner I try out my first American pizza, the guy tells me this is Chicago Style, I am not sure what that means but it is yummy. The best food I have had so far on the trip. The thunderstorm that has been threatening all afternoon finally arrives with gusto, there is a tornado warning as well. Ok, scared now.

Lady Liberty

The staircase to the top
inside the Statue of Liberty

Which one is cuter?

The flame at the top is
covered in real gold

Ellis Island registration hall

Sony Wonderlab, you make shadows
 to shape the falling leaves

It’s an early start for me today, out the front there are all big black cars with Aussie flags stuck to the windows. What’s going on? There’s a media scrum at the entry to The Plaza, lets go over and see what is happening. How funny Tony Abbott is in town and staying across the road from me.

Now off to the subway and down to Battery Point. I have an 8am call to get on the ferry and visit the Statue of Liberty. This is more complex than I expected, line up and prove who you are with photo ID, then nearly strip off to get through security. Finally onto the boat and we are chugging through the fog, Lady Liberty is out there somewhere.

The captain finds his way and safely delivers me and about 600 other tourists to the island. Another lot of security and I am finally tagged for the climb. Yes, I am lucky enough to be climbing to the very top. First off is the 5 levels to get to the top of the pedestal, the big concrete structure then its another 354 steps inside the statue around a steep and narrow staircase to get to the crown. Finally I am there and there is about 2 metres of space to look out at the top before coming all the way down the stairs again. It really is an amazing structure on the inside.

Outside now and take a million and one selfies from many different positions to try and get one with both our heads included. Finally mission accomplished.

Now it’s onto Ellis Island, this is where immigrants to America used to be processed. They would sail in through the harbour, see the Statue of Liberty and then go into this massive hall and learn their fate to see if they would be accepted into the country. 12 million immigrants have passed through here.

Back up to 5^th Avenue I just have to check out Jeff Koons installation again, the structure is nearly finished. I am fading fast need sustenance. Let’s look in this fancy chocolate shop, Godiva. They have some kind of thick shake drink, Hazelnut please. One sip and I am now skipping up 5^th avenue who knows what they have in this drink.

So let’s go check out IBM building, ok. Sony Wonderlab is across the road but you have to book tickets well in advance but lets try anyhow. Come in Mam, right this way. I build robots, make animated movies and best of all make pictures with the shadow garden.

Back for a rest and then lets go out again, Museum Mile is on tonight where all the museums along 5^th avenue are free and the street is blocked off. So this is where all the New Yorkers are. Lots of dogs, kids, grandparents, people coming home from work and not a tourist in sight. Love the New York accents so strong. Feet getting weary now, lets go back.

I am crossing 5^th avenue and there is another media scrum and barricades in front of the Plaza surely that can't be for Tony? No one in the crowd seems to know what its for, the rumour is its Victoria Secret models. Anyhow lots of black cars pull up and lots of fancy people get out, lots of pictures are taken. I suspect in my dog tshirt and walking shoes I will not be able to cut through the Plaza today to get a frozen yogurt, so I hot tail it around to the side entrance.

Beyond cool

Times Square in the rain

Interpid sea, air and space museum 

Me with Enterprise Space Shuttle

Empire State building lost in the fog

The lake Ricki and I went birding at

First thing for me today is to turn on the TV and find the channel for the Today Show. Ok they are babbling about horse racing, tick. Its raining, quite a lot, should I change my plans and go back to the Met for another day? Oh come on, I have a raincoat and a sense of adventure – lets go.

Cloaked in my red rain jacket, umbrella and waterproof shoes I am walking down 5^th avenue playing taxi poker along the way. The preferred mode of dress for ladies is slim line gumboots and a trench coat. If you have the optional accessory of a small dog this must be carried under your arm and umbrella so the dog does not get wet. Perfectly sensible.

First stop is the Today show set, it’s raining but still stacks of people staring in at the studio set with live presenters. Tick. Now onto the next event, time to head west through Hell’s Kitchen. It’s torrential rain now, have I made a mistake? I turn the corner and see a big black plane and definitely I have made the right decision.

I am walking to the Intrepid sea, air andspace museum. This was not on my list however when I was on the cruise on Day 1 the announcer said under that pavilion on the back of the boat is a Space Shuttle. So I just had to find time to get here. The Intrepid is an aircraft carrier, docked on the side of the Hudson River and turned into a museum.

Up over the pedestrian bridge and I am in, first stop is the hanger deck, planes galore and lots of things you can climb into like a MASH helicopter and Gemini moon capsule. What’s this a G Force simulator. Hmm, they wont let me go in it has to be for two people. I move on, then they guy comes running after me as there is someone else that wants to have a go but needs a partner. So with my Spanish wingman, we take a spin, pull G’s, crash and manage not to vomit all at the same time. Just as well he was flying most of the time.

Now up onto the flight deck and I can climb up onto the bridge. That’s a lot of stairs but I can’t miss out. I make it to the bridge on a boat that served in the pacific in WW2 and here is where the captain ran many battles. It’s a poignant place to be.

Onto the Space Shuttle, gee this thing is big. Then the Concord, gee this is small. Everything is different in real life. Finally I find the big black plane I saw when I turned the corner, it is a black bird – a super sonic reconnaissance aircraft.

Time for a bit more walking now, down all the way to 34^th street and emergency stop in at B & H for more gear. Now on to Macy’s to check what this is all about. Nice, but it seems like a Myer’s on steroids I think I have something much more fun I can do. A quick call to Ricki and a plan is hatched.

Time to hop on the subway and head back uptown, dump my stuff and head over to meet Ricki. I find her building on Madison Ave and this is the flashest building I have seen so far. Walk in and the ultra modern foyer has artwork by Kaws, originally a street artist. Ricki arrives, chats to the security guard and whisks me upstairs to check out the reading room. This is actually the reception area to Mr Lauren’s office. It’s all wood paneling and modern art sculptures juxtaposed into something that is out of this world. Yes, I think I need to pinch myself. This is Ralph Lauren’s corporate head office. This is off the scale cool.

Now we head off back to Central Park, Ricki is taking me around a lake in the south east corner of the park and she has brought binoculars for both of us. First find is a Black Crowned Night Heron, then a great egret and some mallards. What’s that under the water, a red eared sliderturtle. Up around the top and some morning doves are feeding the grass. Done the hill what’s that orangy / yellow flash. It’s a Baltimore Oriole. Well, I’ll be I thought they where a baseball team! Next Ricki hears a Red Winged blackbird and then she finds it, eventually I do to. Amazing number of birds in such a small space. Now we cross over into Central Park Zoo and Ricki shows me the seals, an owl and the moving clock that even has kangaroo.

Thanks Ricki for turning my New York experience into something extra special. I hope we can return the favour in Sydney one day.