After a small delay (I had a Thing on Tuesday, took the day off on Wednesday and had to get my pictures out of M’s laptop after he got up this morning), Yarn Miracle presents: Mr. SockPalSock Goes To Washington. There are a LOT of pictures in this one.
Here we are riding the bus to the metro station.
Once aboard the metro (subway/train/martalikething), we rode out to Arlington and then to the Pentagon (the Pentagon has lots of signs about NOT taking pictures of the building). After that, we headed into DC and visited one of Stitch DC’s three (yes, three) locations. I am a Yarn Tourist. I had to go. Besides, every single vendor at MSW was sold out of bamboo #1 dpns – I had been developing an ulcer about what would happen if I broke one and had no back up needle.
Then the tourism began in earnest. The Smithsonian(s) close(s) at 5:30 on Sundays so we decided to hit as many of those as possible. We made it to the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the National Gallery before ending up in the Museum of American History. This was the highlight of Sock’s trip: he got to meet Mr. Rogers’ sweater.
He was so excited that we had to sit down and turn the heel right there in the museum.
Incidentally, the Museum of American History has a textile exhibit up right now that has several examples of hand knitting. They’ve got these mittens that have a poem worked into them and these teensy gloves are less than two inches long.
The bad part about touring DC on a Sunday is that when the museums close, so does everything else. There is no water, no food and no souvenirs. Anywhere. At all. Our last bottle of water had been consumed between the National Gallery and The Museum of American History. But did that stop us? NO! We sucked it up and walked and walked and walked to all of the monuments and other Historical Buildings of Interest. Are you ready? Here they are in order of our visit:
The Supreme Court (over my shoulder).
This was as close as we tried to get to the Capital – there was a lot of construction in the way.That is M by the lamp post.
The White House (over M’s shoulder).
We walked past the Washington Monument several times, through the new WWII Memorial (it was raining by this point), the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean Memorial and visited Lincoln with a bunch of punk middle school kids who thought it was Wicked Cool to slide on the wet marble sidewalks. I kept waiting for one of them to crack open his skull (I mean really, it’s not like the entire town isn’t made out of steep and dangerous steps or anything). The chaperones didn’t even say “Hey, Punk Kid! Knock it off – you’re going to crack open your skull or someone else’s!” M made plans to sue if his were the head to be cracked and I designed a t-shirt for my kid (who doesn’t exist yet) to wear on school trips. In bold letters it will read: If I am behaving recklessly, please call 1-888…
After Lincoln, we consulted the pop-out map KT loaned us (from now on, we will only visit cities that have pop-out maps), and plotted a course over to Jefferson. We didn’t make it. I took this picture from the bridge when we finally admitted defeat:
When we squinted, we could see him in there. At 9pm, in the rain, with no dinner and no water, we decided that was good enough.
Then it was back to the metro station (which we walked right past and had to turn around), back on the bus and back to the hotel at 10pm. It was a Full Day.
Wow! Even I didn’t know how full your Day was. Glad you enjoyed the Pop Up Map. Even more happy that you made it home Safe and Sound. The Small Hollering Boys keep asking for Mr & Mrs Ivey.
xoxoxo- KT
That was a mad tourist day! Seriously you guys covered some ground and I’m totally impressed! Glad you’re back safe and sound :o)
It’s looking like a great and very exhausting trip. I’m glad you had a good time. And glad to see that I’m not the only one that plans LYS trips into my schedule. I’m planning a free (company-paid) trip next month and the town has no LYS!!! I’m considering not going…just a joke!
Ahhh….so nice to live vicariously through your blog site!! I’m jealous of Mr. SockPal!!! Sounds like a great trip despite the weather! Laughed outloud about the kid’s t-shirt idea!! I think you should print and sell!!! You just may be on to something there!! LOL!!
I’m a friend of Passionknitly’s.
I LOVE popout maps. My mom and I have been converting folks to these maps for years. It all began with a Boston popout.
I’m impressed at how much you fit into your trip!
All that other stuff was nice but I’m so jealous about you guys meeting Mr. Rogers’ sweater!
Wow, I didn’t know you were coming to S&W AND doing the tourist thing in DC. I can’t believe you went to all of those places, they’re not particularly close together. Your brain must have went into overload. For next time, know that there are places that sell refreshments after 5:30, you just need to go a bit North out of the Mall/business areas. And if there is a next time, let me know, I’ll give you the scoop!
Wow, your sock had a fantastic day! “Mr. Sock Goes To Washington” – a new classic. :o)
Love the knit artifacts. I hope the hotel, at least, had food & drink available for you. Washington dimwits – the restaurants could turn a nice profit staying open a little later. Must be something in the local water supply. 😉
DC is always good for some serious walking.
My son, who at the time was 7, kept trying to walk out to the end of the marble walls that are level with the top of the stairs, but don’t slope down with the stairs? You know the ones?
‘Bout caused me a heart attack!
When my daughter moved near DC a few years ago, we visited all those places too. Fun times and lots of walking.
Looks like you had fun! THe Lincoln would have been my first stop, 2nd would the the Vietnam wall. Someday….
What a grand post Em – the museums – the sock tour.. all of it. Those gloves that were so tiny are amazing – AND Mr. Roger’s Sweater?? ! How cool was that. I chuckled when you said you were so excited that you had to sit and turn the heel! (grins)
Your pics are really good! – was that all just with your new phone?
What a day!! It looks like yall had a ton o fun! I’d be thrilled about meeting Mr. Roger’s sweater too.
It is amazing that Mr. Sock’s heel isn’t already worn out with your one day trip! You covered territory – you are some serious touristas! Mr. Sock may need to go to a spa and recover.
What a terrific trip! The sock being so excited you had to sit down and turn the heel cracks me up.
I have suffered ulcer-inducing DPN loss fear often enough that I now have a supply of about 20 size 1 DPNs, so I can lose up to 15 before I’m in trouble. I’m not sure that’s even enough, what with the rate at which I misplace mine.