Thurs Sept 24: DC

 In which we hop-on and hop-off the SHIT out of that bus ...

Speaking of poop - pumpout happened at 9am sharp - so Rick was a happy camper for the day!  I mean, we left our poop in Washington DC, what better place is there to do that???  He gets so stressed when our poop remains on the boat (huge eye roll).

This is by far the nicest marina we've stayed in.  In fact, we wouldn't be staying here normally, but it's only $3/foot due to off season - usually it's $6.  They gave us electronic key cards to get into and out of the marina and the facilities.   CYC, as it is known, was founded in 1892 so there are some really old boats here...no really, it is a place with lots of tradition and history, but mostly they have really nice showers and bath rooms.

Below the entry door which was located right in the newly renovated "Wharf" district in DC.  I'm ashamed to admit it, but I always act really important when I flash the key to get onto the docks.  Yeah - I'm a celebrity.  I have a VIP card...

Look how close we are to everything!

We decided that since our wallets were already on fire from paying for this nice marina that we would brunch! We stopped at a cuban place for coffee, a cuban breakfast sandwich and a wonderful concoction of eggs, garbanzos and chorizo. Very tasty.

 

 

The we went off to the Big Bus tour bus pick up site where were waited and waited and waited for a bus.  I had an online fight with the customer service bot to figure out what was going on but eventually a bus showed and we hopped on.  We like to take a tour bus the first day to get the lay of the land and figure out what we want to see close up.  We have previously seen a lot of Washington, but thought this might help us narrow things down.  The problem with Washington is that there is too much to see.

The bus stop is right next to the International Spy Museum with the James Bond car!   See what I mean by too much to see! I wasn't all that into seeing this museum, but then we coincidentally heard an interview with Jonna Mendez, who was, I am not making this up, Chief of Disguises for the CIA. CHIEF OF DISGUISES!!!  Once she went into a meeting with Bush (who had been CIA and knew what they could do) and then PEELED OFF HER FACE.  She invented that move, which Tom Cruise copied in Mission Impossible.  I need to immediately go see her YouTube Videos.  And I need to come back and see this museum when we have more time ...

The tour took us past the principal monuments - Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, MLK, Roosevelt, Vietnam, Korea, WWI, WWII.  And then towards the Capitol:

But our real goal was to get to the Supreme Court building so we could honor RBG.   We jumped off the bus, walked around the Capital and found a huge gathering of people paying their respects. Of course there were some crazies shouting out to repent, but overall it was a wonderful coincidence that we were here at this time...and we were glad to be able to pay our respects.  Mostly I cried and Rick hugged me.

Black Lives Matter Plaza...need we say more?

There are other things in DC that make us less inspired....  Like the Dump Hotel.  Where the Grifter-In-Chief is making money from the office of President.

This should be an inspiring sight - but, right now, it is not.  It scares and makes me feel embarrassed.  We somehow became a second world country with a dictatorship.  And look how far away they need to keep people.  Shouldn't that be a sign that something is not right...

Our Big Bus tickets included the Night Bus - a tour on the same bus to the same places (more or less) but in the evening with the lights on.   This was great, as I had never done a night tour of DC.  And Mr Weather called it right that tonight was the best night.  We stopped at the Lincoln Monument and had a wonderful view back down the Capital Mall.  

 

I know this is blurry - but I thought it really captured our country.  In the background rich (usually old white guys) people tell lies.  In the foreground people try to effect change.

Sorry to get so worked up - it's been an emotional day.  Thinking that a man who has been accused by 20 women of assault could presume to 'replace' RBG.... The reason Amy Coney Barrett can step through this door is because women like RBG opened it for her.  And her goal (and the Republican Party's) is to close that and other doors for women for generations to come.