Ton-Shing-Wa

Touchdown October 2, 2011
Alone but made new friends

I didn't plan on going to DC. I was browsing through some New York City tour packages and came across a tour from NYC to DC. Since I am spending 5 days in NYC, I thought, why not? I am already in the US, I might as well experience the "land of the free, home of the brave" spirit.

The tour which I was part of is scheduled to leave NYC at 8am. The trip was only about 4 hours. On the way to DC, we passed by New Jersey, Philadelphia, Delaware, and Maryland - all were part of the independence history of the US as mentioned by our tour guide. It was a nice city-to-city journey, I would recommend it to anyone in search of a road trip route; not a lot of traffic, nice scenery, interesting stops, and more importantly, historically significant.

Five must-see in Washington DC: the Capitol building, the Washington monument, the Lincoln memorial, the Air and Space museum, and of course the White House. Most tours around DC include these in the itinerary (plus stops at the four Memorials: Vietnam War, Korean Veterans War, Roosevelt and Jefferson) all within walking distance from each other.

The State Capitol was huge, I've seen it in movies and some pictures but I didn't imagine it to be that grand. On the contrary, the White House was rather small but it looks big on pictures. Or maybe it's just me. As expected, there were lots of protesters around the area, especially in front of the White House, but nothing violent or aggressive when I was there. CCTV cameras are also everywhere, again not surprising. What caught my attention are the beggars and homeless people around. According to our tour guide, not all of them are beggars, some are spies and secret agents (and I was reminded of Sydney Bristow and Jack Bauer and the fascinating world of spies).

If you are going to DC, forget everything except your camera because everywhere you look and turn, you will find something worth taking a picture of. The city is just bursting with great locations, old but well-maintained buildings, lush greens, museums, nice restaurants, and people from all walks of life.

The trip back to New York was a bit longer due to rush hour traffic, but once you get to the outskirts of New York, you are in for a treat. Once in Manhattan bridge, remember to put your camera out because it offers the best view of the Manhattan Skyline, one of the most beautiful in the world. The bus driver even played Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind which made the experience more authentic.

If you are looking for a nice and affordable tour package, I am recommending the tour I signed up in.