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History’s Crossroads
to George Mason University. A brief snooze of a train ride later and I stepped out a half-hour later right in the middle of The Mall in DC. You don’t have to change lines, and, fortunately, Fairfax, on the way back, is the end of the Metro line, so it’s impossible to get lost. It made me think that Fairfax is a good place to camp for a DC-area visit. Even on that rainy Sunday, the Capitol was lively with energy as people from every corner of the globe came to see one of the greatest collections of museums and monuments on Earth. And, with the machinations of world power idling like a diesel truck engine on a Sunday, the place just sizzles with energy. The only problem I had was time. What can you do in one day on The Mall? I chose the art museums — the National Gallery, the Hirshhorn, and the Freer. Every museum, however, really deserves a full day. I took a long walk up Capitol Hill and around the neighborhoods to work off some of the wonderful meals and to get a feel for downtown living in the city. An odd mix of power, you can feel it as you’re just walking around. It’s a blend of earnestness, arrogance, obsequiousness, and wonder spiced with the smells of the world’s cuisines and a slight acrid odor wafting off of listening devices, hidden cameras, and dark cars with heavily tinted windows. It’s exciting. So my press trip was coming to an end, and I wondered if this special treatment slanted my experience too much. Of course, having everything arranged by someone else made it easier, but would I take a trip like this if I had to do it on my own? Absolutely. As much as I like the energy and press of people in exciting places, I just as much like to get away from it and re-coup. Instead of staying in Washington, I will definitely stay in Fairfax — commuting around the area because, for a guy who does all his own housework, Fairfax is easier. This article was produced for publication in March 2005. Travel details may have altered since that time. Check with your travel agent or destination prior to booking any trip. |
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