Yesterday began the JAM conference that was ostensibly the main reason for our being in DC, and we spent the morning switching hotels to the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor. The rest of the afternoon was occupied with the keynote and a couple of sessions, until around 5:30 that evening. I have to say that I really enjoyed the keynote speaker, who discussed the impact of the Internet and especially the advent of social networking on the political landscape in the past decade... very smart and funny, despite being interrupted by an aborted hotel fire alarm and microphone problems.
Almost immediately after being released from the conference, we went out in search of adventure again, bringing with us another friend who was also attending the conference. The goal for the night was the Vietnam Memorial, which we reached by way of a long bus ride to the Southern Street metro station and a long walk up the Mall from the Smithsonian station. The Washington Monument, seemingly ever-present in our field of view no matter where we are in DC, once again became a magnet for our camera lenses along the way. It was about 7:30 in the evening by the time we arrived at the expansive obsidian wall marking the memorial of soldiers killed or missing in action from the Vietnam War, and the sun was low enough in the horizon to give everything the barest hint of golden aura... quite a sight. Countless names lay engraved upon every inch of the surface of the wall, smooth as glass and so reflective as to defy our cameras from capturing it in substance. After perusing the wall in reverence to its significance, we stopped by a statue of three Vietnam soldiers, and discovered an artifact of reality in these oft-surreal environs: someone had left at some time in the past a medal and ribbon pinned to dog tags dangling from the statue's machine gun. In the next statue, a red rose had been cupped in the open hand of the statuary, adding a touch of human emotion to the monument. These little touches of post-concept reality from the visitors, more than just the images and words depicted in marble and metal, evoke a sense of the connection between past and present for me.
Later that evening we ate a truly excellent dinner at the place recommended earlier to us, Clyde's, but in Chinatown. I chose the blackened swordfish, which I had never tasted before, and it was quite excellent especially with the lime butter sauce. Our senses and stomachs sated once again, we made our way back to the metro stop from which we would board a bus back to the hotel. That is, we would have boarded the bus if the last bus hadn't come and gone long before our 11PM arrival at the station... uh oh! After debating for a bit whether we wanted to walk back or try to get somewhat closer via another bus, our fatigue won out and we opted for a taxi ride back to the hotel. A very late night!
Today, after sleeping in to recover from the previous night's escapade and getting through more of the conference sessions, our original trio of travelers paired up with two other friends from another school to go and visit the last of our monumental goals: the Jefferson Memorial. We did a bit better this time, making it back from our jaunt in time for the last bus to National Harbor. The memorial itself, in typical fashion for DC, was a marvel of Neoclassical architecture and immenseness... it is quite an experience, standing beneath the cavernous dome and looking up at the great man looming in the center, dwarfing you in both sense of accomplishment and sense of scale. After getting back to National Harbor, we perused the restaurants for a late dinner selection, settling on the Public House after noticing that our first choice for bar and grill was apparently under annex by the local police... presumably a bar fight. I had the grilled sirloin, which came with roasted new potatoes that were very tasty. The steak was done just right as well. However, we spent about 30 minutes getting the bill straightened out, to adhere to our employers' rules for accounting of travel expenditure...
Another late night, and time for bed. Tomorrow will be our last day at the conference, with a special event at the Smithsonian Newseum afterward. Should be fun!
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Pictures Taken: 203 and 1 video
Fallout 3 Locations Found: Jefferson Memorial
Fallout 3 Items Found: None
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