Well, after a series of rather comical (not at the time, of course) episodes of getting lost -- including getting onto the wrong Pennsylvania Turnpike (don't ask), we arrived in Washington, D.C. Thursday evening.
We've been here several times, including as recently as last year. Once, in the summer of 2005, I was here with my son Zach and his eighth grade class and it was very hot.
But that was nothing. I mean, it's freaking HOT here now. I mean fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk, melt the frigging soles of your tennis shoes hot.
Wow.
Brennan and I walked for several hours yesterday with the heat index well above 100 degrees and by the time we got back to the hotel, we both looked a bit like Chevy Chase in the film Vacation when he wanders in the desert after wrecking the Family Truckster. Today, we took a cab to Union Station for lunch. We're dumb, but we're not stupid.
I also found a really cool cigar shop and bought some fine sticks for the trip. I was in heaven, believe me.
Unfortunately, Brennan and I learned the Marc train doesn't run on weekends anymore, so we were faced with a conundrum: How to get to Baltimore tomorrow to meet up with blog friend Tracy for the Orioles-Twins game?
Finally, I booked us on Amtrak from Union Station to Penn Station in Baltimore. Round trip cost? $75! And that doesn't' include the light rail from the station to Camden Yards and back. We leave in the morning from the hotel at about 9 and won't get back until about 8 at night.
And it's supposed to rain and storm all day.
Regardless, we're spending the day in Baltimore, rain or shine. I hope the kid's up for eight hours of schlumping through museums and aquariums.
Oh well. We're here and having a blast. Hope all is well with you guys. I'll update again when I get the chance.
We've been here several times, including as recently as last year. Once, in the summer of 2005, I was here with my son Zach and his eighth grade class and it was very hot.
But that was nothing. I mean, it's freaking HOT here now. I mean fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk, melt the frigging soles of your tennis shoes hot.
Wow.
Brennan and I walked for several hours yesterday with the heat index well above 100 degrees and by the time we got back to the hotel, we both looked a bit like Chevy Chase in the film Vacation when he wanders in the desert after wrecking the Family Truckster. Today, we took a cab to Union Station for lunch. We're dumb, but we're not stupid.
I also found a really cool cigar shop and bought some fine sticks for the trip. I was in heaven, believe me.
Unfortunately, Brennan and I learned the Marc train doesn't run on weekends anymore, so we were faced with a conundrum: How to get to Baltimore tomorrow to meet up with blog friend Tracy for the Orioles-Twins game?
Finally, I booked us on Amtrak from Union Station to Penn Station in Baltimore. Round trip cost? $75! And that doesn't' include the light rail from the station to Camden Yards and back. We leave in the morning from the hotel at about 9 and won't get back until about 8 at night.
And it's supposed to rain and storm all day.
Regardless, we're spending the day in Baltimore, rain or shine. I hope the kid's up for eight hours of schlumping through museums and aquariums.
Oh well. We're here and having a blast. Hope all is well with you guys. I'll update again when I get the chance.