Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Today we talk about Washington DC. Having taken the bus from Philadelphia for £19.99 for around 3 hours, I was excited to see what it could offer.

I stayed in Caravan Hostel DC for US$32.40 per night. It was about half an hour away by bus from the National Mall, but the location itself was in a lively area full of bars and nightlife – for me, this is always important!

The National Mall

I booked a free walking tour through GuruWalk around the National Mall. We started at the Second World War Memorial – an interesting experience for me, as I’ve only ever visited war memorials in Europe or former British colonies. This was the first I’d seen that commemorated 1941–45, which was fascinating and struck a different tone to anything I’d seen before.

From there, we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument (which you can go up for free on the day if there’s space – otherwise, you can reserve online for a $1 fee), Korean War Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and finally, the White House.

There were several protests taking place outside the White House, and security was understandably tight. I highly recommend ‘The People’s House: A White House Experience’, which is free and allows you to take photos of yourself in a room that is a replica of the President’s office. It’s especially fun if your mother is gullible and you fancy sending her a convincing prank photo!

Arlington Cemetery

In true Aelfgifu fashion, I’d befriended someone at the pub and together we went for a day trip to Arlington Cemetery. We took the underground (subway) and entry to the cemetery was free.

Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the US National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the US Army. More than 400,000 people are buried there across 639 acres.

It’s a peaceful, moving place to walk around. The highlight for me was the Changing of the Guard – in August, it happens every half hour and from October to March, every hour on the hour. Having seen the ceremony in London many times, I found this version uniquely different but equally impressive in its own right.

The Greek-style Amphitheater, John F Kennedy’s eternal flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were all well worth seeing.

Smithsonian Zoo 

In an attempt to kill time before my flight to New Orleans, I went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, another free attraction. I spent several hours wandering around and there’s easily enough to fill a whole day.

I was however mildly disappointed to be there alone as I had no one to reenact Harry and Dudley’s trip to the Reptile House at London Zoo.

For any Harry Potter fans out there – this one did indeed move.

The Bus Fare Mystery

An unexpected dilemma was paying bus fares.

The subway was an easy tap-in, tap-out system just like in the London underground. 

However to pay on the bus it seemed you needed a ‘SmartTrip’ card, which when setting up they prefer to post to you – of course pointless if you’re only there for a few days.

Having asked a local girl at the bus stop for help, she told me that bus drivers don’t usually mind if you can’t pay. Being the strict rule-follower that I am this did concern me but sure enough, when I tried to tap my debit card and it didn’t work, the driver just waved me on. The same thing happened on both buses I took in Washington.

Perhaps they are more concerned about keeping to the bus schedule than collecting my fee, or it’s a recurring problem they have with tourists, but I did find it amusing that I managed to travel around the US capital for free. 

Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

• If you’re staying longer or plan to take buses often, I would recommend setting yourself up with a ‘SmartTrip’ card, otherwise it’s not worth the hassle for a short visit (and the subway is tourist-friendly and can get you to most places).
• I highly recommend a trip to Arlington Cemetery, if only to see the changing of the guards.
• You can walk around the Mall without a guide and if you are on a strict budget, I would even recommend so. You can then go at your own pace and most of the sites are fairly self-explanatory.
• Don’t miss ‘The People’s House: A White House Experience’ – it’s free, fun, and surprisingly convincing.

Has any tourist been able to get the SmartTrip card to work? If so, let me know how below!

Your Commander-in-Cheap,

Aelfgifu