The Capitol : Washington DC

Washington DC is one of those places in the US which are a 'must-tick'. Honestly, I don't think its anything out of this world or a place you cannot do without visiting, but still it's something we all still think of visiting just because its the Capital City of the most powerful country in the world! So anyways, we did a weekend trip to Washington this summer and spent about two days in the capital city.

I would categorise the places to visit in DC as of two types, museums and government buildings/memorials. Most of these places are located very close to each other, on both sides of the National Mall starting with the Capitol on one side and ending with the Lincoln Memorial.

It's not that easy to visit all these places in a car though, as parking is tough to find and apparently expensive. The best way to explore the city is either by walking or taking one of the hop-on-hop-off buses which take you to all the places to visit. So, we stayed in a hotel outside of town and then took the shuttle to town and explored it on foot.

We started at one end of the Mall, with the Capitol, which is this huge parliament in white. It's pretty and it's huge, I guess keeping in line with the majestic squares that imperialist countries in Europe used to build to awe visitors. That's the feeling that you get when you see the Capitol and the buildings around it. Its all open, green, with some water bodies and fountains and surrounded by massive buildings all around. The Capitol is worth seeing from the inside but for that you need to book the tour at least a couple of days before. We did not do that so had to contend with just the outside:).

Just behind the Capitol as you walk on the mall, you cross the reflecting pool which has some botanical gardens around it. Crossing those, you will pass in front of many museums: Art, Sculpture, Space, American History, Natural History and so on. All these museums are run by the Smithsonian organisation and have a free entry. Have heard they are very good but we did not get a chance to see them from the inside, so can't say for sure.

As you walk along, you pass other government buildings or see them at a distance, the National Archives, Supreme Court, Reagen Buildings etc. They all look magnificent and give you an aura of being at a different kind of place.

Near the end of this Mall, you will see at the right side possibly the most photographed building of DC, the White House. It has a huge playing field called the Ellipse just in front of it. But the house isn't as huge as you would expect to be. Its this little white building which you can see from a distance with green gardens all around and a fountain in front. You still get yourself photographed in front of the house, but it does leave you asking for more. The White house again you can take a tour inside if you book in advance.

And then you come to the memorials area, all around the Basin. First you see to the Washington Memorial, a huge white obelisk on a raised platform. Its quite a dominating structure and visible from quite a distance all around.





Then you have the World War II Memorial, which is a series of fountains and overlooking the Lincoln Memorial.





The Lincoln Memorial is majestic too and houses a huge statue of Lincoln sitting in a chair (like a throne?:) ). From the memorial, you can also get a view of the Potomac river behind it. As you walk along, you will pass the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam memorial.


Then as you walk around the river basin, you cross the Martin Luther King Memorial and the FDR Memorial.







And at the end is the Jefferson Memorial, another huge white structure on a raised platform with Jefferson's statue standing majestically inside.



Washington is supposed to be pretty at night, all lighted up. Also there are a couple of cruises there, which take you around the Potomac river and show all the monuments at night. We couldn't see that but am guessing would be fun.  Also DC is a must-visit during the spring season with Cherry Blossoms everywhere! In the photographs, the whole basin area looks magnificent in white and pink. Maybe for next time:)! Another place we did not visit but looks worthwhile is the National Cathedral, guess should try to see it if you get a chance.

Other than that, we also visited Georgetown which is the old part of Washington with European looking streets and houses which also neighbours the Georgetown University. It was a nice walk, and we could lunch at an Indian restaurant. Wasn't anything great though, so guess can give it a miss.

So all in all it was a weekend out and a chance to see the seat of the American government. Impressive but not hugely.

US Hinterland: Roanoke, Virginia

In the last month, I have got to travel across different states of the US and it's interesting to see how varied and vast the country is. I recently visited Washington DC and while driving back from DC to Durham, visited a family friend in Roanoke, Virginia. That's how I landed in this place unknown to me and people I know.

For my first impressions, the drive from DC to Roanoke was very scenic. Rolling green hills, lush forests and pretty little wooden houses dotting the landscape. It was really breathtaking, driving through such a magnificent green region. Apparently Virginia is one of the most pretty states of the US and it was clearly evident why.

Anyways, even the town of Roanoke was pretty. It's surrounded by mountains all around, isn't too crowded and again has the pretty houses all around. It looks like one of those postcard towns which might be a pleasure to stay in. Green, healthy and relaxing. We had initially planned to stay there for a night but ended up staying for three days (and wanted to stay longer too)!

The first day we drove to the Roanoke Star, a huge lighted star atop a hill. The star at night is visible from afar, signifying the town of Roanoke. From the top of the mountain, you can get a good view of the town below as well as the mountains surrounding Roanoke. The mountain is heavily forested and has a couple of trails too for the trekking enthusiast. On a warm clouded day, this place is the perfect picnic spot.


The next day we drove to the New River area for tubing in the lake. Due to high water, the tubing was closed but the place turned out to be the perfect place to enjoy a day out. With the river lazily flowing next to you, green hills surrounding all around, cool breeze flowing and a warm nice sun: the feeling is just too tough to explain. We had a picnic there, ate, lazed around, played and just enjoyed being close to nature.




This place just looks like a painting, doesn't it? We drove along the lake and saw a couple of camping sites. Would love to camp at a place like this for a couple of days, gives you the kind of peace you sometimes miss in a big city. Also a lot of people were kayaking on the river as it had a couple of rapids too. Wish we had been allowed to do tubing too!

The next day, we just walked around town and visited a local festival They had lot of rides, games and a helicopter tour of the town too. There is a cathedral in Roanoke which looks yellow! Quite a funny color!

Other than that there are a couple of park drives closeby in the blue ridge mountains which are supposedly scenic. We did not get a chance to go there though. We also went to a local yogurt place to try out their frozen yogurt: it's definitely the best frozen yogurt I have ever had. Very yum, depending on what toppings you add. A definite must do if you ever get a chance to visit this small town in the Virginia hinterland!

Anyways the whole stay for us turned out to be more fun and longer than what we expected! A nice few days spent there...

Around Durham: Wrightsville Beach and Jordan Lake

We spent some time in Durham this year and now have got an idea about stuff to do nearby. It looked initially that there is not that much to do but slowly we found out, there is enough for a couple of weeks!

North Carolina is a nature state with lush green forests, beaches and lots of lakes around. So all the places worth visiting are nature-based. We visited two places nearby, both were day trips and fun.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH

Wrightsville beach is located in the town of Wilmington and about 2.5 hours away from Durham along the I-40. The beach is on a long and narrow island which is connected via bridges to the main land. The whole length of the island on one side is a beach, open to the sea and the other side of the island is the place to moor the boats and enjoy some water sports. There are lots of vacation rentals also all along the island, and by how full it was, looks like its a very popular beach!

We spent some time on the beach, swimming and enjoying the sun and waves. The beach was very very windy when we went though, not sure if its always like this or just this one time. Anyways, there were plenty of waves to body surf, and lot of real surfers around too. There were very strong undercurrents though, so you had to be a lot more careful. But a lovely beach nonetheless.

We went to a restaurant on the beach too, the Oceanic. It had very tasty sea-food at reasonable prices, glassed seating with an overview of the beach and an open air musical performance being given live. And the food was yum!! I would say a definite eat if you visit the beach!

JORDAN LAKE

Jordan lake is about an hour or so drive from Durham, and its a huge lake! Wasn't at all what we expected, much better than that in fact! Its got an artificial sandy beach where tourists can enjoy the sun. You can also swim in the lake as its quite calm waters. 

New York weekend getaways

As with any major city, there are lot of weekend getaways near New York for people to be able to quickly get away from the city hustle bustle and enjoy some quiet or some action in a natural environment.

The getaways vary with the season or the activity desired. For winters, you have the skiing resorts of New York, New Jersey, Vermont and New Hampshire (Wyndham, Hunter Mountain, Bear Mountain etc). For summers, there are the beaches and lakes and camping in the forests (Lake George, Finger Lakes, Cape Cod etc) and for fall, you have the fall colours in the New England area. And of course many other activities are available nearby.

Some of these places are worth visiting while some become worthwhile just because they are so close to New York :)! Anyways have been to a few such places nearby, and thought would talk about those. Will keep adding as and when we keep exploring more!

SKIING AT MOUNTAIN CREEK, VERNON, NEW JERSEY

Mountain Creek falls in the category of being good just because of its proximity to New York. Located about an hour or so from the city, its a perfect place if you want to ski and don't have the time to stay overnight. You can drive from New York, ski and be back home in time for dinner! There are daily buses also running from New York till the resort, so its quite popular among Ne Yorkers. Since during winter, options are limited, and skiing being the only activity possible, we went skiing to Mountain Creek Resort in Jan 2011. 

The ski slopes are fine and the ski rentals high. It was fun nevertheless, with the sugar slope being do-able for novices like us. There is also the kids slope to start with, especially if you are just learning skiing. The green slopes also looked not too bad, so maybe for next time!

One advantage of Mountain Creek though is that they have night skiing. So you can ski longer. Only negative I saw here though was that there was just too much crowd here! It looks like a mela really! But I guess everyone in New York has the bright idea to go to the nearest ski slope available!

RAFTING AT ADIRONDACKS MOUNTAINS

We did a whitewater rafting trip recently to the Adirondacks Mountains. Our organiser was Adirondacks Adventures and we rafted on the Hudson. It was soo much fun!

The weather was cold though, only on the weekend that we were there that is!! Temperatures were sub-zero in the night, so we were all fully packed with fleeces and wet suits. The whole route is quite long, about 15 miles or so. You start on the Indian River which meets the Hudson and then you flow through miles of Hudson through dense green foliages on both sides. You also pass through the Hudson Gorge which is again very magnificent.

The rapids though supposedly Class III and IV did not seem that tough. Supposedly this year since it did not snow as much, the water levels weren't high enough and so the whole experience did seem too subdued. Was still fun and taxing though, rafting through miles and miles of the river. By the end of it we all even stopped rowing, we just waited for our boat to flow with the flow and reach our destination. It was fun but would have been better with more water.

We had rented a vacation rental next to the Hudson nearby and it's location was awesome. Next to the river with total privacy, no sounds and no pollution and no people. Just barbeque outside in the evening and enjoy the cosy house in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't as cosy though since our house did not have any heating or hot water, but it could have been:). On the whole a great place for a weekend away from the city.  Exercise a lot and then relax!

GAMBLING AT ATLANTIC CITY

Atlantic city would be one of the first places people in New York go to! A less than 2 hours drive to multiple casinos with other stuff to do. A definite must-visit.

For the casinos. Borgata is good.  A recently opened place with a huge casino. Other than that, you have Ceasars, Wild West, Taj Trump, Ballys, Hannahs and so on. Don't think there is much to choose between them. All give you an equal oppurtunity to lose money:). Ceasars is done up well on the inside though, they've got sculptors from Roman history all over. You can walk around inside and explore some of the shops and eating places there too.

Other than the casinos, shopping is another major attraction there. Lots of outlet stores all around, so enough for a shopper to spend time and money on. A lot of good shows also keep happening at the bigger hotels regularly, stand-up comedy, musical shows etc. Its nice to buy tickets beforehand though and land up that weekend to enjoy both the shows and a little bit of the casinos.

The boardwalk is another place to walk around. Would be nice in summer I guess, just walk around passing through all the different hotels and casinos.  The buildings on the side of the Boardwalk are painted in multiple colours giving it a very different feel from the rest of the city. I've gone to Atlantic City only in the winter, so the boardwalk wasn't really our preferred place to spend time on!  But something to do in the summers definitely!

The beach in Atlantic city is also worth going to but since I haven't been there, so can't comment I guess. All in all a nice day trip from New York, anything longer gets boring though!

Skiing at Killington, Vermont

Killington Resort in Green Mountains, Vermont is located near the city of Rutland.  Its a 5-6 hour drive from New York and passes through some very pretty little ski towns. Colourful wooden houses on both sides of the road giving it a very pretty feel, the typical New England look I guess.

There are two ski resorts here, one is the Pico Mountain which is much smaller and the other is the Killington slope which is a lot more popular. They have 4-5 different mountains to ski and different parking lots to start from depending on which mountain you want to ski.

The ski slopes are awesome here especially for learners. There are lots of green slopes, shorter ones for the absolute learners while some longer ones from the top of the mountain to the bottom if you feel more adventurous. The crowds here increase during weekends as would be expected, but its still not as much to discourage you from skiing. 

We stayed at Killington for four days and really improved on our skiing skills. For the first day we practiced mostly on the Snowshed slopes which was decently steep but not too long: gave us enough practice and confidence to try something tougher later. Our favourite on this slope was the detour through the Highlander, which is an almost flat slope to get an experience of cross country skiing. 

The last day we tried the Great Northern green slope too, from the top of the Killington Mountain to the bottom. Was a lot of fun and worth it!! If you don't want to ski, just the Gondola ride will also be enjoyable, going up the mountain and taking in the view of the whole area around.

You should rent your equipment from Killington rentals slightly before the slopes. Its a lot cheaper here than renting at the slopes itself. There are multiple parking areas around the ski area, and its all free though fills up fast! You can park your car at a different place everytime, depending on which mountain you plan to ski that day. One point to note though is that skiing finishes at 4pm everyday. So you need to start early as there is no night skiing at this resort.

Other than skiing there are a couple of things to do to spend your evenings. Since the whole Killington area is centered around skiing, in the winter season its all decorated with lights. It looks very pretty especially with the snow and the winter lights. There is also a trail nearby called the Appalachian trails. We did part of it but with the snow only as much you can go. Might be more fun in the summer.

There are lots of nice eating places nearby with good food and music. We tried Garlic, which was very tasty. The pub food more than the restaurant though! Sushi Yoshi was tasty too. And near it was Pickle Barrel, a nightclub with live music. It rocked!! There was a good fun crowd there and live music everyday. Apparently they have famous singers also performing at Pickle during season. A definite must-go for all visitors to Killington. Another restaurant we went to was the Peppino's Ristorante Italiano, it was not up to the mark though. Neither in terms of service nor food.

We stayed at the Cortina Inn and it was good.  Nice lounge, lot of activities to relax with at the end of the day. Pool, table tennis and lots of other games. You skii all day and come back to the pool to relax. What else would you want:) ? 

We also stayed a night in a house in Rutland. It was a nice experience. Rutland is like one of those lazy looking towns over rolling hills with cows grazing and the whole area strewn with wooden houses all along. Delightful and serene.

Killington is definitely a place to go skiing if you are a learner. Plus the whole area is so pretty, a definite recommend for people in New York.