Winter Rail Trip - February 2, 2018 - Windy, Freezing Washington, DC

US Capitol Viewed from the Mall with Smithsonian Museum

Windy, Freezing Washington, DC 

Arrived yesterday to 50 degrees and calm overcast Washington.  Today, what a change! Winds 25-30 miles per hour with stronger gusts and 28 degree temperature. When I tried to walk on the Mall to visit the Smithsonian Museums, the subfreezing wind was strong enough so I felt like a knife was slicing my face so I immediately returned to Metro and back to a Dunkin Donut shop near my hotel for hot coffee and pastry and then back to my hotel room. Earlier this late afternoon I actually took about a 2 hour nap in bed.  

Here is a pictures of my short Mall visit and a video of flags flying in the gusty winds taken from inside the Dunkin Donut shop.

US Capitol on the Mall and a Smithsonian Museum

US Capitol 

Washington Monument

Here are the flags blowing in the wind video.

Earlier today I did take a ride on the Metro to Alexandria and great time of reunion and lunch with some long time Nashville friends who now live in Alexandra, VA. Here are photos from my Metro station near the hotel.

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 3, the Rail Adventure begins

I begin my rail adventure tomorrow boarding Amtrak's Capitol Limited 4:05 PM for an overnight ride through Pittsburgh, PA, and Cleveland, OH, to Chicago, IL Union Station.  After an early Sunday morning arrival and breakfast at the station, I move to Doubletree THE WIT Hotel to stay overnight in Chicago.  On Monday I'll return to Union Station and board Amtrak's California Zephyr to Emeryville(San Francisco), CA.  Guess what the weather in Chicago for Sunday and Monday is - SNOW.

I hope you enjoyed this unexpected update. I do plan to send the next update from my hotel Sunday afternoon so no update tomorrow as I begin my travel on the train. I'll be taking some photos to share with you in the Sunday update.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. 

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.