Joy of Spring Break ~ Day 3

I have to apologize again for delaying my post :P I've been really busy these days and exam week is here again! So, back to my Spring break trip, day 3 is the day I walked A LOT! You can rent a bike or take a bus I think, but as a student, money is a major player so I take walking as exercise :)


We went back to DC that day because we have yet to visit a few very important location. Weather was really good that day: sun was shining brightly but the wind was still cold and really strong. 


On the way to The Castle, we stopped by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (I went to this one already) - I don't know why I like this building a alot :P

The Castle - We should have stopped here before going anywhere else because this is where you get all the maps and details on the Smithsonian Museums.

Interior of the Castle.

My brunch at The Castle - expensive chicken wrap, more than $10 including tax :) Sorry I took a few bites before taking a picture of it.

Another section in the Castle. Very beautiful when you see it in person :P There are preserved animals on the shelves and they really spiced up the whole place!

The other side of the picture with different animals on this side.

On our way to the National Monument. It seemed so close but that was optical illusion. It was so far that we need maybe half an hour's walk there. Fuhh..

Ok, getting closer now but still seemed far and had to walk in a circle (the pavement is around the monument, not straight to it lol)

We're finally at the bottom of the National Monument because the pyramid at the top is not in sight anymore! Hahaha...Mum, I made it!

Don't forget to touch the National Monument and take a picture like I did :P  They do give out tickets to go up the structure (just like our very own Petronas Twin Towers' Skybridge), but you'll have to queue early. The tickets were gone by the time we were there :( Oh yes, there were soldiers there..to maintain peace there I guess ;D

Next, we walked some more and reached the World War 2 Memorial. Very impressive structure, with each state's name on each pylon. I went and searched for Virginia's of course, under the Atlantic section.

Moving on, now on the way to the Lincoln Memorial. The rows of trees are endless as you can see. Advice: don't complain or think that you are tired. Otherwise, you will not want to walk on anymore.

Ohoho, the Lincoln Memorial is finally in front of me, but obviously, there's still a long way to go, across the plain and up the staircase :D

Can you see Mr. Abraham Lincoln looking at you from his chair? He looked really comfortable while I was worn out from all the walking.  *envy*

Hello Mr. Lincoln, how are you doing? I'm Yi Lin. It's very nice to meet you :) You have a good day ok!

Next up, Korean War Memorial. There are so many war memorials here >.< 

If you are a fan of the drama series "Bones", you will know this structure. It's the Jefferson Memorial, and it was too far away so I did not visit this one. I'll definitely visit it one day :)

I was really excited to see the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) lol. This is just one part of the building. Could not take everything because it was way too long and my camera doesn't have panorama function.

Another exciting part: I saw a few flowering Sakura (Cherry Blossom) trees but now I realized that Virginia Tech has so many of them all around the campus. All my excitement went poof..

The very famous Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, filled with aircrafts etc. I'll visit this one another time. Oh, I forgot that I'm actually on my way to The Capitol, where the Laws are made hahaha!

If you are a fan of NCIS, CSI and many other American drama series, you will always see The Capitol. Very beautiful building but I did not go in (I don't know if I can at that time). If you realize, the real building is way at the back, pass the reflecting pool. And we walked again.

A pair of Mallard ducks swimming in the cold waters. They came towards me, but I had to apologize  because I had no food for them. The colorful one is the male while the other is the female.

Walk sommore and you'll see the National Postal Museum. If you are a fan of stamps etc, this is a good place to stop by. I spent quite some time here.

Please put your bags, cellphones and everything from your pocket onto the conveyor belt. Walk through the metal detector and you're done! Felt like I was in an airport all over again. I guess this building has some other functions or they won't be so strict about what you're bringing in :)

Stamps on the ceiling.

Grabbed some ice-cream before going home. I had this at Union Station. I think this cup is about $5 including tax, which is absolutely cheap!! Haha! Butter Pecan (white) and Peanut Butter Chocolate (chocolate)..Hmmm , so sinfully good :D

At Union Station (metrorail), waiting for our train to bring us back to College Park! 

That's it! Can't wait to go back to Malaysia in summer!! The weather difference will suck for me but home is where I belong :) Till then.. I think I'll be hibernating for a while. Will be back soon ;)

Joy of Spring Break ~ Day 2

Early Sunday morning, our friend brought us to the College Park Metro station and taught us how to use the railway system. She told us that while Maryland-DC's is more confusing than the one we have in Malaysia, the one in New York City is the real winner. Since we have decided to visit a few of the 19 Smithsonians Museums (no kidding!), our stop is "Smithsonian" after changing lines at "L'Enfant Plaza".

Our first stop - Smithsonian National Museum of American History. You will find a lot of information about the wars, especially those that involved the United States. If you are a history person, this is a MUST-VISIT place! Admission is free so you can always go back if there's too much for a day =)

We spent most of our time here because we browsed each and every section. We just couldn't afford to read all the information boards right? That would take us more than a day's time. The American flag is the inspiration for their national anthem, the "Star Spangled Banner"

There's a really big preserved bison right after the entrance.

History on slavery. Very heart wrenching, especially the pictures of those tortured for labor.

Sketches of First Ladies' dresses worn during their husbands' Inauguration ceremony.

Michelle Obama's dress accompanied by diamond earrings and bangles, as well as a pair of Jimmy Choo's. :)

Finally, we got out of History and move on to some life! Don't blame me, I'm a Science (Biology) person :P The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's one of the best I've been to - very informative and educational. MUST-VISIT for everyone! Again, admission is free! Since I did not finish browsing this museum, I'll definitely be back for more ;)

Like dinosaurs and bones? This is the place.

Prehistoric sea monsters section.

The inside of the building. Oh yea, security officers will need to search the bag(s) of everyone entering any museum just in case somebody decides to perform some "heroic" stunts. One of them even asked if my handbag is a Coach and if it's the new version. Lol because it's not really new.

Giant Octopus. Really really long and big. No, it doesn't look appetizing to me at all because it's been taking a formalin bath the whole time it's out the sea - the color's off! Fascinating but no thanks.

Cute preserved chipmunk. My sister said it's Alvin, but I think it's more to cute Theodore. Chubby and absolutely adorable.

Hominids, skulls, etc.

Lunch right after. Awesome Chicken Briyani and Naan bread! The serving's so huge it's actually good for lunch and dinner. $9 excluding Naan, free water.

My very very recommended Shish Kabob Wrap! $7 and totally worth it.

Day 2 was so tiring but wait till Day 3. High stamina recommended!

The Joy of Spring Break ~ Day 1

I apologize for being so slow in updating my blog. I had two grueling weeks of studying and exams and right after that, a trip to none other than the capital of The United States, Washington D.C. As a person who truly enjoys city life, I could not wait to get out of Blacksburg :D As usual, when one travels, accommodation is usually "not that cheap", especially in BIG cities. 


Fortunately, I have a few friends over in University of Maryland at College Park and I managed to crash there for a few days. Maryland is really close to DC and they have Metro train services, so my friends taught my graduate friend and I how to use the train and visit some of the most famous landmarks in the world! 

Snapping away at one of UMD's many entrances.

UMD's Memorial Chapel; it's really pretty inside. It's a shame I haven't been to VT's.

The pool in front of McKeldin Library. I guess the fountains were not switched on because it's still cold.

While I am a "Hokie", UMD's students are "Terps" (for Terrapin)

There is a metal turtle in between the flag poles; there are turtles everywhere on campus haha! US flag on left, UMD's on the right. 

We managed to grab some frozen yogurt at Yogiberry after our UMD tour right before dinner time. They are so, so good and addictive. Since they are not ice-cream (and much healthier) :) there was no guiltiness whatsoever even though I was practically pouring white chocolate sauce over my cup of froyo on bottom

 left.

They are all self-serve, so grab your cup on the left, choose your flavor(s) and fill your cup, move over to the right and choose your topping(s) if you want, pour all the sauce you want, move to the counter, put your cup on the weighing scale and pay up! Mine cost a little bit over USD5. :D As you can see from above, I got myself a Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cup and some colored rice while others got whatever caught their eyes. Very interesting, eh?

This might not look too appetizing but they tasted really good. White for "cake batter" (not really cake batter haha), light  brown for "oreo" and purple for "taro". 

We then headed back to my friend's apartment where she cooked Tom Yam chicken for us (made from Malaysia's Maggi Tom Yam cubes!). Dinner was great because her friend from George Washington University dropped by and we were joined by others from UMD as well. Day 2 is even better! Stay tuned!