“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” – Fitzhugh Mullan
Well, on day two of the Benton Scholars Washington D.C. spring break trip, we hit our first “pothole.” It came in the form of two inches of snow and a government (and Smithsonian) snow day. What we had planned to accomplish today was two tours, one at the State Department and another at the Capitol, along with a free afternoon/night for us to explore D.C. on our own as well as meet up with friends from high school, college, or even family members who were in the area. Two inches of heavy, wet snow forced the Capitol, State Department, and most of the Smithsonian museums to close for the day, leaving us with limited (and mostly outdoor) options. While the snow and slush outside looked mild to us from upstate New York, it was clear once we stepped out of the Metro and onto slushy D.C. sidewalks that the city didn’t have the capabilities Hamilton has. While I do have to say I don’t care for the hundreds of inches of snow we get each winter, today gave me a greater respect for the response time and resources Hamilton devotes to snow plowing and removal. Walking around D.C. as the only tourists exploring the Mall and the monuments, I have to say the monuments are gorgeous while covered in snow, and the experience is one I haven’t had in my previous trips to our nation’s capital.
Benton Scholars at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Following a two-hour walk around the Mall and taking various pictures at the Capitol, Washington Monument, as well as the Lincoln, Korean, and the MLK Memorials, we headed inside for warmth and food. While we are certainly a group that doesn’t complain and can easily adapt to the “potholes” that are inevitable with travel, many of the girls on the trip weren’t equipped with proper footwear or jackets that we happily left back in dorm rooms in Hamilton. As our toes and fingers thawed, we happily ate pizza and enjoyed the heat. From there, the group split up: some people going shopping or meeting up with friends and family while others explored the museums that opened up later in the day.
Following the afternoon, many of the girls and Peter returned to the hotel to recharge for the night before dinner. The freshmen Benton Scholars attended a poetry reading in Alexandria and met up with friends, while the seniors stayed in the metro area to have dinner with old high school friends and meet up with family. After a long day of travel and lots of flexibility on everyone’s part (especially Peter who planned this whole trip), we all returned to the hotel at 11:30p.m. to gear up for what promises to be yet another memorable and smoother (hopefully!) day of travel.
Check back for updates on what we have planned for tomorrow!