After arriving at one of J’s friend’s houses, we ventured out into a spring thunderstorm, complete with a torrential downpour, to visit some of the Georgetown bars. But $7 rum and cokes, and $10 Long Island ice teas proved too pricey. Besides we were sopping wet and worried about the truck bed filling with water despite our tarp wrappings.

The next morning we took the Metro, DC’s subway, to a DC Eastern Market for the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. It’s called “The Brick,” and is complete with eggs, bacon, cheese, and potato wedges, all piled on a fat bun. Despite wind and rain, we had goals to see some of the national monuments. By the end of the day we had seen the Library of Congress, the Botanical Gardens, the Lincoln, the Vietnam, Korean, and World War II Memorials, with a surprise visit to the top of the Washington Monument. The tag-along architect was thrilled that we stopped in the National Air and Space Museum, and proceeded to explain every facet of the space and aviation history and history.

Unfortunately, we had to get out of D.C. and head down to Durham, North Carolina to meet up with J’s Aunt Fran, but before this, we had to deal with our architect friend and where he was going to stay. He had failed to arrange housing for the following week, hoping he could use J’s friends as places to stay – but this was proving difficult. After a two hour delay and numerous frantic phone calls, he succumbed to staying in a hotel, and we aimed our wheels south. We hit heavy traffic and more intense rainfall, and we did not arrive here in Durham until well-passed midnight.