2022 Summer Travel-Washington DC

From Massachusetts to Virginia: 444 Miles

We returned to Boston after visiting the Statue of Liberty on Aug 8th. Jolie prepared the classes for medical assistants and girls also practiced and attended squash lessons. We departed for Washington DC on Aug 11 and arrived at the hotel after driving 444 miles. This is also our first time traveling south to New York.

We could not visit our friends as original plan due to COVID hitting them. However, another friend sent us the tickets for MLB, Washington Nationals. We watched the Game of Nationals vs. San Diego Padres on Aug 12 night at National Park. The home team customized fancy short films for its own players and only reported: "good news". The live atmosphere was vivid and infectious. Emily is not interested in watching baseball though. 

1st Family MLB at National Park

We also visited the famous research institute, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. I might not have a chance to work there. Emily and Alice will probably someday join the team to explore science here!

Lawn in front of NIH 

What are the spotlights in Washington DC? That will be museums, momentum, Memorial, and the White House. We visited Smithsonian Nature History Museum, National Archive, Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, Spy Museum, Washington Momentum, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and reserved the self-tour of the White House. Jolie and the girls also bought stuffed plushes of presidential pets. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum was still under renovation and would be opened on Oct 14, 2022. We will revisit Washington DC again for the US Capitol, entering Washington Momentum, and the Library of Congress after getting citizenship.

Washington Momentum

Awesome Spy Museum

Blue Room, White House

End of White House Tour: north side

Lincoln Memorial

President Pets & Central Park Zoo Plushes

Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center: aviation and space artifacts

Before the end of summer, our busy traveling schedule for Aug 2022 ended. The weather began to be cooler and fall seemed close soon.

2022 Summer Travel-New York

We can say that the 2022 summer is the first complete summer in the US. In the summer of 2021, we were busy settling down in our new home. Girls assembled the new IKEA furniture, and also attended some tennis clinics. Jolie and I applied all the documents, such as driver's license, bank account, and credit cards.

Vertex initiated the first summer shutdown. Therefore, it became our summer travel of 2022. Our plan is New York-Home-Washington DC-Home. We returned to Boston first because Jolie had to go to class and girls could have squash lessons. 

We passed by Wayne, Pennsylvania for Alice's Squash Bronze Tournament. In New York, we watched the Broadway show Aladdin, and Time Square, and visited Central Park/Central Park Zoo and the Statue of Liberty. 

Central Park Wollman Rink

Broadway Show of Aladdin

   

Although Central Park is a very famous spot, we did not visit all of the sites probably due to the hot weather. We finally decided to visit Central Park Zoo instead of walking through the whole Park. After visiting Central Park Zoo, we briefly visited Apple Fifth Avenue and BBQ Korean Chicken for our lunch. 

BBQ Chicken at New York

Pass by Time Square

Visiting the Statue of Liberty was fantastic. Boarding the ferry in New Jersey was definitely a correct choice to avoid heavy traffic and visitors. We spent much time at the National Museum of Immigration at Ellis Island. As new immigrants to the US for one year, Jolie and I seemed to understand all of the experiences of newcomers in the old times. 

Immigrants visited the immigration museum

At Liberty island, we also visited the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. in addition to climbing to the top of the pedestal, the old Statue of Liberty Museum in pedestal also showed the history of the State of Liberty.

Statue of Liberty

The ferry departed at 9:30ish am and returned to New Jersey Liberty Park at 3:00ish pm. Jolie said that our family will visit here again when we acquire US citizenship. 

New Jersey Liberty State Park