Garmins: not just for getting you between Points A & B

Tonight I also found another use for my trusty Garmin, who sometimes I refer to as "Gary" (I'm big on alliteration), and that use was to meet some not so friendly police offices somewhere in Northern Virginia on the edge of Washington D.C.

You see, I'm supposedly on a few days of vacation (ha! I have a dozen phone calls and a conference call, and a meeting) in between the Boot Camp that just got over at Virginia Tech and the Atlantic National next week in Maryland. So, I decided to save on an extra plane ticket and stay out East and take in the sights. Tonight's adventure...meeting the POLICE.

I had checked into my hotel in Chevy Chase, MD, wanting to stay near the National Cathedral, my first stop tomorrow morning, much on the recommendation of my friend K.C. in response to an earlier D.C. blog, and had ventured to a mall just to walk and get out of the rain. On the way back I was talking to my friend Jen, trying to listen to Gary and navigate in the rain and the dark back to the Courtyard by Marriott. When I turned off the main drag, I knew I had made a bad choice. I don't know where I was but, it was a very secure area, with a LOT of surveillance cameras, fences, gates, and three cop cars with the officers standing guard outside the cars. As soon as I saw the surveillance cameras, I told Jen I had to go, as I was making my U-turn to get the heck outta Dodge. And, two of those cops hopped into their car, started the siren and turned on their pretty Kentucky blue lights. That's right--little Midwest bumpkin in the New Jersey rental car was busted! Of course I pulled over right away and was afraid I might wet myself, but I didn't. They both got out the patrol car. The she-cop shined a very bright light in my face and the he-cop questioned my destination. Our conversation went something like this:

Him: Where and you going and where did you come from?
Me: My Garmin got me lost. I'm not from here, just trying to get back to the Courtyard by Marriott on Wisconsin Ave from the Tyson Mall, and I obviously took a wrong turn. I'm from Missouri, I'm lost, and I didn't mean to do anything wrong.
Him: Well, you need to get on the Beltway.
Me: Yes, I want 495 North to Maryland. How did I get here.
Him: Take three rights and you'll get there. Drive safe.
Me: Thank you!

I was slightly freaked out. Ok...really freaked out. But, if it were not for this lovely piece of technology, I wouldn't have got to meet new people tonight. Who knew that Garmins were so helpful??

Four hours, three tourists, one stop

Last weekend, my friend and co-worker Robin and I headed East for the Mid-Atlantic Junior Angus Classic, where we and two NJAA directors helped with this junior show at Harrisonburg, VA. It was typical MAJAC weather--cold and damp, but we still had a great show evaluated by my friend Alan Miller. The show was over in good time on Sunday, and we dropped Chris Cassady off at Dulles Airport. Robin, Andrew Rogen and I had time to kill as we didn't fly out til EARLY on Monday morning. Andrew asked how far we were from Washington D.C., so we punched 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. into the Garmin and in less than 20 minutes we were in the heart of D.C., a place none of the three of us had ever been.

We didn't let a little mist in the air or a slight breeze dampen our experience! In a little more than 4 hours we walked 6 miles or so, saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, U.S. Capitol (from a distance), the White House, and the Treasury Department. And, I didn't even get honked at, which is better than I can say during Robin's and my drive to Whitestone Farm on Thursday, but that's another blog...

Here are Robin and I in front of the Washington Monument, both a little more enthusiastic about the "longer" daylight hours that daylight saving time provided!

And me, at the Washington Monument with the Lincoln Memorial in the far background. It was a damp, windy day, but we were three tourists with nothing but time, enthusiasm and cameras!





Honest Abe was huge! I was so glad to get to see these monuments and memorials at night with the lights on them. If the weather was going to be rainy and damp, might as well look for some positive!



I loved this shot of the flag, Washington memorial, and fountain. Once I get a subject, I could shoot it all day (you should see my Eiffel Tower pictures).




This Korean War Soldiers Memorial was very moving. It was so dark by the time we got there, it was almost like we were among the soldiers. A great reminder that freedom is indeed never free.

Finally, our parking garage was right near the National Press Building, and well there is still a little journalist left in me, so I couldn't resist one more posed shot!



Who knew that three friends could have so much free fun in one place in four short hours? I definitely will head back to D.C. in the near future, and once again was reminded that we must live each day to the fullest and take advantage of every opportunity! I mean, I could have sat in the Fairfield Inn and watched the March Madness selection, Facebooked and did my show report, but how much fun would that blog have been for you all to read?!?!