EAST COAST TOUR: DAY 5

Tour guide Holly

The East Coast tour through TAKE TOURS for 3 nights + 4 days trip for Washington DC, Niagara and Thousand Islands was booked through the internet few days ago for $392 for two. Today, Monday 28th April was the first day of the tour. The pick-up was at Edison and Mrs Lakshmi on her way to the office dropped us at 8.30 am at the departure point.

Liberty Bell at Philedelphia

The bus came around 9.30 am with more than 30 tourists, mostly Chinese and about 4 Indian/Sri lankan families. Holly, was the tour guide, fluent in English and Chinese language was active and enthusiastic in giving explanations and advance briefing of the places to visit.

Smithsonian Aerospace Museum

First stop was at Philadelphia, one time capitol of United States,where we saw the Independence Hall and Liberty bell. After having little lunch, proceeded to Washington DC at about 2,30pm

Capital Hill

First was the visit to Smithsonian National Aerospace Museum, quite huge, spent more than an hour seeing exhibits on aeroplanes, rockets etc.

We went around Capitol Hill, seat of the US Congress, White house, US President's official residence, from a distance. It was appeared to be small house compared other buildings.

at the Wax Museum

President's Gallery or Madame Tussaud's wax museum was another attraction, where we spent more than an hour, seeing the celebreties and taking pictures.

Jefferson Memorial

Afterwards, we proceeded walking tour of Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial.heroes in the US History.
It was raining and the weather was cold, the bus proceeded to Maryland, Gathersberg for dinner at 8 pm.
It was a Chinese restaurant, where we could not enter due to awful smell.

Lincoln Memorial

Looking around the area, to our surprise, there was a Madras vegetarian restaurant, which we could not believe..... but it was there. Without looking either ways, we straightway proceeded to the hotel. There was buffet dinner for $12.25 each with more than 15 items in the menu.  It was time to fill our stomach. We did that sincerely.
Then it is time to reach the hotel and bus took us to CAPITAL HILL SUITES, nice hotel. We retired for the day after completing the first day of the tour.
written  Friday, 23rd May 2014, Peoria.