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| View from rooftop terrace to the Watergate |
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| Hall of Flags is the full height of the building |
One of my son's favorite activities when he is home from Pennsylvania is to take the Route 80 bus downtown to the Kennedy Center. Amazingly, we are on a direct bus line that goes right past our street and all the way to this International Style building. There are great views of the infamous Watergate building from the rooftop terrace as well as opportunities to watch planes fly into National Airport and boats going by on the Potomac. The Hall of Flags is also kind of interesting, although in need of a carpet cleaning, INMHO. We also go there for lunch in the KC Cafe on the top floor where you can have very good and interesting sandwiches, snacks and dinner food, and drinks (beer and wine), at very interesting high prices. The staff at the KC Cafe are notorious for their lack of friendliness but we never let that get in the way of a delicious lunch in a quiet restaurant with great views. Also, the site is wheelchair accessible, although I understand the theaters are not as good.
I've always liked the big tree at the bus stop on North Capitol Street at Adams Street NW. It provides shelter from rain, wind, sun and traffic while I'm waiting for that Route 80 bus that goes downtown. The tree also did its duty stopping a drunk driver going up on the sidewalk as the massive dent in the side of the tree shows. In fact I recall hearing the tremendous crash-boom when it happened a few years ago. Some guy went out of control going southbound on North Capitol and smashed into the tree; his car was crushed when it slammed into this tree guarding the sidewalk. The driver mysteriously survived the impact -- probably quite drunk and relaxed so didn't resist as much so nothing "snapped" -- but I don't think the tree is going to last. The impact stripped off a big chunk of bark and over time rubbish and mold and critters and fungi have lodged in the dent and the tree will surely die faster than it was intended to. I doubt the guy whose life was saved by the tree appreciates what this creation did for him. But there's always the hope that somehow his life was changed by the tree's sacrifice.
