Sunday Tourist

Ted & Ben

I had to set my phobia about crowds on the back burner yesterday as Claire, Sean, and I made two pilgrimages that too many others, tourists and Washingtonians alike, were making. First, we stopped at Arlington National Cemetery. Sean has a permit to drive into the cemetery (as the nearest kin to Mary and Jim Gnam), and that is a perq worth having. As the throngs took advantage of the relatively mild weather (for DC) and walked around the cemetery, I felt like a visiting dignitary riding. We first visited the Gnam grave and left a bouquet of flowers; then the grave of a friend of Sean’s, another bouquet; finally, reduced to mere citizen status, we had to park the car and walk to the Kennedy graves.

As expected, it was crowded, but not nearly as much as I expected. The line to visit the Ted Kennedy grave appeared less than 100 feet long, but we did not join in; rather just watched from a distance, then I walked directly to the grave to leave another bouquet. I expected to see a mound of flowers there, but guessed there were fewer than 30. We also stopped at the graves of Bobby and Jack. The crowds were respectful and silent, and when speaking, were sternly reminded by the guards that silence is called for.

Ben’s Chili Bowl first hit my radar screen when Obama visited it just before the Inauguration. We saw it on that same visit to DC but there were people in a semi-circle 30 feet deep trying to get inside. This time the line did not go outside, still it was long in the crowded diner, and featured lots of direct body to body contact. I was happy to hold down a booth for us while Sean and Claire stood in the order line. Chili dog and chili burgers gave our adipocytes something to cheer for, so we went on a five mile hike that evening to burn the fat off before it got too comfortable. S&C were appalled to see that the fellows deep-frying the French fries were picking up the basket occasionally to drip grease on the fries that were ready to be served. This is a move I have never seen at the Minnesota State Fair, the epicenter for fat in the state. Next time I think I have a simple bowl of chili.