And just down the street was the Washington Monument.
The museum contained a very engaging array of short documentary movies and displays with detailed narrative descriptions. It took us about 3 hours to work our way through the permanent display. Having grown up in the post WW II era and having previously traveled to Dachau, Germany and the Ann Frank House in Amsterdam I went into the museum with a pretty complete understanding of this atrocity. Thus, the most informative part to me was the 15 minute documentary that provided the history of antisemitism. I guess for some reason I gave Hitler credit for creating this hatred.
Bekah took Tuesday off from work and we headed out again on both bikes. This time our destination was the DC - DMV. We drove across the city to one location but it was the driving test center and not what we needed. An actual DMV office was nearby and we rode over there. It was a large facility with about 20 work stations. It was well organized and within 1 1/2 hours she had her motorcycle registered, had a DC plate for it and had taken and passed the DC written motorcycle driving test. Next she had to go back to the driving test place and show them the document from her motorcycle course that indicated that she had passed the driving test and did not need to take it again.
I am very, very sorry to say that this office was unorganized, understaffed, their technology wasn't working and it is stuffed into a small strip mall with a 7-11 in the middle of the small parking area. She went in alone and we waited with the bikes. Shortly she texted that we should get some lunch she was going to be a while. There was a Subway in the mall so we got a sandwich. It had started to sprinkle/drizzle. After our lunch we walked down where she was and looked in. There were about 20 seats and they were all full. She was standing along the far wall leaning up to a counter. We hung outside on the sidewalk for quite some time under the overhang.
There were a few interesting characters hanging around. One old guy kept asking people walking toward the DMV if they were there to take a driving test. If they said, "Yes". He asked if they needed a car to take the test in. Not surprisingly they all had their own cars in which to take the test. However, one kid was there with a car that had a broken window and he couldn't use it so he paid the guy and used his car for the test.
Another guy sauntered down the sidewalk from outside the liquor store. He had seen us arrive on the bikes and he came over to talk bikes. We learned that he had watched a show about Sturgis Bike Week and wanted to know if we had been or wanted to go. He asked us our names and was quite chatty. He wandered off and then returned. He wanted to know the name of our daughter. We had told him we were waiting for her while she was in the DMV. I told him that her name was Sarah. He broke into song. He got real close to our faces and sang a lovely rendition of Hall & Oates' "Sarah Smile". Soon after he wandered off again. Allan mentioned that his breath was probably 100 proof!
Rebekah was in there for about 3 hours!!! All to show them one document. It took so long that we knew we wouldn't make it to the inspection station in another part of the city before they closed. She is on her own to do that another day.
That night Bekah made us a delicious salmon dinner and two of her friends joined us. We left for Durham Wed. morning. We were leaving the city at 7:45 when everyone else was coming into the city. We drove past the Lincoln Memorial and once again I was mere a passenger.
It was a long day on the bike past cornfields and forests being harvested.
We stopped for gas and these signs were there for me to read and photograph.
We continued and stopped for lunch in Farmville, NC. at
We shared these ribs, coleslaw, mac and cheese, cinnamon butter, and hush puppies. These were my first hush puppies and they were quite yummy.
We continued on past a few tobacco fields and farms.
We arrived here at Don and Sue's at about 3:30 having traveled 307 miles. Don taught at Bond Street School in Asbury Park, NJ where I began my teaching career. We became best of friends and he was my unofficial mentor of the entire 6 years that I taught there. I can assure you he was a voice of reason that provided me welcomed guidance during my early years in education. Don and Sue have been here in Durham for 7 years. Sue's daughter, husband, and children live nearby and came over for dinner. It was great fun catching up with everyone.
Today we were given a tour of Duke University, Durham and NC State. Cameron Stadium was open and we walked in and did a self guided tour. I think I had heart palpitations as I walked around on the court and down the Hall of Fame.
It looks like they play other sports there as well... Nice football stadium.
We rode downtown and met the "Bull" and saw the Durham Bulls' Stadium.
We found these roses and believe them to be evidence that it is still summer here.
We drove over to Chapel Hill and toured the UNC campus. We didn't stop and I didn't take any pictures.
It is not just "bulls" that they like around here, and not wanting to be sexist, here is a picture of a "cow" that adorned a dairy bar out in the country. The ice cream cones that we each had hit the spot on this 78 degree day.
As I have said when visiting others we are so very fortunate that we have such long lasting friendships with such welcoming folks.
Tomorrow we are off to South Carolina. As always, I am hoping the weather holds. Guess I will go check out a weather forecast.
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