The Amtrak Capitol Limited takes about 17 hours to travel from Chicago to Washington. The train itself was a lot like the California Zephyr. The key difference was the scenery. Views of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains were replaced by the hills of Appalachia.

We arrived in Washington in the early afternoon and then navigated the Metro system to the Washington Hilton near Dupont Circle. Luckily for us, hotel rates were very cheap this weekend. We dropped off our bags and then took the Metro to Alexandria to meet our friend Ellen.

Alexandria seems like a pleasant suburb of Washington. Ellen, Valerie, and I took the free trolley to the waterfront and then walked down the main street in old town and then ate a nice dinner at the Majestic Cafe. Afterward, Valerie and I headed back to our hotel to prepare for another day in the nation’s capital.