Inaugural Address

It seems only appropriate that I would kick off this blog with a trip to DC. I went to DC to check out a trade show last week for The Company -do we want to exhibit there next year or not. (Probably not.) And, even though I went to NYC, K.C., St. Louis, Minneapolis, L.A. Miami and Tampa recently -within the last eight weeks, an inaugural address to brave souls such as yourself feels right coming from the land of taxation without representation.
I intend to use this blog to cover not only my corporate travels and lame camera-phone photography, but to give you, Mr. or Mrs. Reader a little background insight to different cities and to the life oft lived on the road.
I have lived all over the country. From North Dakota to Oregon, L.A. area, Boston, Chicago and North Carolina. I took this job because it allows me to indulge in two of my many passions: Architecture and Travel. It also allows my wife to stay home without fear that I will come home and say, "Let's move to X." It's a win-win gig; I get to satisfy my wanderlust and she gets to satisfy her nesting and brooding impulses -though the brooding is fairly cyclical if you know what I mean.
Washington, DC, believe it or not, sucks for architecture. I'm sorry, but while I find the monuments intersting, they are not my bag at all. "Wedding cake architecture" designed, for the most part, to look like another time and another place. Not that there isn't interesting work happening in DC or surrounding environs... there is. But the typical "On the Mall" with the exception of a few notables, does little for me. The Hirshhorn is always cool, but for me it is more about what is going on inside and around the building than the building itself. The same can be said for Pei's nice Museum wing. I appreciate the waterfall hitting the glass in the lower level connection-slash-overpriced-eating area. I love the clean, clear precision of the building and the adherence to triangles in all of their glory. But it is the events and work inside of the building that really do it for me.
Their are some architects in DC that are shaking up the status quo. I've seen their work in the local DC AIA mag. However, I will have to save looking up their stuff for another visit -I ran out of time on this trip. I will tell you now that it is usually the industrial and the rural vernacular that catch me off gaurd. The contrived, overblown, and high and mighty usually leave me cold.
Last time I was in DC I stayed at the St Gregory with it's marble encrusted bathrooms replete with Toto toilets. Those are the things I remember now... that and the turn-down service by a maid that was older, but slightly appealing in her fast, no-nonsense way. This time I stayed at the Embassy Suites on 10th... a couple of blocks from the Metro Center (Walk through the Hyatt exit from the Metro.) The food in the restaurant was better than expected. The wine list was overpriced. The Japenese Volcano is a fantastic pre-meal treat. The rooms were neat and clean with a slightly retro look without all of the sixties and seventies rehashing that seems to be in style now -which was a rehashing of earlier modernism. The entertainment (TVs) are not quite up to par in the sense that the one in the living room is flat screen and the one in the bedroom is the boxy old-school version. I expect congruent systems, but evidently the budget wouldn't allow it. The bathroom is fairly well done and the shampoo and conditioner were fantastic... "volume enhancing" for the follicle challenged.
I am a big fan, by the way, of the Hilton chain. I like the Hamptons, Hiltons, Embassy Suites for a fairly good consistency, excellent service and a great bonus system. (Hilton Honors.) With their bonus system you can double dip and receive points for stays, merchandise, etc AND airline mileage. I have been seeing regular contributions to my US Airways Frequent Flyer program thanks to Hilton. I have also cashed in two free nights at a Hampton Inn for my in-laws when they were in town with absolutely no problem or sweat from Hilton. I will tell you frankly, though that the E. Suites in Miami at the airport is in need of an update/remodel and a couple of others have some real issues, but, by and large, they are fairly good at a reasonable rate.
I would like to give you some inside dope on every city that I visit, but I am not sure if I can consistently deliver. This time around I can tell you that in DC the best deal on a golf membership is the little course up at the Soldiers Retirement Home. (A block west of North Capitol Street.) From what I have been told, you can snag a year's membership for about 400 quid. That's pretty cheap if you are an avid golfer and/or a frequent visitor to the other Sin City. Just watch out for the older gents roaming around the home or you are liable to find the business end of a bayonet shoved where the sun should never shine. If you do need to take a little break from chasing your balls around the greens, a good place to relax will be the Lincoln cottage -which is currently undergoing rehab. There you can forget about your crusty old balls and soak up some history with the ghost of the greatest President that ever lived.
Well that is all for this inaugural installment -Hail to the Blog. Until next time, take care.
_G.
Disclaimer: Not all of the information in this blog may be factual. I have been known to get my facts screwed up -especially after a bottle of Cake Bread wine. If you are the kind of anal retentive blowhard that gets bent out of shape by petty little things like facts, why don't you bugger off and go see if the flatscreen in the parlor matches the TV in the bedroom. Thanks so much. _The Mgmt.