At 9pm Ben and I decided to take the subway down to Foggy Bottom and hoof it from there to the National Mall. On the way we stopped by the Froggy Bottom pub for a drink. We also grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels for the road. A wet mist settled on us as we entered the park. The Vietnam Memorial was atmospheric and affecting. It started raining harder, and we decided to take refuge in the Lincoln Memorial. Like good Americans, we paid our respects to Mr. Lincoln and then leaned against the pillars taking pulls from the whiskey and watching the rain.

When the rain let up, we decided to make a beeline for the Smithsonian Metro Station. About halfway there, it started pouring again. We hopped from monument to monument seeking shelter, and finally gave up when it was clear that we were thoroughly soaked.

Just past the Washington Monument, we found an automated bike station and grabbed a couple. We rode past the Smithsonians and the Capitol and the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress and Grand Central Station and into black Broadway for one last bull session as we smoked a cigar on the roof and had one last pull of whiskey before sinking off to sleep, soaked and exhausted.