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VIDEOInvesting in a Memory
By
Laurie Petersen Apr 24, 2009 7:15 am
Why it still pays to travel
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But in this economic climate -- particularly since I just took a loan from my father -- travel can seem too much like an overindulgence or guilty pleasure.
I truly believe an investment in memories is worth every cent. So with a good-sized tax refund due to hit my bank account, I planned with relish a four-day Spring Break in Washington, D.C. with my daughter.
Then I fell. Literally. Talk about a memory maker!
It happened on the first full day of our trip. We’d spent the morning at the marvelous free National Air and Space Museum before crossing the Mall in the pouring rain to eat lunch and explore the National Gallery of Art. Like all the national museums, this one is also totally free.
While descending from the Tower exhibition I tripped (I guess) and started a face-first slow roll down the marble stairs. When I landed, I had a sinking feeling I’d better not move. Turns out both ankles were injured, which is apparently a tough act to pull off.
Chin up and one ankle bandaged, we soldiered on for the rest of the afternoon, met an old grade-school friend of mine for dinner, then proceeded -- ever so slowly -- to the White House for our special West Wing tour.
The President was on the premises, but the closest we got to seeing him was the gallery of images that line the walls in the surprisingly compact quarters. It was an experience I’ll never forget. (I did nearly brush shoulders with Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council, but at that point my focus was on staying upright and not fainting from pain.)
By the next morning, I couldn’t stand. Fortunately, the hotel had a wheelchair. We set off for the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, a waterside enclave of working artists’ studios in a former munitions factory. While there we met one of the founders, a gregarious painter named Everett Hill.
We talked for nearly a half-hour. Hill told us the artists are really hurting from the economic decline. Money men and lawyers are traditionally two of Hill’s biggest patrons. When I told him I run a website that teaches kids about money, I think he was hoping for a sale.
Most we could do to support the cause was buy some very fun earrings and a Barack Obama bobblehead doll.
Meanwhile, I was very pleasantly surprised by the assisted travel services offered by Amtrak. We took the train there and back and the red caps on the return trip carried me carefully onboard and off. (I felt like Clara in the story Heidi.)
So while my daughter and I had to shift gears mid-stream, we wound up having an enjoyable, if different, kind of adventure. We’ll both have a story to tell for years to come. I have the ankles to prove it.
How are you changing your travel plans with the times? Weigh in on The Exchange.
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