Travel Blogs: RWA National

Saturday, November 28, 2009

RWA National – Kick-off!

RWA National – Kick-off!
Wednesday, 7 am. Registration for RWA National. Volunteers distributed badges, nametags, ribbons, schedules, and books! Along with 5 paperbacks and a hardcover, we received a flash drive from Harlequin that holds conference handouts, a 14-page pdf file of Harlequin covers from 1949-2009, and 3 more complete books. Cool! At registration, I saw some old [...]

Wednesday, 7 am. Registration for RWA National. Volunteers distributed badges, nametags, ribbons, schedules, and books! Along with 5 paperbacks and a hardcover, we received a flash drive from Harlequin that holds conference handouts, a 14-page pdf file of Harlequin covers from 1949-2009, and 3 more complete books. Cool! At registration, I saw some old friends and met a few new fellow writers. Some will sightsee today. Some will be busy with board matters or other events. Today is Librarians’ Day and the Chapter Leadership Event.

After a pleasant breakfast at the Stone’s Throw Restaurant in the Marriott, my husband and I left for the Metro and more touring. Out the back service door, down the hill, then across 24th Street and we were at the entrance. We bought our fare cards and were carried down, and down, and down the escalators. The last time I rode the subway (aka/underground or tube) was in London a few years ago. While Washington’s system is just as efficient, I sorta missed the sultry British voice reminding me to “Mind the Gap” as I stepped aboard.

The Library of Congress was our first destination. My goal was some genealogy research and learning how the system works. Before accessing books, I had to register for a Reader Card in the Madison Building of the Library, then walk back through the tunnel to the Jefferson Building. Interesting. The Jefferson Building is gorgeous, inside and out. The intricate paintings and carvings on the ceilings are awe-inspiring.

Early afternoon we hopped back on the Metro for a quick ride to the “Federal Triangle” and a visit to the National Museum of American History. The exhibit honoring the First Ladies held a special appeal, from Mary Todd Lincolns’ tiny waisted gown worn in 1861 to Jacqueline Kennedy’s classic pale sheath a hundred years later. So much to see in Washington, D.C.!

When we returned to the hotel it seemed it had made a shift from teachers to writers. A quick change and I was downstairs for the “Readers for Life Literacy Autographing.” Five hundred romance authors lined up at tables to sign, and at least triple that number looking to meet their favorites make a lasting impression. Washington DC 2009 RWA 084