落水荘
もともと時間がギリギリだったのに、飛行機の到着が遅れて、レンタカーのシャトルもなかなか来ず、道を間違えてとんでもない方向へ行ってしまったことがわかった時にはすでに午後１時。地図を買えるところもなく、持ってきたのはグーグルマップで出した簡単な Direction (道順)だけ。しかも間抜けなことにキロメートル表示の日本語でプリントアウトしておりました。（現地の人に見せて聞けない^^;）
４時間かかるという道のりを３時間で走らなければ間に合わない。その上、どの道がどこにあって、どうやって行けばいいのか全くわかってない･･･汗。
この時点で諦めかけましたが、「いや、もし遅刻したら塀をよじ登ってでも入ってやる！」と思い直し、ノンストップ、時速140～150キロで走り続け、もう１回道に迷って引き返し、スピード違反でつかまってさらに15分ほどロスし、さらにもう１回山道で迷子になってから、ようやく落水荘の駐車場に滑り込んだのはツアー開始の３分前。
（中略）
約２時間の邸内ツアーの後、落水荘のこの眺めは去り難く、重い腰を上げたのは19:30くらい。サマータイムとはいえ夜９時頃には暗くなってしまい、度付眼鏡は濃いサングラスしかなかったのはキツかった～
ようやくＤＣに帰ってきたのは夜11時過ぎ、ところが予約していた貸し部屋の鍵が開きません！緊急24Hデスク（＝予約エージェントの携帯）に電話し、何とか奥の手でチェックインできたのが０時。それから市内に近いほうの空港までレンタカー返却に行き、駆け込んだのは0時30分の閉店５分前。夜中でシャトルバスも無いので、地下鉄で帰ってきました。ふー。疲れて怖くてずいぶん値段の高いツアーになってしまいましたが、でも見て良かったです。
教訓：見知らぬ土地ではナビつきレンタカーを借りるべし。
落水荘ツアーの予約はこちら→ http://www.fallingwater.org/
（原文）
It really was a long way.
My flight arrived late and it was already noon when I got out of the custom.
All other shuttles to the car rental place were lined up there but the one I reserved.
When I got behind the wheel it was already 12:30.
Then I realized that I had no idea how to get to the falling water except that I had a simple Google direction, stupidly printed out in Japanese with metric unit.
I of course got lost and ended up in the middle of nowhere.
When I was told at the gas station that I came to the wrong direction, it was already 13:00.
I was supposed to be at the Falling Water at 16:00, and it was supposed to take four hours to get there.
I almost gave up, but decided to try because I did not have anything to do in Washington DC with a car.
I got lost one more time and turned back and then started driving like a crazy.
Then, I got pulled over by a police for speeding by 20 miles and wasted another 15 minutes.
At this point, it was almost hopeless that I could make it on time, but I decided to go anyway, saying to myself that I would even climb up the wall if they had closed the gate after the meeting time, like Saiho-ji Temple in Kyoto.
I drove non-stop for 300 km, and it was three minutes to 16:30, the actual starting time of the tour, when I arrived there.
It turned out a very expensive tour with rental car, crazy gas price, traffic fine and everything, but I must tell you it was worth seeing.
I really did not want to leave when I was standing by the water watching this view.
I finally kicked my butts and started driving back at 19:30.
I had to drive another 300km back to where I was supposed to be.
Even though it was a long day with summer-time clock, it got dark around 21:00.
I only had a pair of shade (sun-glass), but I had to drive with it in the dark.
It was already 23:30 when I arrived in my B&B, and I could not open the door because the lock box did not work.
I called the emergency number and managed to get in the room.
Then I rushed to Reagan Airport to return my rental car.
I made it five minutes before they were closing at 0:30.
There was no shuttle available, so I got back in the Metro.
It was the most frightening and exhausting day.
But again, I was happy that I did that.
