D.W. Goes to Washington

Summary
D.W. gets lost during a family tour of the White House and is rescued by a kind employee with a great office ... who looks somehow familiar.

Plot
The episode starts with Arthur on a swing ranting about D.W. Arthur then has a flashback of his family having a picnic. Arthur is flying a kite and D.W. insists of not playing. What Arthur insists on saying is that D.W. always whines even if the activity is very exciting. Arthur goes back to reality and him and D.W. are in a box, imaging the box as a submarine. D.W. steps out, knocking the box over. Arthur falls over and D.W. whines once more.

D.W. Goes to Washington

David and Jane are reading books. David says that he does not have to cater any parties this weekend, revealing that they have the time to travel somewhere for the weekend, and David suggests that they do so.

Arthur suggests Washington, D.C. and David makes a pun saying "That's a capital idea!" and chuckles. The family takes a vote on where to go. D.W. thinks that they should go to Ponyland since she saw the commercial on TV. Arthur reminded David and Jane what happened the last time they went to a place D.W. saw on TV. The flashback shows D.W. wanted to go to Santa's Igloo where you get to share a sundae with Santa, but it turned out to be a rip-off because the place doesn't look anything like the commercial, and the Santa actor is just a slob who wanted a sundae. D.W. says that maybe it won't be as much fun as Santa's Igloo, but says that she must go to Ponyland. David asks her how she would feel if they went on a trip to Washington, D.C. instead, but D.W. still insists on going to Ponyland.

Everybody tries to convince D.W. that Washington, D.C. is a good place to visit, but she doesn't care. The next day they start to drive and driving past the countryside D.W. comments "Pony," whenever she sees a pony.

When Arthur spots the White House he has a dream sequence where he meets the president of the United States of America. He enters reality again and D.W. comments "Yeah, maybe if we walk long enough we'll be so tired we won't notice how BORED we are." They park the car and visit the Washington Monument. D.W. whines that they were "down there" and looked "up here", now they're "up here" and they are looking "down there", and asks what the point is.

Arthur then enters another dream sequence where he meets the president, is the head of a construction project, and is walking with President Bill Clinton. They visit the Library of Congress, where the tour guide says that it contains many books. D.W. asks how many there are about ponies, the tour guide says he doesn't know, and D.W. responds by saying "You're fired." They go to the Lincoln Memorial and D.W. states "Boy, look at the size of those feet. Where did he ever buy his shoes?" and "Was he the only giant president?", Mrs. Read tells D.W. that Lincoln wasn't a giant, and that the statue is much larger than he was. D.W. whines that it's finally something interesting that's a fake, David tells D.W. that she should relax and enjoy what's here.

They leave the memorial and spot the White House, visiting it. Arthur says "What if we meet him [the president] and become friends?" For the 3rd time, he has a dream sequence where he plays mini golf with the president, and drinks soda at The Sugar Bowl. He wakes up from his father saying "Arthur!"

They enter the White House and D.W. starts wandering off saying "I'm just trying to find the government." Arthur gets her thinking if he doesn't the president will become mad at him and getting kicked out of the white house.

Not obeying by her brother, D.W. wanders off once again and attempts to open a door, but it his locked. Secret servicemen then attempts to find her, in a stealth way, hiding behind plants, using binoculars, looking out windows, etc.

D.W. looks at a painting and is awed by it. The President shows up behind her and says "Beautiful painting, isn't it?" The president tries to help her find her way back to her family, and with his assist, finds them.

The president asks D.W. and her family to eat dinner with him, pizza, in his office. Arthur tries to be a show-off to the president saying how he won a spelling bee. Arthur gets mad and covers his eyes with his hands.

Arthur, D.W, and his family drive home and D.W. says that she wants to become president to give ponies to every family; and "National Little Sisters Rule Day."

Main Characters

 * D.W. Read
 * Arthur Read
 * Kate Read
 * Jane Read
 * David Read

Minor Characters

 * President
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong (dream sequence only)
 * Buster Baxter (dream sequence only)
 * Francine Frensky (dream sequence only)
 * Prunella Deegan (dream sequence only)

Trivia

 * D.W. mentions that she wants to see the Statue of Liberty, but David tells her that is in New York. The Read family and Buster travel to New York in a later episode, Postcards from Buster, in Season 8, six years after this episode was made, although they are not seen or mentioned to go to the Statue of Liberty.
 * "D.W. Goes to Washington" and its accompanying story typically do not air in Canada. But you can watch it on a american channel from your Canadian Cable Provider (ex: WGBH was on Channel 9 on Eastlink. and even some PBS Channel can be accessed from Bell Satellite.
 * The tour guide has a resemblance to Bailey, just with his head lower and wearing a hat.
 * After the title card, all of the Read's wear different clothes in this episode, except for Kate.
 * Kate appears in the episode, but her name is not spoken nor does she babble anything in this episode.
 * The president resembles and sounds like Bill Clinton.

Errors

 * When David says "no" in D.W.'s bedroom, D.W. was mouthing David's word.

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur's Travel Adventures

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