| s/y Nine of Cups National Capital Parks & Monuments - Washington, DC August 2012 |
| Haveyou checked out: National Parks & Monuments? American Odyssey...Part I? (Las Vegas to Denver) American Odyssey...Part II? (Denver to Boston) American Odyssey...Part III? (Boston to Vegas) Birds of North America? Wildflowers of North America? |
| There is no grander city in the United States than its capital city, Washington, DC. It was designed to be grand and it succeeds. It would take months to explore and discover all this city has to offer and we had but a couple of days. No matter...we take what we can, knowing that at some point we can return. In the meantime, take a look at all there is to see. |
| We took a city bus from Hannah & Brennan's to downtown D.C. It's a good walking city. We decided we'd start right at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...the White House. We had hoped to take a tour, but the 6 month waiting list was a deterrent. Who can makes plans that far in advance? Certainly not these sailors! We were happy with just a walk-by... as were thousands of other tourists evidently and then we headed down the National Mall. |
| The White House is the oldest public building in the District of Columbia and certainly the address is the most famous in the USA. Every president except George Washington has conducted their governmental duties here. Construction began in 1792 and John Adams and wife were the first to actually reside here. The pesky British burned it in 1814, but it was rebuilt between 1815-17 within the same walls. A new West Wing and expansion occurred in 1902 and a total structural renovation occurred between 1948-52. It was Teddy Roosevelt who changed the official name from the Executive Mansion to the White House in 1901. The original Federal City plan was conceived by the French engineer Pierre L'Enfant on a site chosen by George Washington. Hannah told us to look for Secret Service snipers on the roof and there they were. A view from the beautifully landscaped Ellipse was about as close as we really wanted to get. |
| The White House |
| Washington Monument |
| Washington Monument was closed due to earthquake damage, but the 555-foot, marble obelisk honoring our first President could be seen from any point on the National Mall. In 1836, the Washington National Monument Society selected Robert Mills’s architectural design. The Society laid the cornerstone of the obelisk in 1848, but the Civil War interrupted progress until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took over and completed the structure in 1884. |
| The Lincoln Memorial |
| The Jefferson Memorial |
| It is almost a sacred place to visit. Pensive Lincoln sits, head bowed. Daniel French designed it and the Piccirilli Brothers carved the 19x19' marble statue. It was completed in 1922 and is housed a marble and limestone columnar building. |
| Though hot and humid, there was so much to see and do, it hardly mattered. We drank water when we were thirsty and sat in one of the many parks, when we needed a break. We entirely forgot about lunch. We tramped from one end of the Mall and back again and again, taking in as much as we possibly could. We'd seen it all before and still it aroused a feeling of patriotism in us and humbled us. |
| Thomas Jefferson was quite the man. Politician, architect, thinker ...he authored the Declaration of Independence, purchased Lousiana (big chunk of real estate) from France and founded UVA among other things. Sitting on the edge of the Tidal Basin, modeled after the Pantheon of Rome, sits a fine tribute to our third President. Jefferson is a 19' foot bronze and the memorial was dedicated in 1943. |
| Across the Tidal Basin from Jefferson, is the newly erected Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial. Dedicated in 2011, the memorial is a fitting tribute to the leader of the Civil Right Movement. |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial |
| Vietnam War Memorial |
| World War II Memorial |
| Korean War Memorial |
| There is a War Memorial to commemorate those who fought and died in each of the major wars in which the US has been directly involved. They are diverse designs and stunning. David's grand-uncles served in the Civil War, his grandfather in the Spanish American War, Marcie's grandfather in WWI, both our fathers in WWII, a cousin in the Korean War. David served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. We lost several friends during that war and looked up their names to see them listed on the seemingly never-ending wall which is the Vietnam War Memorial. An Iraq War Memorial has just been commissioned. |
| U S Capitol Building |
| Holocaust Museum and Memorial |
| Smithsonian Castle and Museum |
| Here sits the US Congress. Well, actually they were on summer break when we arrived. A remarkably ornate, grand building with the Capitol Reflecting Pool at its base and a statue of Ulysses S. Grant. |
| The Smithsonian Castle is an icon on the National Mall. Consisting of 19 separate museums, it is the largest museum "ensemble" in the world. Entry is free. We need another month...we really do! |
| We did not have a chance to visit the National Holocaust Museum and Memorial. Next trip. |
| Bureau of Engraving & Printing |
| Yup, they print money here. In fact, their email address is www.moneyfactory.gov. Hmm...what does that tell you? No samples given, so we passed on the tour. |
| US Dept of Agriculture |
| We were delighted to see corn growing in front of the US Department of Agriculture building and a lively USDA-sponsored Farmer's Market in the adjacent lot...right in the middle of downtown. Cool! |
| U S Treasury |
| The Treasury Department Building ... though we have no money left... is also Capitalesque-grand. The bronze griffin to the right is a total nonsequitur. It's not part of a memorial at all; it just hit my fancy. |
We'll head to Virginia next and motor
along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah
National Park. Come on along.
along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah
National Park. Come on along.