Washington, D.C. - The Trip Up & Day 1 - The Monuments

Washington, D.C is one of those trips that Richard and I have been talking to the kids about for years.  We had so many wonderful experiences when we lived there from 1989 - 1993.  Of course, we lived in Leesburg, VA, about 40 miles outside of D.C., but Richard worked in the City, I worked around the Beltway, and we had good friends who lived IN the City.  We visited there often on the weekends, and in retrospect, saw so many things.  We still felt, when we left, that we had not seen it all -- and we didn't!  This trip was our introduction to Kelsey and Davis, sharing what a wonderful City our Nation's Capitol is to visit!  Please bear with me.  I will attempt to share the best of the photos I took -- there were over 400.

We left on Friday afternoon, November 5, as soon as school was out.  We took I-85 and got as far as Salisbury, NC, between Charlotte and Greensboro.  It was about 1:00 AM when we stopped, and Richard and I knew the kids would be in for a spectacular view when we awoke the next day.  We were not disappointed.  Kelsey and Davis have never seen this part of the country before, and the leaves were just past their peak in turning - absolutely beautiful!  We followed I-85 up to Richmond, VA, then hit I-95 up to Washington, DC.  We were all "a-ga-ga" looking at the scenery all the way up.  Hitting the Beltway (495) was a new experience for the kids as well.  It wasn't as intimidating as I remember it, probably because it was a weekend coming in to the City.  Our destination was Tim & Beth Hastings home in Brookeville, MD, just north of Silver Spring.  Tim is my 2nd cousin, I am once removed, from my Mother's side of the family.  They were gracious enough to host us for part of this trip.  Anyway, we had a ball game to watch - AL vs. LSU.  Sadly, the Tide did not win this one for us.  We still had a fabulous visit with Tim and Beth, and their friend Mike, who Richard knew from the golf trips they go on together.


Sunday morning we were all up early and ready to go sightseeing!  This was our opportunity to ride the Metro, DC's version of the subway.  We got on at the end of the Red Line at Glenmont, and rode the Metro in to the Smithsonian stop, just in front of the Smithsonian Castle.

Today was the day to hit as many monuments on foot that we could.  It was a very windy day, with temperatures in the mid 50's, and a bright sunshine.  We started out walking west toward the Washington Monument.  The National Mall, where most of the monuments are located, runs east/west, with the Washington Monument at the center.  The White House is to the north, the Capitol to the east, Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin to the south, and Lincoln Memorial to the west.  Here is a  Map of National Mall to refer to as I describe our trek for the day.  You may want to magnify it to 100% and zoom in on the National Mall area to see where we walked.


Here are a few photos we took -- Richard got a little artsy.  We were hoping to go up inside the monument to the top, but all of the tickets had been handed out for the day.  We asked the Park Ranger about getting tickets, and he said they hand out 1600 each day (it's free), beginning at 8:30 AM.  We had to put that experience off to another day.  If you want to see the photo larger, just click on the photo and you will get a full size view - better to see details!

Looking toward the Lincoln Memorial

On we go to the World War II Memorial.  This is a new memorial that Richard and I have not seen as it was completed in 2004, the newest memorial on the Mall.  This is a very impressive memorial, and very large.  The entrance is in the middle, lined with 24 bas-reliefs depicting crucial phases of the war, with a dome on either end, running north/south, representing the Atlantic theater of war to the north, and the Pacific theater of war to the south.  There is a large fountain in the center, and another waterfall type fountain at the back (west) side with stars on the wall, 4,000 total, each commemorating 100 lost Americans in this war.  Around the smaller fountains at the base of each dome, were listed the various battles fought in that particular theater.  Around the edge of the entire memorial, are 56 pillars adorned with wreaths, representing the 48 states at the time of the war, as well as Hawaii, Alaska, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, and American Samoa..  There were quotes from speeches on the walls from various Presidents in reference to WW II.  It was a lot to take in.

Atlantic  Theater

Pacific Theater

Eagles holding wreath under each dome

Seal below the Eagles

Another view of the wreath and Eagles

Looking across the memorial from the Atlantic theater to the Pacific Theater

Alabama's pillar

Here We Mark the Price of Freedom - each star on the back of this fountain represents the loss of 100 Americans in
World War II

You can see the pillars representing the states and territories

The fountain below the Pacific theater depicting areas where battles were fought

 Next we walked slightly north on the walking path that meanders toward the pond that comprises Constitution Gardens.  There are geese and ducks swimming on this pond, and an abundance of VERY LARGE  squirrels, as they are fed by the humans.  We really enjoyed the spectacular color that nature chose to display for us.  What a beautiful time of year for visiting this wonderful City!

It's kind of hard to tell the scale of this big fella.  The squirrels would come right up to you and eat out of your hand.

On we go toward the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial.  We happened upon a new statue, dedicated to and representing the women who fought in Viet Nam, who were mainly nurses.  This is a statue that must be viewed from all 4 sides. It is nestled in the trees, through which you can see the memorial. Here are the photos I took.

Here is the view through the trees that the women have of the Viet Nam Memorial

Next we come to the "entrance" to the memorial.  I say it that way as this is a very open venue.  It is a black granite wall that stretches a long length, listing on it the 58,000 soldiers who were killed or missing in action.  They are listed by the year they were killed, starting on the west end of the memorial and ending on the east end.  Looking over the memorial are 3 soldiers, looking toward the memorial and their fallen comrades.  The photos below depict the soldiers, and I have rotated 180 degrees to photograph the memorial from their point of view.  I must mention here, this was Veteran's week as far as Washington is concerned, as Veteran's Day was on Thursday of this week.  Veterans are visible everywhere on the Mall, visiting the monuments of the wars in which they fought.

The soldier's view of the memorial.  Notice how the people descend into the earth toward the middle of the wall.  The wall is about 8 fit tall in the center.  All war memorials are very quiet as people show respect for the people who died to protect our freedom.

Entering the memorial from the west.

Our next stop is the Lincoln Memorial, one of the Washington, DC icons.  Of course Abraham Lincoln is important to our history as he is our 16th President, during the Civil War.  The Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address are carved in large tablets lining the walls on the inside of the memorial.  Of course, President Lincoln, carved from 28 pieces of Georgia marble, is seated inside, looking over the Mall toward the Washington Monument and on toward the Capitol.  The statue is 19 feet tall.  The statue is housed in a Greek Doric temple design.  The 36 columns surrounding it represent the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death.  On the sides of the Roman style attic are carved the names of the 48 states at the time of the memorial's completion in 1922.

Notice how you see the reflection of the Washington Monument in the reflecting pool.

Lincoln looks back toward the Washington Monument.

The names of the 48 states are carved around the attic.  We never saw Alabama.(?)

Kelsey sure is strong!

Next we visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  This is another new memorial that Richard and I had not seen.  We almost did not visit this memorial, but are very glad we did.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  There are 19 soldiers, depicting the various ethnicities, ages, uniforms and equipment associated with America's involvement in this war.  There also is a black granite wall with the faces of support personnel - engineers, medics, chaplains, suppliers of materials - etched into it.  And again, a fountain at the front of it, the entrance is at the back.

Next we take a walk along the Potomac River, just south of Arlington Memorial Bridge. 

Arlington Memorial Bridge going across the Potomac toward Arlington Cemetery.

A beautiful view of the Potomac as we walk.

This was some sort of memorial to the Iron Clad ships, overlooking the Potomac.

 There is yet another new memorial, completed in 1999,  tucked into the landscape, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.  This is the one memorial, that I had not yet seen, that impressed me the most.  It was a very large memorial that included nearly 7 acres and is located along the Cherry Tree walk beside the Tidal Basin.  FDR was President for 3 terms, holding office from 1933 to 1945.  It is a very emotional monument that is a wonderful effort to commemorate everything FDR did for our country, as well as to depict the era in which he was President.  The Great Depression is depicted by 3 sculptural ensembles titled Despair, Hunger, and Hope.  A statue of Eleanor Roosevelt is shown with the United Nations symbol in the background - the first time a First Lady has been so honored.  The New Deal is adequately depicted throughout the memorial as he established the Tennessee Valley Authority - fountains are in abundance.

Replica of FDR's wheelchair

The first of many waterfalls throughout this 7 acre memorial.

Despair to the left -- Hunger to the right.

Hope - listening to the radio during the "fireside chats"

Davis decided to wait in line too.

FDR and his beloved dog Fala.

Just wanted to give you the scale of this statue.

Yet another fountain.

Eleanor Roosevelt standing with the United Nations seal behind her.

The waterfall signifying the end of  World War II - Seeds of Peace

On we go now to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, another icon of Washington, DC.  We enjoyed a nice walk continuing around the Tidal Basin.  It is a shame we couldn't share this walk with our kids in the spring.  This is a spectacular experience when the Cherry trees are in bloom.  The air itself seems to turn pink.We walked over the bridge that has been there for over 100 years, that is the access to the Potomac River from the Tidal Basin.  They are currently having some construction to repair the retaining wall around the basin as they have periodic flooding.  I believe the plan is to raise the wall to prevent flooding into the park area.  The memorial is an open-air pantheon.  The dome that sits atop the building is Jefferson's own architectural design that he used for the President's house, the Rotunda Building at the University of Virginia, and for his private retreat at Monticello.  Inside there is a standing statue of Thomas Jefferson in bronze.  Since the memorial was originally constructed during World War II, the statue was initially cast in plaster and painted to look like bronze.  It was later replaced with the  bronze statue that stands today.

Jefferson Memorial looking across the Tidal Basin

View of the Washington Monument across the Tidal Basin

Standing on the bridge that crosses the 

Tidal Basin entrance to the Potomac

Standing on the bridge - Jefferson Memorial in the background.

Thomas Jefferson in bronze.

Jefferson's view of the Washington Monument - through the  columns.

Inside of the dome.

Front of the memorial.

Detail of the carving.

 Our last stop for the day was the Holocaust Museum.  I have only the one photo of the outside as there is no photography allowed inside.  We didn't have much time to spend here, as it was the end of the day, and they were closing in about an hour.  It is a very solemn experience to visit this museum.  The horrors depicted here are gruesome and graphic in nature.  Here is a link that discusses the various exhibitions currently on display at the Holocaust Museum .  Before taking the elevator to the top floor to begin the tour, each person takes an ID card, which is a small booklet that describes a person in the Holocaust.  You become that person, and find yourself looking for information about the areas where your horrors were experienced, as well as seeking information about what happened to your family, as families were frequently separated.  It is a successful effort to help one understand what happened to these people on a more personal level.

On our walk, we walked by the US Mint.  They had a banner out front.  We are getting new money -- and in color this time.  Here is what it will look like.

 Here is a photo of the Washington Monument after we left the Holocaust museum.  What a beautiful sight at night!

We rode the Metro back, and took this photo at Metro Center - the nucleus of the whole Metro.  We had to do the tourist thing!

Upon our return to Tim and Beth's, more family was there for dinner and to celebrate my cousin Samantha's 18th Birthday.  We so enjoyed this time with our family.  The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to remain connected to our extended family.  It is an increasingly more difficult task to accomplish in this time, as people live so far away from each other.  But the effort is worth it.  Here are some photos of my family.  These are from my Mother's side of the family.

Tim & Beth Hastings, our gracious hosts for the weekend.

Beautiful Aunt Marion.  I always love spending time with her.  She is a wealth of family history, and unfortunately the last of her generation in our family.  Thankfully she has recorded the many family reunions we have had over the years in the form of photo albums.  She brought one to the gathering to share some photos with Kelsey and Davis, ones they have never seen before.  I appreciate her so much, and all she has done to keep our family connected.

Samantha, the birthday girl, and her boyfriend.

Hilary, my cousin, and Eric Barley.  They are also Samantha's parents.

Delectable desserts.  YUM!!!

Although this is only the first day of our trip, you may view all of our photos on Zebbie's Picasa album.  They are not captioned, but I am trying to share the best photos with you since I had a total of 409 photos of Washington, DC alone.  Monticello is still yet to come!