Day Eight I Washington DC

Wednesday the 29th

Since the weather forecast for today is rain showers mixed with thunder storms we decided to take a day off and just do nothing.

Thursday the 30th

We decided last night on what we wanted to see and do on our last foray into Washington DC so it was easy to get up, do our morning routine, grab the map and metro cards and drive to the parking garage.

Taking the metro into town we got off at the Gallery Place Station and took the escalators to the station exit on 7th Street. We set out along F Street and passed the National Portrait Gallery, continued on past several interesting buildings including the National Spy Museum and the National Union Building. Our first stop was Ford's Theater (http://www.fords.org/) where President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 just five days after the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox Courthouse.

After being shot, the President Lincoln was carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he died the next morning. The theatre was later used as a warehouse and office building. It was renovated and re-opened as a theater during the 1960's. During the 2000's it was renovated again, opening on February 12, 2009, in commemoration of Lincoln's bicentenary with President Barack Obama in attendance. The photo at left is the Petersen House.

The theater didn't open until 11:30 AM and the first available tour wasn't until 3:30 PM so we decided to forgo further investigation of Ford's Theater and walk around the area some more.

So we headed back down F Street past the National Museum of American Art (the other half of the National Portrait Gallery) and down to the National Building Museum (http://www.nbm.org/) which is a museum of architecture, design, engineering, construction and urban planning.

The Museum was created by an act of Congress in 1980 is housed in the former Pension Bureau building, a brick structure completed in 1887 and designed by Gen. Montgomery C Meigs, the US Army Quartermaster General. The building is notable for several architectural features, including the spectacular interior columns and a frieze stretching around the exterior of the building depicting Civil War soldiers in scenes somewhat reminiscent of those on Trajan's Column as well as the Horsemen Frieze of the Parthenon. This is another beautiful building with a huge interior space which has been used for inauguration balls. There are several gallery floors where special exhibits are displayed. I specially wanted to see two exhibits, "Cityscapes Revealed" and "Green Community".

Cityscapes explores quintessentially American, 20th-century buildings from center-city mansions to main street storefronts and sleek downtown skyscrapers. Included are close-up views of building details not otherwise seen such as the terra-cotta rosettes originally installed as part of the Museum’s cornice.

Green Community explores the origins of our precarious ecological situation and introduces communities large and small where citizens, political leaders, planning and design professionals, developers, and government agencies are working together for a more sustainable future. Before leaving the museum we stopped by the museum store where I found several books on Urban Planning and Green Design for livable and sustainable small towns.

After leaving the National Building Museum we walked along G Street through part of Chinatown before heading back to 8th and F Street where we wanted to stop at a small shop called "L'Occitane Boutique" where Tina bought some Lavender and Shea Butter body lotions.

From there we walked to a small specialty cheese shop called "Cowgirls Creamery" where we stopped for lunch. We both had artisan sandwiches with a root beer for Tina and a sparkling blackberry for me.

After lunch we walked back down F Street to the National Portrait Gallery (http://www.npg.si.edu/). We knew that we'd be in there for a couple of hours so we saved it for last. The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery tells the story of America through the individuals who have shaped U.S. culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts, and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists who speak American history. As in all Smithsonian museums the exhibits are really well done with small rooms linked together showing portraits, photographs with sculptures in marble and bronze grouped in ways that connected the materials in each room.

By the time we visited the Presidential Portrait Gallery on the second floor we figured we had seen all that we could enjoy so rather than force ourselves to finish everything we decided to call it a day and head home. We made it down to the subway station, caught the train and drove home getting there in time to take the kids for an afternoon walk and then allow ourselves a short snooze.

It stayed dry all day with the temperature hovering around sixty degrees, thirty degrees cooler than the last two days. The rest of the day we relaxed, had dinner and watched some TV.

To see all of today's photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Day Seven In Washington DC

Tuesday the 28th

Today promised to be a scorcher and also the last nice day for a while, so we checked our plans and decided to swap things around. Since we knew the tickets for the Washington Monument (http://www.nps.gov/wamo/) go quickly we decided to get on the road by 7:30 AM to be at the ticket window as early as possible. We checked our subway map and made our plans for transfers and headed out.

We got to L' Enfant Plaza on the Green Line and transferred to the Orange line where we got out at the Smithsonian/Independence Ave stop. This left us about a quarter mile walk to the ticket office. We got there about 8:40 AM and got in line. When we got to the ticket window the next available time for going up in the Washington Monument was Noon. We took them!! But now we had three hours available. Again we reviewed our plans and decided that we should walk down to the Lincoln Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/linc/) which was only a mile away.

On the way we stopped at the National World War II Memorial (http://www.wwiimemorial.com/). This is the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II, honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. This is a beautiful series of fountains with fifty stelli representing the fifty states surrounding the central pool and fountains. After leaving the memorial, we continued along the reflecting pool, past several families of ducks with mother ducks teaching their babies how to dive. Besides the ducks there were geese and squirrels out enjoying the nice day.

Eventually though we moved away from the pool to the tree lined walkway to take advantage of the shade and continued on toward the Abraham Lincoln Memorial.

Reaching the memorial we walked up the steps into the presence of the Abraham Lincoln statue. The interior walls are carved with the words to several of his most important speeches, but the statue is so imposing that it is hard to focus on anything else. There are large groups of tourists and students walking around making it difficult to hear ourselves think while trying to read so we decided to make our way over to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (http://thewall-usa.com/).

We make our way down the steps and along the path past the statue of the "Three Servicemen" and "Vietnam Women's Memorial" and make our way past the memorial. There are lots of people there including school children on a field trip.

From there we walked past the Constitution Gardens with its "Declaration of Independence Memorial" and over to the "Lock Keepers House" (http://www.thedctraveler.com/lock-keepers-house-on-constitution-ave/) on the corner of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue. Built in 1835 for the lock keeper and his family, this is the last remnant of the canal that ran for nearly the length of what is now Constitution Avenue.

At the corner we crossed Constitution Avenue towards the Second Division Memorial which is at the foot of the "Ellipse", the large park across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. We followed the main pathway around the perimeter of the Ellipse to the "Zero Milestone" where we were able to take photos of the White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov/).

The White House is under serious security so this is as close as we could get without being able to take a tour. At the time we were there a large motorcade of limousines pulled up in the driveway. As soon as people started stepping out of the cars, security police came and dispersed the large crowd of tourists who had gathered to take pictures.

Leaving the White House we passed a statue of Sherman and also one of General Pershing, both in their own small parks. Walking down 15th Street past the Boy Scout Memorial which is still under construction, we passed another forgotten piece of Washington history, the "Bullfinch Gatehouse". A small stone building built about 1828 under direction of Charles Bulfinch, Architect of the Capitol, this gate house stood until 1874 with another guarding the west entrance to the Capitol Grounds. The two sandstone guardians silently watched over the U.S. Capitol grounds until 1874. In 1889, this gatehouse and its twin, located on Seventeenth Street and Constitution Avenue (at the southeast corner of The Ellipse), were reconstructed in their present locations.

We stopped across from the US Department of Commerce Building for a rest break and bought a large soft pretzel and bottle of water from one of the mobile street vendors. Sitting on one of the park benches we shared a mid morning snack. Once rested and refreshed, we slowly made our way over to the Flag Plaza surrounding the base of the Washington Monument.

We asked a National Parks Department Ranger about when we would be able to go up in the monument and found out that they were running about an hour late. So we had some time to take several photos of the surrounding area.

Eventually we sat down on the waiting benches next to the 11:00 AM group. Lucky us... the ranger agreed to include us with that group so we were able to go up with only a short wait. They only let about twenty people at a time go up in the elevator, no one is allowed to walk up any more for health safety reasons. We got up to the observation tower and there were two double windows facing out at the North, East, South and West sides. The windows are heavily fogged so visibility is poor but Tina was able to get some great shots anyway. After our turn at the top we head down and after a brief discussion decide to call it a day. We walk back to the subway for the trip home. I calculate we covered about three and a half miles today. Tomorrow we are going to take a break. We have plans for one more day of sightseeing. Since the weather is expected to tun stormy tomorrow we will be taking it easy and getting ready to leave DC, starting to head up to the Detroit area to visit with my Aunt Kay and Cousin Drew's family.

To see all of today's photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Day Six In Washington DC

Sunday the 26th

We took today off from sightseeing and did laundry, shopping and housekeeping chores.

Monday the 27th

Up early to get ourselves going. We have the Archives Building on our list for our first stop. Last week there was a long line by 10:00 AM so we plan to get there early.

By now our morning routine is pretty standard. Get up, turn on the coffee pot, walk the dogs, come back, feed the dogs, pour coffee, put the dogs back on the bed, make breakfast, turn on tv to watch GMA, finish breakfast, put the dishes in the sink, see Tina get up, pour coffee for Tina, pour the rest of the coffee in the carafe, watch a little more GMA while Tina eats breakfast, walk the dogs again, call the dog walker, clean the morning dishes, finish the coffee, set the A/C for the dogs, grab the cameras, metro passes, map and our plan for the day, lock up, get in the car and head for the metro, well... you probaby get the picture.

We got into DC and walked over to the National Archives building (http://www.archives.gov/). We got there about 9:15 AM. The entrance walkway was blocked off. Workmen were sand blasting and cleaning the facade of the building. There were no other tourists around. Bummer! It looked like the building was closed. But, no. At 9:30 AM the workers started putting their stuff away and removed the traffic cones from the entrance walkway. By now a few other people had got in line with us. Once the way was clear we walked up to the heavy bronze entry doors o wait for the 10:00 AM opening. Tina, of course, was first in line.

This was an incredible experience. The National Archives has all sorts of documents and records but most impressive was the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, copies of the amendments to the constitution, Louisiana Purchase and several other early documents important to the formation of our country. The primary documents are displayed under low light under glass around the inner perimeter of the rotunda room. We made our way sloly around past the documents feeling the march of history and a connection with those who came before us, the men and women who shaped our country. It was really something just to be viewing these imortant documents, some so faded as to benearly unreadable. As we moved on to the rest of the exhibits we could feel history all around us.

From the National Archives building we walked over to the National Museum of Natural History (http://www.mnh.si.edu/). Another part of the Smithsonian complex, this stunning building has two floors of exhibits and you need to get a map to ensure that you don't miss anything. As soon as you walk onto the main floor under the rotunda (almost all of our National buildings have rotundas) the first thing you see is a huge rampant elephant with his trunk raised to alert the herd . Our first stop was to get tickets to the Imax Theater.

Once we had our tickets we started our tour in the Hall of Mammals. They have over 200 mammals on display (including humans) showing their incredible diversity and the way they came about and how they continue to adapt. From there we basically wandered through the various exhibits on early life on earth, fossil plants, fossil mammals, dinosaurs and the ancient ocean fossils, then on to the ice age.

By this time we need to get over to the Imax where we are treated to a pair of 3-D glasses for the movie "Wild Ocean". We get our seats and since this was my first real experience with 3-D I'm really blown away at the feeling of being right in the film. It's almost holographic. This was an eye opener for me - we'll definately be doing more of the 3-D movies. Way cool!!

After the movie we wandered through the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals where the highlight was Harry Winston's "Hope Diamond" (http://mineralsciences.si.edu/hope.htm) and the "Carmen Lucia Ruby" (http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/ruby/index.htm). The entire display covers almost a quarter of the 2nd floor. There are so many gem stones and minerals to see that you get glassy eyed. I did learn that Zircon can come in an array of different colors - from clear to red, gold, blue and green.

From the gem exhibit we went through a display on the forensics of bones used during investigation of history - how people of different lifestyles lived and died. This was an important tool in deciphering the history of the colonists of Jamestown. Very interesting.

From there we went back downstairs and had lunch in the Atrium Cafe. After lunch we walked through the Sant Ocean Hall, another very large exhibit which showed the ocean from several different academic viewpoints which highlight how the oceans are connected to other global systems and to our daily lives. We made a brief stop in the museum store to pick up a couple of small gifts including another unique dragonfly pin for Tina.

By now its nearly 3:30 PM so we scrapped our plans for visiting the Museum of American History and headed for the subway. Another really enjoyable day of sightseeing in DC.

To see all of todays photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Day Five in Washington DC

Saturday the 25th

A beautiful sunny morning promises a very nice day. We decided to try and get an earlier start so we were out of the house by 9:30 AM headed for the subway station in College Park. After catching the train it was a half hour into DC and our stop at L' Enfant Plazza station where we transfered to the Orange Line and rode two more stops before getting out at the Capitol station.

Coming up from the subway we are only a couple of blocks from the Thomas Jefferson Building which is also houses the "Library Of Congress". Walking up 1st Street we passed the James Madison Memorial Building which is now part of the Library of Congress. The Madison Building serves both as the Library's third major structure and as this nation's official memorial to James Madison, the "father" of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the fourth president of the United States.

The next building is the Thomas Jefferson Building which is right across the street from the Capitol. The Library of Congress was established in 1800 when the American government moved from Philadelphia to the new capital of Washington on the Potomac River. For 97 years the Library was housed in various locations within the Capitol Building. The first separate Library of Congress Building, known today as the Thomas Jefferson Building, was suggested by Librarian of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford in 1871, authorized in 1886, and finally completed in 1897. This is simply a most magnificent building. The architecture and decorations are stunning.

When we passed through security we had no idea how beautiful a structure we were entering. I'm only including one photo here. To really get a sense of how spectacular the building is, go to our photo site or check out the web site http://www.loc.gov/loc/walls/jeff1.html.

Since this is the main building for the Library Of Congress we decided to do a tour. About forty people were seated at the tour center for a brief orientation then we were divided up into three different groups and assigned docents. Each docent led their group to a different starting point before beginning the tour. We were very pleased to have a lady with a veritable passion for the Library and also for the principle Librarian who oversaw the design and construction of the building, Ainsworth Rand Spofford.

In a little over an hour we visited most of the major areas of the Library, though we weren't aloowed on the floor of the main reading room so as not to disturb the researchers. Though originally designated as a law library for Congress, over the years the purpose has expanded to become a repository for copies of almost all written documents plus maps of all kinds. Today the Library is available to everyone and is completing a major conversion to digital format accessable over the web at http://www.loc.gov/.

From the Jefferson Building we chose to walk outside to the Capitol Building rather than through the tunnel between the two buildings. We walked across 1st Street and over to the security entry to the visitor center.

The Capitol Visitor Center opened to the public on December 2, 2008. From its inception, it was conceived as an extension of the Capitol that welcomes visitors to the seat of American government. At nearly 580,000 square feet, the CVC is the largest project in the Capitol’s 215-year history and is approximately three quarters the size of the Capitol itself. The entire facility is located underground on the east side of the Capitol so as not to detract from the appearance of the Capitol and of the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874. The planting of 85 new trees, the restoration of historic fountains, lanterns and seat walls, and the addition of skylights, water features and granite pavers across the East Front Plaza will all serve to revitalize the historic landscape.

Once inside the Visitor Center we were fortunate to get on a tour of the Capitol Building. The Capitol is another simply stunning structure. The wikipeaedia web site for the capitol is probably one of the best for all around information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol). Our tour guide took us to the central rotundra and described the importance of the various paintings, frescos and statuary. From there we went up to the Senate Gallery (not in session since it's Saturday), then down to what is called the crypt where there is another collection of busts and sculptures. After the tour we were free to walk around on our own and take pictures.

After visiting the Capitol building we walked down the hill to the East lawn and on to the reflecting pool and Mall. This is a very nice walk with all the trees in bloom, lawns freshly mowed, and the sun out. We passed numerous sculptures and monuments as we walked along the refecting pool and crossed Maryland Avenue to the US Botanical Gardens and Conservatory (http://www.usbg.gov/).

The gardens are very nicely laid out but not as stunning as some we've seen, however the purpose of the gardens is to collect, grow, and distribute plants of this and other countries that might contribute to the welfare of the American people. We were able to get inside and wander around from each of the separate areas, mountain, desert, jungle, etc., and even up into the canopy of the tropic section. After taking a short break we wandered around the outside gardens before heading over to the closest subway station and hading for home. Even though we don't cover a lot of buildings in one day, we have found that some of the tours are so intense and fill your brain up that a five to six hour day is about the max we can enjoy.

To see all of todays photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jdolanski

Day Four In Washington DC

Friday the 24th

Today looks like it will be another beautiful day. Today we are driving to our stops since they are outside the capitol area. We're going to the Lincoln Cottage, National Cathedral and the National Zoo. We used Mapquest to map our route heading first for the Lincoln Cottage.

Located on the grounds of the US Soldiers Home, Lincolns cottage is one of the four original buildings on the grounds. The Soldiers' Home was established in 1851, as an "asylum for old and disabled veterans." Originally known as the Anderson Cottage for its original owner, this home served as the summer White House for U.S. presidents -- Chester Arthur, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Buchanan and, most notably, Abraham Lincoln who spent a quarter of his presidency here.

Located about three and a half miles from the White House and about 200 feet higher in elevation, the Lincoln Cottage (http://www.lincolncottage.org/) as it came to be known, provided a haven from Washingtons terrible summers. Hot, swampy with mosquitos and accessible to everyone who wanted a moment of President Loncolns time, the cottage became the model for Camp David. A place where the president and his family could get away; a place where he could meditate, plan for the war effort and listen to soldiers coming from the front for first hand intelligence.

After arriving we went to the visitors center and were fortunate to get on a tour right away. We joined a group of Harvard Grads of 1956 for an introductory video before going over to the cottage. In the cottage a docent took us through the building and gave short talks to give us a better sense of who Lincoln was and what he went therough during his period of residence. It was a very informative tour and we left with a better appreciation of Lincoln the man and president as well as a look at the house where he spent so much time.

From the US Soldiers home we drove a couple of miles over to the National Cathedral (http://www.nationalcathedral.org/). The Washington National Cathedral is a church for national purposes called to embody God’s love and to welcome people of all faiths and perspectives. A unique blend of the spiritual and the civic, this Episcopal Cathedral is a voice for generous-spirited Christianity and a catalyst for reconciliation and interfaith dialogue to promote respect and understanding. Since the celebrated moment in 1907 when workmen laid the foundation stone of Washington National Cathedral, this majestic structure has played a vital role in our nation’s history. The Cathedral was finally completed in 1991. This is another simply stunning building and our pictures simply can't do it justice. The stained glass windows, gothic arches, flying buttresses, tower, gargoyles and other ornamentations are simply stunning. We went into the cathedral, up into the tower to look out over the city and down into the lower sections as well as out onto the grounds. By the time we left it was nearly 3:30 PM so we put off going to the zoo until another day.

To see all of todays photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Day Three in Washington DC

Thursday the 23rd

Well it looks like the forecast may actually come true. The sky is blue and it's in the high forty's this morning. I'm actually taking the dogs for a walk without a coat.... long sleeve and tee shirt, but no coat. And no gloves! Woooo hoooo!! We have another well planned day ahead of us. Tina called the dog walker so we could stay away longer if needed. By 9:30 AM we were headed for the metro station.

After slowly working our way through a traffic jam we got to the parking garage and down to the platform. Once we were on board the train we grabbed a paper and sat back to relax on our way into town. But... heh, heh, ... about five stops from getting to our destination there was a slow down, then a stop while repairs were made to the track switches up ahead. After ten minutes we were on our way again and made it to the Archives stop with no further problems.

We exited from the Archives stop and were right across from the National Archives Building (http://www.archives.gov/) where we wanted to see some of our nations most important documents such as the "Declaration Of Independence", "Constitution", "Bill of Rights", and the "Emancipation Proclamation". (The photo at right is from across the street at the US Navy Memorial Plaza looking through the memorial fountain.) As we came around the corner of the Archives building there was a line of people waiting to get in. A long line. It went around the corner and another 250 feet to the lower entrance where everyone was being screened.

It looked like about an hour to get in so we decided to head over to the Sculpture Garden of the National Art Gallery where we wandered around the gardens looking at the various sculptures. The centerpiece of the gardens is a very large pool with eight water jets that arc into the pool from the inside of the perimeter. The outer ring of the pool is made of pink marble with an inner ring of black granite. The water jest start with a small flow and slowly elevate, pumping ever larger torrents of water through the air until they all converge in the center of the pool before slowly reversing their pattern. Eventually we decided to have lunch at the Garden Cafe where Tina had a Chicken Caesar and I had a Beef and Blue Cheese Paninni. Both were very good and we could watch the fountain from our table.

After lunch we walked over to the West building of the National Gallery of Art (http://www.nga.gov/). Created in 1937 by a joint resolution of Congress, the museum was the brainchild of financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon who collected works from around the world with the express purpose of donating the collection. When he died, the collection went to form the nucleus of the National Art Gallery. Funds for the construction of the West Building were provided by The A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust. On March 17, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the completed building and the collections on behalf of the people of the United States of America. European paintings and sculpture, from the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and American art are on the Main Floor. On the Ground Floor are galleries of prints, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, and temporary exhibitions. Unlike the Hirshhorn, this museum was a veritable feast for us. By the time we worked our way through all the exhibits we were thoroughly sated and we had sore feet from all the walking.

We thought we would try to do the Capitol and Botanical Gardens that we missed yesterday but once again we decided to not overdo. By now it's 3:30 PM so we walk back towards the metro station taking photos of several statues with a stop at Starbucks for a pastri and iced mocha. After finishing our late afternoon treat we wander over to the US Navy Memorial Plaza. The memorial includes both a commemorative public plaza and a Naval Heritage Center. The plaza is a round ceremonial amphitheater paved in granite to form a 100-foot diameter of the world. Surrounding the deck of the plaza are fountains, pools, flagpole masts, and sculptural panels depicting historic achievements of the sea services. A symbolic statue of a Lone Sailor stands watch near the edge of the plaza. From here we make our way down into the metro station for the trip back home.

To see all of today's photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Day Two In Washington DC

Wednesday the 22nd

Rained again most of last night and it was in the high 30's when I got up at 7:00 AM. It was supposed to start getting nice but the weather front stalled and the weatherman was calling for temperatures in the mid 50's with wind and rain showers. Bummer! We reviewed our plan and decided to give it a go anyway since we would be indoors most of the day.

Today we drove to the Metro stop rather than taking the bus. We got there and bought a parking pass "Smart Card", a credit card with electronics which stores money on it and is debited when placed against a reader. It also works on the metro to pay fares. We caught our train and headed into DC getting off at the L' Enfant Plaza stop.The trip on the Green Line from College Park, including nine stops along the way took only thirty minutes. Disembarking from the subway we walked out into a gray sky but no rain yet. Our first stop was the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art (http://hirshhorn.si.edu/).

This is a beautifully designed gallery, round with inner and outer rings on each floor, interconnected by openings placed every 100 feet. Sections of the outer ring are dedicated to displays of various artists and range from paintings to video and everything in between. There were a few recognized names but most artists were outside my experience. I must admit, neither of us appreciate or like most modern art. We walked through all the gallery's on both floors then went out to the sculpture garden. Here we found fanciful works from several artists that were quite surrealistic, yet interesting.

After walking through the sculpture garden we headed for the Air and Space Museum (http://www.nasm.si.edu/). This is a huge facility dedicated to documenting mans quest for lighter than air flight, our probes of heaven and beyond. Once again we started at one end and worked our way through the various exhibits - beginning with the first floor then working our way through the second floor. At 1:30 PM we went to the food court for lunch then went to the Einstein Planetarium (http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/theaters/planetarium/) to see the movie "Black Holes: The Other Side Of Infinity". The theater is like an IMAX with reclined seats, dome screen and a multi-projector system. Way cool!! After the movie we walked over to the Mall and bought an ice cream bar from one of the vendors and headed for the Metro. We had wanted to walk over to the Capitol and see the Botanical Gardens but ran out of time. Everything takes a lot longer than expected due to crowds and distances.

We got home just in time, it started raining again. But only for a short time. Tomorrow is supposed to be the day when it starts getting warmer again.

To see all of today's pictures click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Day One In Washington DC

Tuesday the 21st

Last night storms came to the Capitol (again – heh, heh). It rained, it poured and the old man snored. But when I got up this morning the rain had stopped and it promised to be a cool but beautiful day. And it was!! The temperature was in the high 40’s but by the afternoon it was supposed to be in the mid 60’s. With a possibility of showers. So we dressed in layers and took our umbrellas just in case. We planned to leave the car home and use Metro for all our transportation needs to downtown DC.

Tina had made arrangements with a dog walker to walk the dogs during the afternoon so we left our coach key in the office. The RV Park is on the metro bus route and the bus stop is right across from the office so we bought our bus passes and boarded for the twenty minute ride to the metro subway station in College Park. We got our subway passes and got on the Green Line, then transferred to the Red Line a few stops further on for the trip into Union Station (http://www.unionstationdc.com/about.aspx). This is a stunning building which has been beautifully restored and expanded to handle trains, subway and bus transportation. It is really gorgeous inside and looks like a high end airport terminal.

Our plan was to do a tour of Washington DC on our first day. Tourmobile Tours (http://www.tourmobile.com/) had a ticket kiosk outside Union Station where we bought our tickets for the day. This is an “On and Off” tour where you can get off at any stop, tour the monument or building and get back on another bus to continue the route. With tickets and Tina’s plan in hand we boarded the tour bus and headed for the first stop.

Since there is so much to see and do in Washington DC, our first day we planned to visit the Jefferson Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/thje/), FDR Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/fdrm/), Arlington National Cemetery (http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/), Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tombofun.htm) and the original Smithsonian building known as the “Castle” (http://www.si.edu/) where we could get an overview of the various Smithsonian offerings.

By this time it was a blue sky day, 68 degrees and perfect for photos. We got off the tourmobile at the Jefferson Memorial and walked around to the front which faces the tidal basin. Walking up the steps the first thing you see is his statue in the center of the rotunda floor. Walking around we were really impressed with how much he had written on need for good government and the basic freedoms that all people should enjoy. On the interior walls of the rotunda are engraved a half dozen of his basic tenets. He was truly a statesman with an eye on the future while recognizing that action must be taken today in order to ensure that future.

From the Jefferson Memorial we walked along the tidal basin to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. This is a long stretch of massive stonework and bronze statues with waterfalls, reflecting pools and panels with his words. The entire facility represents his efforts to sheppard our country through the great depression. This is a stunning memorial in its simplicity yet makes a powerful statement about a visionary leader. Included in the memorial is a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt with her words on the human condition. Together they were an awesome team.

Leaving the Roosevelt Memorial we re-boarded the tourmobile and got off at the Lincoln Memorial stop in order to get some lunch at a food kiosk. We both had a hot dog. Tina’s was a six inch with mustard. Mine was a foot long with chili, mustard, onions and sourkraut. Yum! After lunch we got back on the tourmobile saving the Lincoln Memorial for another day. Our drive took us across the Potomac on the Arlington Memorial Parkway, moving from Maryland to Virginia. As we drive along Memorial Parkway there are numerous Statues and Memorials to Military groups such as the SeaBees. At the end of Memorial Parkway, at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery is the Women In Military Service For America Memorial (http://www.womensmemorial.org/). Everywhere you look in Washington is marble, in statues, buildings and monuments. This memorial is no exception. Simple in design yet stunning in execution.

After driving into the cemetery proper we make a stop at the Robert F Kennedy grave and eternal flame. For those of us who saw Kennedy elected president, saw his leadership with his pledge to go to the moon and his untimely death, this is a sacred place. From Kennedys grave we moved uphill through the many sections of grave sites from the Civil war through all our conflicts up to the present. On any given day there are about twenty burial services performed here. We stopped next at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier where we witnessed the changing of the guard and placing of a memorial wreath. Every place we stop is stunning. The gardens are in bloom, dogwoods, cherry, plum and apple trees are flowering and it becomes hard not to take pictures at every turn.

The tour continues up to the top of the hill and Arlington House. This was the main home for the Robert E. Lee plantation. When Lee resigned his commission in the Army, he and his family fled to Virginia where he took command of the Confederate Army. At some point during the Civil War, his property was confiscated by the Union. As the deaths of soldiers mounted, places to bury them were difficult to find. Lees Plantation became the solution and from that point on, burials of Union soldiers from the civil war were interred here. After the war when the Union was restored, soldiers from the confederacy were also buried here. Today all the grave stones are uniform and they are arranged to represent rows of soldiers lined up for review.

From Arlington we returned to the Mall and got off at the Smithsonian “Castle” stop where we could go inside and get information to help us plan our visit to the eighteen Smithsonian buildings. By now it is getting late so we got directions to the nearest Green Line Metro station. After a five block walk we caught the subway and took it all the way to our stop at College Park. The Metro Subways are fast and clean. I was very impressed with our subway experience. From there the bus returned us to Cherryhill RV Park. We picked up our key from the office and got to the coach where we were greeted by two excited girls. They had been walked by the dog walker during the afternoon, so they were in pretty good shape but they’re always glad to see us get home.

To see all of todays photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Prince George To Wagington DC

Sunday the 19th

With the possibility of rain later in the day we decided to leave for Washington DC by 10:00 AM so we could stop by George Washington’s Mount Vernon http://www.mountvernon.org/ . The rig was all squared away by 9:30 AM so we went in and said our good byes, thanking Laura and Zelon for a very nice visit! Then it was on the road to I-295 north eventually connecting with I-95 again until we were just south of Alexandria, Virginia.

Driving east we finally reached Mount Vernon, parked with the tourist buses and walked to the entry and visitors museum. The site of George Washington’s Virginia Plantation is quite large. The visitor center has a cinema, display hall, restaurant and gift shop – and tickets. We bought our entry pass and walked out to the pathway leading to the mansion. There was a 45 minute wait (from the back of the line) to get into the mansion, so we chose to walk through the gardens.

On one side of the grounds the garden is laid out with flowers and flowering bushes. On the other side is the working garden with vegetables, herbs and fruits. Along the way we explored the various outbuildings many for Washington’s slaves and staff. Others were dedicated to operational needs, stables, storage, leather shop, kitchen, blacksmith, carpenter, etc. Eventually we found ourselves on the front lawn overlooking the Potomac and river walk gardens. The mansion sits on a bluff above the river and has a panoramic vista of rolling hills and river. It’s really spectacular!

Eventually we bit the bullet and got in line for the mansion tour. Washington was one of the more prosperous land owners in the area and his mansion attests to that fact. With large spacious visiting rooms, decorated in vibrant colors and fabrics, ornate plaster ceilings, quality furniture, numerous guest rooms and several dining rooms the mansion is quite spacious and gives a sense of comfort and gracious living. There were docents in almost every room who gave talks about the room and a little of the history of the family. It was very well done and we enjoyed seeing the mansion.

After leaving Mount Vernon we headed back to the freeway and onto the outer ring road out to College Park where we found our next stop, Cherryhill RV Park. After registering and getting set up on our site we walked over to the pool area and had a cheeseburger at the café. After walking the dogs for the last time we called it a night just as the rain started to come down in earnest.

To see all our photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Distance for this leg, 156 miles. Total so far for the trip, 6,638 miles.

Colonial Williamsburg

Friday the 17th

Up at 6:30 AM to a bright blue sky and sunshine!! Oh yeah, it was about 29 degrees out and everything was frosted white. I took the dogs for their walk, gave them breakfast, made coffee, had breakfast, did the dishes and went back outside to take the car in for brake service. But before I could go I had to find the windshield scraper and scrape ice off all the windows. With the heater up full blast on defrost and the windows cleared, I headed for Hopewell and the local Firestone store. After getting a work ticket started Cameron got there to pick me up and take us back home.

A lazy morning with a little vacuuming, dusting and working on the blog. Most of the day was spent waiting to get the car back. We had planned to go and see another plantation but bgave up that idea when 3:00 PM came and went. At 4:15 the tire place called so Cameron and I went and picked it up.

When Zelon and Laura got home we headed out with Brandon, Dakota and Noah for a Mexican dinner. It was very good. Spent the evening watching movies and reading.

Saturday the 18th

Today promises to be a really nice day with temperatures in the mid 70’s. After everyone got up and had breakfast Zelon suggested taking his car and going to “Colonial Williamsburg”. Since we wanted to go there anyway it was a very good idea. Cameron and Angel had to work and Brandon was nowhere in sight so Dakota, Noah, Laura, Zelon, Tina and I jumped in the car and made the 45 mile journey to Williamsburg.

When we arrived a parking space magically appeared right in front of the Visitor Information Center. Once inside we learned that what we were going to explore was a significant re-creation and restoration of the original town of Williamsburg during colonial times. Several options were presented where tickets were available for any number of guided tours. Carriage rides through town, busses from the parking area to the edge of town, tickets for individual shows such as weaving, blacksmithing, etc.

Since we only had four hours we chose to walk up to town and walk around on our own. There were a lot of people but it wasn’t crowded. With map in hand we explored about 60 percent of the site with a break for lunch at the “Kings Arms Tavern” where we ate in the garden under vine covered trellises. It was pricey but we enjoyed it anyway. After lunch we continued our walkabout exploring the rest of the site before heading back to the car. We all had a great time. For anyone going without any time constraints I would recommend going for the comprehensive tour package so you can go into more of the buildings to see old time life activities being performed and have a person explain the history of the building.

Once in the car Laura recommended a short detour to view the Revolutionary War Victory Monument located in the heart of Yorktown, in a beautiful park setting along the York River. The monument itself was commissioned by the Continental Congress in 1781 to celebrate and honor the great victory at Yorktown in the American Revolutionary War. Although authorized in 1781 actual construction didn’t start for another 100 years. The monument was built between 1881 and 1884 and remains a lasting monument to Independence and victory.

From here we made the drive home and finished the day with pizza and a movie.

To see all of our photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski