Sunday was a rainy day in Virginia. Our cardboard window cover for the rear window of the van tucked a bit too far into the seam of the window and caused a little leak. While we stayed dry, our poor cardboard cover was water-logged and will never be the same. We went to church in some random town between Richmond and DC, then made our way into the DC area.
Our first stop was on a gloomy Sunday afternoon in Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. It was pouring rain when we pulled in so we had a late lunch in the van, then headed into the gift shop and museum to wait out the heavier rainfall. By the time we got through the exhibits and did some shopping, the rain had tapered off. We ventured up the hill in light drizzle to the estate of the first President of the United States.
Painted glass murals in the hall of the museum. This one is of the reading of the Declaration of Independence to George Washington.
Washington Crosses the Delaware
Mount Vernon Mansion
Shannon next to one of the giant old trees in the front yard of the mansion
Sheep and crops are still raised on the grounds of Mount Vernon similar to how they were when George Washington was here.
After a tour of the mansion, we wandered the grounds. One of the first places we came to was Washington's Tomb. The light rain continued to fall so we were there alone, which was pretty cool to just kind of stand there and think about the life of the person inside that tomb. A life that has influenced world events to this very day. As we were about to walk away, a lady walked up and opened the gate. Apparently, they do ceremonial wreath layings on the tomb periodically. It just happened to be time for one. Since we were the only people there, the lady asked if one of us wanted to lay the wreath on the President's tomb. Shannon was willing to let me do it as she knows I am a big fan of all things American history, but I wanted her to get to do this one. I feel like I get to do cool stuff more often than her so today would be here chance. The lady said a few words about Washington, then Shannon placed the wreath on his coffin. I snagged some pictures and just took in the moment. It was a small thing, but super cool to both of us. They do these all the time, but how many people have had the ceremony to themselves? It was like having our own personal time with Washington. It pays to brave the rain and cool temperatures as you often experience things in these conditions that other people will never know.
Washington's Tomb
Shannon inside for the ceremony
After the ceremony, we walked to an active archaeological dig site at a slave cemetery. Slaves tended most of the land that makes up the plantation, which was common back in that time period. Slaves that died on the plantation were buried in a separate cemetery. Many unmarked graves have been discovered recently and are being examined for historical purposes.
Dig site at the slave cemetery.
Slave Memorial for all the slaves that ever worked the grounds of Mount Vernon.
The Old Tomb that previously housed the remains of the Washingtons
Even the fruit in the gardens still belong to General Washington.
Part of the Upper Garden
On Monday, Kaleb took us into DC with him. He works downtown, for the government of course. Traffic into DC is beyond a nightmare. You need three people in your car to use the HOV lanes heading into the city from the south, so by taking us, Kaleb was able to use the express lanes. I felt like we were inconveniencing him on his way to work, but he was pumped about it. He got to sleep a little longer and leave 20 minutes later than normal. His work was only a few blocks from the Capitol so it wasn't even that much out of his way to drop us off.
It was still raining as we pulled up to the Capitol and jumped out of Kaleb's car. Kaleb would be back to get us after dark and give us a tour of the monuments that look the best at night. We had a full day of exploring to do.
It's funny how some years we seem to end up with a theme for our travels. In 2016, it was all about waterfalls. The Devil popped up a lot in 2017, with visits to Devils Kitchen (the Michigan and Utah versions), Devils Backbone, Devils Bathtub and Devils Gate. This year, 2018, it seems to be all about America. We've seen some iconic places in American history this year, all of it really unplanned. We ended up at Mount Rushmore back in June. Now we've visited Monticello, Mount Vernon and sit in DC. We'll call it "The Year of the Patriot."
The Capitol building wasn't open yet, so we walked around the outside and grabbed some pictures. You better not be paranoid of being watched here. There were police and undercover agents everywhere and they were all paying attention to everything we did. It was a bit like being in a zoo. Not too many people were out this early on a rainy Monday morning, so we had more than our fair share of eyes trained upon us until we lined up to enter the Capitol building.
Not a bad place to be dropped off in DC.
The rear of the United States Capitol
Looking west across the National Mall from the Capitol
Front of the Capitol
Across the street was the United States Supreme Court. It was quite busy as this was when the Kavanaugh investigation was going on. Lots of press.
We thought we were being smart by packing food for the day that could be held in our pockets. We knew carrying bags were out. We hoped to save some money with only buying one meal in town to help keep the trip cheap. We had pockets full of Clif bars and crackers. As we entered security at the Capitol and emptied our pockets, they notified us that we had to throw away all unopened food. I thought that was a bit ridiculous as you should be able to scan my bars and tell they are bars, but they were not going to do that. My first thought was, "EAT IT ALL NOW!" I wanted to cram it in and not let my perfectly good food go to waste. Then I thought maybe I could open the packages and show them what was inside. The guy did say no UN-opened food after all. Before I could finish that thought, it was all in the trash and we were getting wanded. Oh well. Guess we are eating twice in DC today.
Inside the Capitol
We took a tour of the Capitol, which was really cool. I had no idea you could see so much of it on a tour. We went by offices where current elected officials were working. Mitch McConnell apparently thought the tours were too loud so his assistants were giving the guides grief. I don't know how you couldn't be used to the tours by now since they happen every day. The guides even communicate with you through microphones and headphones to keep the sound to a minimum.
One of the domes inside the Capitol
This spot on the floor is the center of the Capitol, also the geographic center of Washington, D.C.
The Rotunda
Statue of Andrew Jackson in the Rotunda, a notable figure in Tennessee history
The mural painted on the ceiling of the Rotunda is known as The Apotheosis of Washington. It was painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi and is 180 feet above the rotunda floor. It depicts George Washington looking down from heaven like he became a god. He sits alongside Liberty and Victory and is within a circle of 13 maidens, symbolizing each of the original 13 colonies. Above Washington, the maidens hold a banner that reads "E Pluribus Unum," which means "Out of many, one." It's also cool to note the figures directly below Washington. There you find Freedom (also known as Columbia) in battle trampling figures representing Tyranny and Kingly Power. On Freedom's left is a bald eagle carrying arrows and a thunderbolt.
Old Senate Chamber
The Capitol also features a National Statuary Hall, where each state displays two statues of people that influenced history in their state. I had never heard of this. Apparently, you can vote on which two people are featured in the Hall from your state. Here is one of Ohio's picks, Thomas Edison. A few statues are located in other places within the Capitol, like the Andrew Jackson one we saw in the Rotunda. Tennessee's two statues are Jackson and John Sevier. Jackson was the first president from Tennessee, while Sevier help found the state and was its first governor.
A replica of the Declaration of Independence hanging in one of the rooms.
The tour dumped us out in a tunnel which we followed under the road to the Library of Congress. It was another incredibly decorated building. We saw some interesting displays and maps, then found Thomas Jefferson's Library, which we had learned about when we were at Monticello. Jefferson sold the bulk of his personal library to the Library of Congress in 1815 after the nation's entire collection of books was burned during the War of 1812 when the British burned the Capitol.
Ceiling inside the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The office of the Librarian of Congress
An early map of the United States created in 1783. Look at the size of some of the states back then. I was not aware that much of the country had been established already. All the way to the Mississippi River.
Jaguar sculpture of Mayan origin on display in the Library of Congress
Incense burner found near the entrance to a tomb
Another old map. Note the sea monster drawn in the ocean.
The open library. Only people with special permission can use this area.
Thomas Jefferson's Library
Neptune Fountain outside the Library of Congress. Turtles spitting water onto naked women riding mermaid horses on the sides, with Neptune in the middle.
Back on the rear side of the Capitol. This is the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.
After hitting up the Capitol area, we started walking through the National Mall. Some of the big ponds and fountains were empty as they were doing some construction in the area. We walked down Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue. I had no idea until writing this blog and reviewing a map that we passed right over I-395 in the National Mall as it tunnels through downtown.
A wet Pennsylvania Avenue
So true. How often we forget. Politicians should have to read these words every day before they start work to remember what they're really there for.
Our next stop was at the National Archives Museum. The main attraction there is the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution. They are kept in a dimly lit room and you get about 10 seconds to look at each before you are shewed away by guards. No cameras are allowed inside, so no pictures of either which is a bummer.
National Archives Museum
Then it was over to Ford's Theatre, the location of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The theater is still in use, but the President's balcony is no longer used. It is still decorated as it was at the time of Lincoln's death. It was a bit eerie in there. There is a museum in the basement that features exhibits about that fateful night, including the gun John Wilkes Booth used to shoot the President. Across the street is the Petersen House, where President Lincoln was taken for treatment following the shooting, and later died.
Ford's Theatre
The balcony where President Lincoln was shot
The Deringer pistol Booth used to shoot the President.
The plaque outside the Petersen House says it all.
We grabbed a milkshake at Shake Shack, then headed into the International Spy Museum. This place is fun! Not only do you get a history of espionage from the very beginning of spies through present-day, but you get to act like a spy. When you first go in, you are given a mission and provided with a cover identity. You get a short amount of time to learn your cover before moving on. As you move through the displays you are periodically questioned about your cover and you have to fool the computer station that is questioning you. You also get to look for spies on security cam footage. There's even a place where you can crawl through air ducts and squeeze into tight spaces to hide. If you have older children, they will love it!
I particularly liked seeing the displays about how people have squeezed into suitcases and under the body panels on cars to be smuggled into, or out of, places. Some of the most sophisticated espionage equipment on display was from the 1960s, which really makes you wonder what kind of devices are used today. There were tiny bombs embedded in devices to self-destruct and kill the person that found it. Some of the stuff was unbelievable, but real.
There were also stories of spies that had been caught. One CIA agent, Aldrich Ames, was selling info to Russia on U.S. operatives located in that country. He left his info in a park for the Russians to pick up. They communicated pick-ups by making chalk marks on the side of a mail drop box along a street in Georgetown. When the communication method was discovered, the box had dozens of marks on it, making you wonder just how much info had been given to the Russians. The museum stated that Washington, D.C. is the city with the highest concentration of spies on earth, and that as many as 1 in 6 people in town are spies. It makes you think twice when you pass people on the street!
It took a while to go through the International Spy Museum, so we were hungry again when we came out. It was well beyond lunch time now. We found a hot dog cart on the street and got some really great dogs at a cheap price. I have never actually seen a hot dog cart before so that was kind of cool. We then walked by the Trump International Hotel. It was already closed for the day so we couldn't go inside. Same for the White House Visitor Center.
The Old Post Office now houses the Trump International Hotel
Next, we saw the National Christmas Tree before getting our first look at the White House. The place is surrounded by guards and the fences keep you quite a ways from the actual building. Tours are a thing of the past now with the security concerns of modern day. We didn't hang out long as there were some sketch people in front of the White House lawn that looked like they might do something stupid like jump the gate. There were too many armed guards walking the lawn for me to want to be around when somebody tried to rush the White House. No thanks! There were two guys on the roof that appeared to be snipers as well. We gone!
The National Christmas Tree with the Washington Monument in the background
Our first look at the White House and its many security fences
Black SUVs just like in the movies...
West of the White House is the First Infantry Division Monument, which has a really cool statue and a group of red flowers planted in the shape of the number 1. We then headed over to the National Mall to begin our evening. More from that portion of our first long day in DC in the next post.
First Infantry Division Monument
The Civil War Nurses Memorial and American Red Cross National Headquarters
Daughters of the Revolutionary War Memorial Hall, home of Constitution Hall
No comments:
Post a Comment