chuckography

A Monumental Place...

Hey, I just got back from a vacation trip to our Nation's Capital and, while I was there, I remembered that when you write about the actual "building", it is spelled Capitol.

We English majors have a lot of rules and regulations to keep stored in our heads.

All the museums are free in Washington and all of the monuments - being out in the open - do not charge admission either. I probably saved money by being there for a week. Except for the professional hockey game at the Verizon Center where the N.Y. Islanders beat the Caps.

I looked for celebrities but missed the motorcade when President Bush and
the Dali Lama met at the Capitol for a medal presentation.

The guide books said the President always traveled in a motorcade (Or in a Marine helicopter that lifts off the lawn in front of the South Portico.)The view from atop the 550 foot Washington Monument shows off the White House ...as well as the secure fence that keeps anyone from getting too close.
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The FDR outdoor park has sections devoted to each of
President Roosevelt's four terms and the Depression era was, well, depressing.

Bronze statues depicted men lined up at a doorway to beg for food and, since we all were wearing hats, I fit right in.
The Iwo Jima Statue, the Marine Corps Memorial, is in Arlington Cemetary between two Metro stops so a cab was needed.

The weather was nice, slightly cool, so outdoor monuments and sights were done until the first cloudy day. Then it was the time to explore the Air & Space Museum in the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court.

The guide at the Library said there were 29 reading rooms and there used to be a backlog to use them.

Apparently the internet has shifted the focus so usually there are seats available now.

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Labels: Air and Space Museum, FDR, Great Depression, Iwo Jima Statue, Library of Congress, Metro, motorcade, Smithsonian, Supreme Court, Washington, Washington Monument, White House

posted by chucker @ 12:17 AM