2012-08-30: Reflection
As we were saying goodbye to Harrisburg, we drove over the Susquehanna River and caught this wonderful reflection of all the bridges crossing the river.
2012-08-31: The Big Bus
We were convinced the best way to see the city was going to be on the hop on/hop off bus so we bought a two-day ticket and arrived at the campground bus depot at 6:55 to ride the courtesy bus into town to our adventure.
2012-08-31: Capitol
The capitol building is 751-feet long and 350-feet wide and contains about 540 rooms. There is a 19.5-foot statue of Freedom located atop the dome. The two wings of the building are constructed of marble and contain the Senate and House chambers. The central part of the building includes the Rotunda.
2012-08-31: Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial is on the Tidal Basin and honors our country's third president and author of the Declaration of Independence. The central room features a classical dome supported by ionic columns. The 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson by Rudolph Evans stands in the rotunda. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated this memorial on April 13, 1943 (the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth).
2012-08-31: Arlington National Cemetery
Located across the Potomac River, Arlington National Cemetery was established in 1864 on the confiscated estate of Robert E. Lee. Endless rows of simple white headstones mark the final resting place of many war heroes.
2012-08-31: Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is striking in its simplicity. It is a piece of Colorado marble that weighed 50-tons before it was carved. Lying in the sarcophagus beneath the tomb is the body of an unknown American soldier brought back from France after WWI. In 1958 the remains of unknown military personnel from WWII and the Korean War were interred in crypts at the head of the tomb.
2012-08-31: Changing of the Guard
Specially selected members of the Army's 3rd US Infantry Regiment guard the tomb 24 hours a day. In the summer the guard is changed every half hour. Being here in Arlington was a very moving experience.
2012-08-31: Old Ebbitt Grill
The Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington's oldest, most historic tavern, was founded in 1856 and was our lunch spot today. The Ebbitt has five different bars and its Victorian interior gives you the feeling of being in one of Washington's saloons at the turn of the century.
2012-09-00: Washington Monument
We couldn't resist having our photo taken with the reflecting pools, which were just reopened yesterday, in the background. These two pools, with a combined length of 2,292-feet, lie between the Washington and Lincoln Memorials.
2012-09-01: Lincoln Memorial
This stately marble structure, designed by Henry Bacon and dedicated by President Warren Harding on May 30, 1922, has 36 Doric columns, one for each state in existence at the time of Lincoln's death. The columns symbolize unity. The names of these states are carved in the frieze while the names of the other 12 states in the union in 1922 were carved on the attic walls. A plaque in the plaza commemorates the admission of Alaska and Hawaii.
2012-09-01: Lincoln
Dominating the interior of the building is the seated statue of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French. The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second Inaugural Address are carved on the walls and murals by Jules Guerin allegorize his themes of emancipation and reunion. Standing there with Lincoln was an experience that defies words and will always be remembered.
2012-09-01: Washington Monument
The cornerstone for this monument to honor our first president was laid July 4, 1848 but was not completed until 1884 when a 3,300-pound marble capstone, topped with a 9-inch pyramid of cast aluminum, was set in place. The marble obelisk rises just over 555-feet and is surrounded by 50 American flags. The elevator that runs to the observation room at the 500-foot level is unfortunately closed because of earthquake damage to the monument last year.
2012-09-01: Vietnam Wall
The Vietnam wall, designed by Maya Ying Lin, sits in a quiet protected place. Some 58,267 names of casualties of this war are carved in black granite on this 247-foot wall. Tears came to my eyes as I watched people touching a loved ones name on the wall and made me say a little prayer of thanks that everyone I knew who went, came home.
2012-09-01: White House
James Hoban's design was chosen for the presidential mansion in 1792 and the building was completed in 1800. This has been the home of every president except George Washington. When we went by the White House yesterday, there was no activity but today, as you can see, the helicopter waits on the lawn and the secret servicemen watch from the roof.
2012-09-01: Potomac
We took a cruise down the Potomac River and got to see many of the monuments from that angle.
2012-09-03: Ikea
Our outing today was a visit to Ikea. This was a first for us and quite an experience! We followed the arrows on the upper level and oo'ed and ahh'ed and ended up at the café just in time to have Swedish meatballs for lunch. We thought we were finished but were we wrong - there was a whole lower floor to still discover!
2012-09-03: Big Purchase
My big purchase at Ikea was a bamboo plant - something I've always wanted. I've placed in a vase with sea glass given to me by my dear friend Ellie in Connecticut. It will be a reminder of both my time in Milford and Washington after I get it home.