DC - Post the Third

Day six - October thirdish. And my third day in DC.

Yeah, I haven't finished my Leave Speech. And I can't think of anything else to blog about in my very boring life right now. So I'll blog about the more exciting part of the year.

This day, I decided to plan out my trips on the metro and bought a pass to cover the trips I would take. It worked like a charm.

First: White House



I went straight to the white house this morning to get some pics and a view of it. I didn't tour, because apparently getting a tour through the white house grounds these days requires a three month RSVP or something. So I got a pic from a distance.

Saw the white house. Got a picture of me looking disheveled (I'm on the road, that's my excuse). Moving on to the next matter of business.

Second: WWII Monument

The WWII monument recently got dedicated a few years ago, and the main concern was making it so it didn't spoil the reflecting pool and the view of the Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.



There is a lot of symbolism involved in this memorial. One side represents the European Theater, one side represents the Pacific Theater. Each pillar represents a state. There are different battles etched in the granit around the fountains on the side.





Found my state. You don't think I'm desecrating the monument by climbing up here, do you?

Third: Signers of the Declaration of Independence

This is a memorial off the beaten path. Myself and one other person were the only ones there when I visited it, and pictures truly do not do it justice.



That's Mr Ben Franklin's autograph etched in stone. I wish I got a better photograph, but it means more in person. I could have probably gotten some better pictures on an overcast day.

Fourth: Vietnam Memorial, Again.

I visited the Vietnam Memorial two days previous. But I didn't get a good chance to really see it then, as it was getting dark, and i wanted to get some pictures of it.



It is a very somber place to visit, I remember studying it in Art Class and the symbolism involved, how it is a place for vets to come and reflect. The sheer quantity of names on the wall is a little numbing itself.



Remind me to burn that shirt when i get a chance.



Fifth: Lincoln Memorial, Again

Like the Vietnam Memorial, I had visited the Lincoln memorial again as well.



The pictures I took of myself were better then.

Sixth: Korean War memorial



The Korean Memorial is not as famous as the Vietnam memorial, but like it, there is a lot of reflective symbolism. There are images etched into the carving, and the statues reflect in it.



It has a near mirror affect.



Seventh: FDR Memorial

Yes, today was Monument Day. I just walked around the mall looking at the different monuments. Word to the wise, wear a comfortable pair of walking shoes.

The FDR memorial uses a lot of symbolism in regards to waterfalls to represent the different parts of FDR's presidency. As you may know, FDR was President during the Depression and WWII, and he's the only president to serve four terms.



Without showing you the mass amounts of waterfalls in the memorial, I'll show you the final, which is the most impressive display. It is a pretty neat memorial to walk through. I recommend having somebody with you, so you can take stupid pictures of yourself. It's hard to do that when it's just you and a tripod.


The final monument of FDR and his dog. Seeing me next to the dog will give you an idea of how large this statue is.

Eighth: Jefferson monument

This monument is a bit off the beaten path, instead of directly on the mall. But it is still definitely worth a visit.



While walking toward it, I saw an albino squirrel. I had the wrong lens to get a really good shot of it.



Inside the monument is a statue of Jefferson.



It's a big statue. Lot's of etchings on the wall to go with it.



And of course, the neo classical architecture that is symbolic of DC.



I tried to get a shot of the monument from across the water, but as you can see, it is quite shady over there, which is pretty much makes for not the best of picture taking experiences. Yeah, I'm still learning this camera.

Ninth: Holocaust Museum (warning: Powerful and very depressing! This place will rip your heart to shreds!)

I don't have any pictures of the Holocause museum, mainly because pictures aren't allowed. But this is a must visit for any history enthusiest and anybody else in general. It pretty much details the history of the holocaust from the very beginnings to experiences of the survivors today. Give yourself at least two hours to tour through it. It takes at least that long to just walk through it without reading every little piece. Plenty of videos, lots of information about Hitler's eugenics program and kind of shows how a rational group of people can be brainwashed into thinking Genicide is ok.

If you go to DC, this museum is a must visit. And whats more, it is completely free.

Tenth: Washington Monument. . . Sort of

img src="http://www.risawn.com/blog/leave/dc61.jpg" width="315">


Ok, I didn't actually go to the Washington Monument. You have to get a pass to go to it, and they go quickly. What's more, i didn't get there early enough to get one. But you can see the monument from all corners of the mall.



From the whitehouse.



In front of the Licoln Memorial.



the Jefferson memorial.

To name a few. It is an iconic figure, you can't help but notice it everywhere you go, and of course, it is one of the most recognizeable monuments in DC.



My parting shot from the mall, on the lawn, with the smithsonian and the Capital in the back ground. Then I hopped on the metro and headed to my last destination of the day.

Eleventh: International Spy Museum

Yes, the international Spy Museum. One of the few museums you actually have to pay to see. But it is well worth a visit, though can be skipped if you are on a time constraint.

Watch out for China Town. And don't get to turned around. Er. Hehe.

Not the best location in DC, there was a street preacher just outside the metro entrance telling how evil the white man was and what was owed in retributions, and all sorts of nonsense. I didn't linger long.

the Spy Museum is another such place where pictures aren't allowed, so I'll link to it. Definitely worth a visit if you have the time. But it is easy to get museumed out when visiting DC. But I still had a little time left.

Twelfth: National Portrait Gallery.

It was basically a portrait museum, and is directly across from the International spy Museum. I wandered through the first floor for a moment. If you are an art lover, I guess its worth a peak, but by all means not the highlight of my trip. I'm not much of a portrait art fan.

The one museum I really wanted to visit was the Museum of American History, but it was closed for renovation. If I make it back to DC in the near future, I will be sure to pay it a visit.

While there was still daylight left, I made it back to my car and got on the road to my next destination. Which was Philidelphia. I'll try to post about that later.

DC - Day Two

October 2nd - Day 5 (second day in DC)

Back on my Leave fun. Yays for Leave!

I did something a little bit different the second day. The metro works a little odd in DC, you can buy a day pass but you can't use it until after a certain time, so you have to buy a trip pass in the morning and then use your day pass in the afternoon. I didn't like this set up so much so I decided I would go ahead and drive the second day.

Um, my advice for DC. Don't drive. Just, Don't.

Because I had my car though, I decided to get the items that are kind of off in the boondocks and away from the Mall out of the way. This included Arlington Cemetary. I wanted to hit up the National Zoo as well, but I ran out of time. It was a bit out of the way so I couldn't get to it.

Trust me, driving in DC is just a big pain in the fourth point of contact. Getting from my Hostel up north (which was just across from a Metro terminal) proved to not save me any time if I had simply waited for the Day Use Metro. I would have saved a few bucks too.

But alas, I drove this day.


Anyway, back to Arlington. A very somber site.



I observed a changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier. However, I should have been on the other side of the tomb to get a good view of it. It was very interesting, a lot of awesome rifle movements.



They looked Sharp. Very impressive.




I found the Marine Memorial. Saw the Air Force too. Never did see the Army memorial however. But the Marine Memorial with that image of IwaJima is quite gripping.

Women Veteran's Memorial. This is only a few years old, really recent in fact. Very well done.

After spending a couple hours walking around Arlington, I got in my car and decided to visit the Pentagon. Except I got lost and couldn't figure out where to park to visit the memorial. Eventually, I just gave up and decided to come back, instead focusing my time on finding Mt Vernon. This is one place I do recommend driving to go see if you have a car, but it is accessible with Public Transportation as well. If I had planned it out better, I would have done it that way instead.



This would be George Washington's estate. I walked all over the place, toured his home, pet the goats, and saw his original burial tomb as well as his final resting place. There is a very interesting museum about his life as well.

Mt Vernon is not free, unlike much of the rest of Washington DC.



Afterwards, I decided to give the Pentagon memorial another shot. I figured out the parking arrangement, which is actually suited fairly well for visiting this monument. They don't like pictures, but I believe taking pictures is ok.

They just dedicated this memorial this summer. It is very beautiful and peaceful, and like so many things I tend to get drawn to visiting, very somber and reflective.


Each bench represents a victim of the attack on the pentagon. the benches facing toward the pentagon represent those on the planes, the benches facing away represent those working in the building. They are organized by the year in which the victim was born. I believe the youngest was in the 1990's, the oldest was in the 1930's.

I saw a lot the second day, but not as much as the day previous, or the next day. Mostly because I made the mistake of driving. I decided to try to see the capital and went and visited, to discover that you have to get tickets to view it. Same with the Supreme Court.


So I walked the grounds of both buildings instead. Saw a few congressmen, but have no idea who they are or what states they represented.


The idea of watching congress in session made me think that I could probably get a good feel of it by watching some CSPAN.

And I had other things I wanted to do. So I decided not to get tickets the next day.

But the daylight was waning, and being in DC, I wanted to visit another building that I could likely only take advantage of with my Vehicle. For those of you who are not aware, I am LDS. I generally do keep this point mute in my blog most of the time, because of my rantings and ravings, it doesn't always point to me as being the best example of my faith and I don't want people to judge me by my faith or my faith by me. I wish I was a sterling example, but alas, I am human and prone to err.

Anyway, being in DC, I wished to go visit the Temple. I also wanted to get some pictures of this building, as it is quite beautiful. The sun was setting, I had to take the scenic route to get to it, and lost my way several times, but I successfully found it again.


I was worried I wouldn't be able to see it, but when you turn the corner on the freeway from the East, you cannot miss this building. It just pops out at you out of nowhere. You can't miss it.

I wish I could have gotten a shot of it from the road, but I was focused on Driving in Rush Hour Traffic.


I discovered that dusk is a really good time for taking photos of buildings.

There was an exhibit showing at the Temple Visitors Center called Reflections of Christ, which was a series of pictures depicting various moments in Christ's life. Very powerful, I gained a greater appreciation for it after watching the little video on the making of this exhibit. It is highly recommended, as any Christian can appreciate these pictures.

By the time I left the temple grounds, it was quite dark, and I had to try to find my way back to the Hostel.

I got hopelessly turned around multiple times, found two gas stations out of gas, and got a little worried that the economy was going to tank and riots would explode while I was on leave.

Fortunately, I made it safe and sound and in time to watch the Vice Presidential Debate.

And listen to the owner of the Hostel give us a clue onto his political leanings.

Hint - He wasn't a fan of Sarah Palin. And that's putting it nicely.

DC - the first day

Day Four - October 1


Yes, I'm getting back to my Leave Time. I found my camera that I thought I lost, the point and shoot with my pictures on it. Very Grateful.

I was in Washington DC earlier this month when I was on leave. I have never been to DC but have always wanted to go. I stayed at a Hostel in the Northern Part of DC and parked my car for $5 a day and took the Trans. Definitely recommended in DC, don't take your car anywhere here, which is what I learned on teh Second day. It is a pain to park.

One thing that is really awesome about DC is the fact that there are free things to do EVERYWHERE. One upside is the Smithsonian. There were a gob of museums I wanted to go check out, including the Smithsonian Museum of American History but unfortunately it was closed for renovation.

I had to wait until the Museums opened to go check them out however, and most museums didn't open until 9:00, and I'm on military time on leave, so I'm up at 6:00 and ready to go. Their was a sculpture garden to check out, so I did that.



Some weird sculptures were to be found.



I have a fondness for modern art, and incorporating myself with it. However, i was quick to learn not to sit on the pieces when a security guard came by and scolded me for getting to close to a piece.



It must be just a flesh wound. Where the heck are this guy's legs?



Honestly, I don't know about this one. supposedly it is some woman sitting on a bench, or something. . . and it is obviously abstract and only supposed to represent something. Or something or other.



The National Space and Air Museum however, that is one I could have spent all day in. I'm a space junkie, so anything that has to do with space or flying is awesome with me, and this museum went through the history of Air and Space.


I also caught a show in the planetarium on Black Holes and that was freakin' Awesome. I was also caught up on these following sensors. One senses heat, the other, er, I don't remember. Infared or something. Gah! I knew this!





I guess I better look it up. But can you see me taking a picture?

I spent all morning in that museum, and could have spent all day if I wanted to. Unfortunately, I did not have the time allotted to spend all day in one museum. I went across the mall to the National Art Museum. It is not part of the Smithsonian, however it is still very much free. And free is good.



They had a lot of european artists, lots of renaissance art, and I have discovered while touring this museum that I am more interested in landscapes and Modern Art then renaissance art. I did find the Leonardo DaVinci, the only DaVinci in the US in fact. And I got a picture with it.


The Eastern Musuem was more interesting to me in the long run. I wanted to see more of the American Artists but that exhibit was closed. *sighs*


After the art museums, I found my way to the National Archive, discovered that this is where the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution (the original documents) all reside.


I checked them out. So very fascinating. There was a lot of historical documents to see here, but i was also running out of time and had a lot more I wanted to see.


Like the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.


Where I saw the Hope Diamond and a bunch of other awesome stuff. Like Butterflies!


These butterflies are in this enclosure and they just fly around and land on you and do all sorts of stuff. I'm not really much of a girly girl that swoons over butterflies really, but it is fun when bugs start landing and crawling on you.

I spent my time in this museum until the place closed down. I thought about going to check out Arlington but found that the hours weren't conducive to my being there. So I had to walk across the bridge and found my way at the Lincoln Memorial.



Abe Lincoln is the BEST!



Can you see my pockets are laden down with all sorts of Stuff? Here is the view over the mall with the washington Monument back there in the BG.



I spent the remaining daylight hours at the Wall.


My dad served in Vietnam and I asked him if there were any names he wanted me to look for. I was able to get a rubbing for him. And a few pictures of the name.



The wall is a little surreal in some ways, one of those places where you stand there and reflect on the loss of life that came with this war.

I ended up talking to an old vet near the wall, looking for the nearest metro back to the hostel, and when I told him I was a drill sergeant, he looked at me with this expression that likely had him thinking 'this girl is a drill sergeant? what happened to the tough drill sergeants of Vietnam that could kill you just by looking at you?'

He obviously never saw me give anybody my angry eye.

Walking to the metro at night was a little interesting, but I never really feared for myself in any way. I did keep a lookout for unusual characters, but didn't see any. I didn't think DC felt unsafe in any way while I was there.