SHE’S KILLING ME…MEGA D.C.TOUR CONTINUES

Saturday, July 31 – Before we left for our night in D.C., we had to move our motor home…yet again. We are now in Site 61 and the electric is working SUPER!!! If you remember back a few blogs ago, we started out in site 99 but had major electrical problems. They moved us for just two nights to site 71. We couldn’t stay there because it was full-hook ups and we aren’t paying $41/day for FHUs when we can get an electric only site for $30/day. We love this site. It is so quiet and HUGE. Check it out.

Sunday, August 1- Thank you Lord for the day of rest!!! There was no way we were doing anything today after walking 10+ hours yesterday. We both just chilled today.  We cooked breakfast about 1:30…this was really our lunch but we had eggs and bacon.

Around 5:00 we ran to the grocery store for a few items…$80 later….and spent the night sitting around a campfire…not too close, it was still 80 out.

Monday, August 2 - SHE'S KILLING ME!!!........Paul needs a break from MEGA-TOURING!!! - We were off to the City again this morning at 8:00 a.m. Our first stop was Union Station. Opened on October 27, 1907 and completed in 1908, Union Station is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture. Today, Union Station continues to make history as the most visited destination in the nation's Capitol with over 32 million visitors a year.

Statue of Christopher Columbus is in front of the Station.

Man is that a beautiful station. Shops galore and all types of fast food establishments. You can buy just about anything there…and we mean anything.

 

Amtrak and the Metro both stop here, just a few blocks from the Capital Building. We walked all around admiring the tempting bake goods displayed in the bakery windows (admired no eating) and the many unusual shops.

We then walked about six blocks to the Library of Congress. The Library is housed in the Thomas Jefferson Building.

This building is unbelievable. Similar to many of the museums or the Archives, you could spend all day here and still have tons to see. Our tour guide was outstanding!! This tour lasted about an hour and half.

The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.

The Library of Congress was established by an act of Congress in 1800 when President John Adams signed a bill providing for the transfer of the seat of government from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington. In August 1814 British troops set fire to the Capitol Building, burning and pillaging the contents of the small library.

Within a month, retired President Thomas Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement. Jefferson had spent 50 years accumulating books, "putting by everything which related to America, and indeed whatever was rare and valuable in every science"; his library was considered to be one of the finest in the United States.

Thomas Jefferson original collection is behind glass and we were unable to photograph it; but through the miracle of the Internet, here is what it looks like.

Asian reading room.

The ceiling of the entrance foyer is finished in 23-karat gold leaf.

Torch of Learning on top of the building.

The Gutenberg Bible displayed in a case in the East Corridor is one of only four “Perfect” bibles in the world. We weren’t permitted to take pictures of many of the rooms or articles such as the Bible. The Main Reading Room is a librarians dream. Beautiful marble columns, intricate marble carvings, marble statues, and gorgeous stained glass windows.

When ordering a book from the stacks, containing over 30 million books, it takes about 90 minutes to be delivered to the desk....jeesh!

Picture taken from website.

This is another MUST SEE when visiting the Nation's Capital.

Our next adventure was a tour of the Capitol Building. The Capitol is home to the U.S Congress and its two legislative bodies, the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Front

Back of building. We think it is prettier than the front.

 

Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored. The Capitol stands as a monument to the American people. It is where the issues facing the nation are considered, debated, and written into law.

You enter the building via the recently completed Visitor's Center, costing in excess of 600 million dollars. Another unbelievable and amazing structure. There are over 100 marble and bronze statues.....at least two from each state..... scattered in several of the buildings great halls.

Famous Washington painting…The Final Battle.

We learned that Henry Clay was the only man that kept the U.S. from war. After his death…guess what…war.

The Apotheosis of Washington is found in the rotunda.
Constantino Brumidi depicted George Washington rising to the heavens in glory, flanked by female figures representing Liberty and Victory/Fame. A rainbow arches at his feet, and thirteen maidens symbolizing the original states flank the three central figures.

The House of Representatives was not in session and the auditorium where they conduct their business was undergoing some renovation. It is closed until September 13, 2010. We were fortunate to be permitted entry into the Senate, which was in session. After a short wait and depositing our cell phones and camera with security, we entered the viewing balcony and heard a gentleman addressing the Senate about the need for increased funding for Engineering Education. The problem.......N O Senators were in attendance! Business as usual in the U.S. Congress???? We felt sorry for the Senator from Delaware giving a speech to an empty auditorium.

We enjoyed the tour but there are a few draw backs with this tour.

There are way too many people. 
We weren’t able to revisit areas to take pictures.
We couldn’t wonder around in each room to get a close up look at the statues or documents.

You can enjoy reading and seeing all about the architect of the building here. It is pretty amazing.

Our final stop was the U.S. Supreme Court Building. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and such number of Associate Justices as may be fixed by Congress. The number of Associate Justices is currently fixed at eight The Court stands as the final arbiter of the law.

The marble exterior was so white it caused us to squint as we walked up the many stairs.

Upon entering the grand corridor leading to the Courtroom are busts of former Chief Justices. The Court Chamber measures 82 by 35091 feet. The raised bench, behind which the Justices sit during sessions is mahogany. You could just imagine the twelve justices sitting there hearing an important case. Neat!

Beautiful ceiling.

Around the top of the room.

Well, that concluded another l-o-n-g day in the nation’s Capital. How many more can Paul endure??? Stay tuned to see if Marsha can walk him right into the ground.....whew!

Tanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon.

WHITE HOUSE AND TOURING D.C. BY NIGHT

Saturday, July 30 - Our White House tour is today at 9:00 a.m. Again, we took the subway to the Federal Triangle station. After a short walk we arrived at the White House gates. There was a brief mix-up, I believe due to our tour having to be re-scheduled, but after a short delay we were admitted through security.

Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.

The tour is a self-guided tour. Once you enter the White House you can leisurely walk through and enjoy the public area at your leisure. Of course, there are Secret Service officers in each room to watch over you and to answer questions. You are not permitted to carry anything with you, including purses, cameras, bags, lotions, etc... The only items permitted are wallets, ID's and cell phones. Phones must be turned off.

As you enter the White House, you can't help but notice the beautiful landscaped grounds and gardens. Off to the left is the new kitchen garden planted by Michelle Obama and Jackie Kennedy's rose garden.

Here is a map so you can follow along with our tour. Since we could not take any photos, all the photos of the rooms were taken off the Internet.

As you tour the historic home, you can't help but be amazed by the priceless pieces of art and Federal period furniture. We started out viewing the Vermeil Room used for a variety of official functions. Portraits of recent First Ladies are displayed here.

 

The next room, is the China Room where the china used by the Presidents is displayed in beautiful cabinets Each room is tastefully decorated in period furnishings and each has a huge chandelier hanging in the center of the room.

We then were directed upstairs to the East Room located on what is called the State Floor. It is the largest room in the White House. It is used for receptions, ceremonies, press conferences and other events. The bodies of seven Presidents have lain in state here, including Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy.

Next is the Green Room, which once served as Thomas Jefferson's dining room, is now furnished as a parlor and used for receptions. Most of the furniture was made in New York by Duncan Phyfe in 1810. The walls are covered with watered green silk with draperies of striped silk damask.

Our favorite room, the Blue Room, was next. It is gorgeous! Often used by the President to receive guests, it is furnished to represent the period of James Monroe, who purchased the furnishings in 1814. The White House Christmas tree is placed in this room during the Christmas season.

The Red Room, used for small receptions, has long been a favorite of the First Ladies......red is a “power” color for women, you know! The room is decorated as an American Empire parlor of the 1818-1830 era.

The last room seen on the State Floor, open to the public, is the State Dining Room. It can seat 140 guests at dinners and luncheons. Carved into the fireplace mantel is a quotation from a letter by John Adams. “I Pray Heaven to Bestow the Best of Blessings on THIS HOUSE and All that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under this Roof.” Hanging in this room is the famous portrait of George Washington. The only work of art to have remained in the White House since it's completion. It was removed briefly during the Civil War, when the White House was set on fire by Confederate troops.

The second and third floors are used only by the Presidential family and guests. Paul asked one of the Secret Service Agents if the First Family ever roam around in the evenings after all the tours are completed. “Yes,” he replied, “especially the first several weeks of their new administration. The children still run through with friends during sleepovers, but the President and Michelle pretty much hangout upstairs now.”

That concluded our tour as we strolled out the front portico and were permitted to take pictures – OUTSIDE - using our cell phones. This was a fabulous tour...a must see! Both Marsha and Paul consider it the highlight of their Washington visit! If you come to Washington, DC, be sure to contact your State Senator to arrange a tour!!!

Marsha said that they look like they are keeping bees….

Paul’s reply….”Now, do you really believe that is a bee stand?” “Duh, Marsha!”

Paul enjoyed watching the SS patrol the roof.

We Weren't done Yet!!! - Around 6:00 p.m. We headed back to the City to see the place lit up at night. Again we rode the subway, which was undergoing track repairs, and the trains were delayed by 30 minutes or more. We arrived downtown about 8:00 p.m. Our first stop, one of Marsha's favorites, the Korean War Memorial. We waited there for the sun to set and for the lights to start coming on. We enjoyed people watching for a while.....and boy was it crowded. People certainly have no fear of being out in DC after dark.

This Memorial does not have tons of light, but what lightning they do have make the faces of the men ghostly looking.

 

Next was the Lincoln Memorial.....AWESOME in the daylight and AWESOME at night. The crowd here was huge! The Lincoln statue is fabulous after dark. The crowds were sitting all over the stairs, enjoying the view of the city.

We then headed up The Mall toward the WWII Memorial and the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument seems to be the beacon of the city. Most every where you venture, you can see the Monument. Again, at night it's spectacular!

WW II Memorial in front.

From there, we back tracked a bit to the White House. Gee, we were just there about twelve hours ago...ha ha! It looked like everyone was home. Lit up on the second floor…inside and out.

Then the long walk up Pennsylvania Avenue all the way to the Capital Building. A much longer walk than we were prepared for....about 15 blocks. We hadn't seen the Capital close up yet. We'll be touring it on Monday. WOW!!! That is a beautiful and humungus building and again AWESOME at night.

Approximate walking distance is 10.07 miles from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol via the walk along the highway. Of course we had to walk 8 blocks from the Metro to the Lincoln Memorial, took a side trip to the White House and had to walk another 8 blocks to catch the Metro for home.

Now to find the subway. Marsha's been an outstanding tour guide taking Paul all over the Capital city. Darting here and there. If you know Marsha, you probably wonder why Paul turns over the Tour Guide title to her. When told to turn East...she gives you that, “Yeah, Right Look.” But we found the Subway with only a couple......”I'm not sure about this” statements and after walking in only a few circles and after only a couple “small” arguments and after another L-O-N-G walk. It was sure enjoyable to sit down and ride the subway home.....even if it was experiencing construction delays. We eventually arrived back home at 1:00 a.m. Now remember, be hit the road this morning at about 6:00 a.m., so it was a full day of sightseeing. We immediately hit the sack!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon.