LAST DAY IN DOWNTOWN D.C.

Tuesday, August 3 – I think – today will be our last day downtown DC....our weekly sub-way ticket expires. We exited the subway at the Smithsonian Station and walked the long trip to the Jefferson Memorial. It is way out of the main pathway of most other attractions. To make matters worse, they are doing some construction and require you to walk three quarters of the way around the Memorial to enter......enough already, Jeesh! It is nice but not overly impressive. A huge statue of Jefferson inside a large marble dome. Nothing seems to make it unique or memorable.

We then headed over to the United State Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. "Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" and that the Jews, deemed "inferior," were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community.

When we first entered the tour, we were each given an Identification Card. This card tells the story of a real person who lived during the Holocaust. The card gives the name and lots of information about the person. Then it tells what was happening the person’s life between 1933-39 and 1940-44.

Marsha was Feige Schwarzfink from Szydlowiec, Poland. In 1941, her sister and she were taken to the labor camp at Skarszysko. She worked 12 hour days and received one slice of bread, a bowl of soup, and some ersatz coffee. They used the coffee to wash their hair which was always dirty and lice-infested. She was sent to three labor camps before being liberated on April 30, 1945. She emigrated to the United States in 1949. If she is still living, she would be 85.

Paul was Leif Donde from Copenhagen, Denmark. His family was smuggled into Sweden on a fishing boat in 1943. After Germany surrendered, he and his family returned to Denmark. If Leif is still living, he would be 77.

There are no photography allowed in the Museum. You begin by riding an elevator to the forth floor and then slowly walk through the exhibits to the ground floor. It is a very well done and extensive remembrance of the Nazi extermination of the Jews during WWII. Kind of sad and depressing. There are thousands of photographs, actual examples of items from the concentration camps, videos, power point presentations, and descriptions of this awful event. Much of this we had seen before but we spent over two hours walking at our own pace through the museum. A person could spend a full day in this museum.

The exhibition is divided into three parts: “Nazi Assault,” “Final Solution,” and “Last Chapter.”

**The photos are from the Museum website.

Thousands of shoes were found at the concentration camps.

We walked through a railcar that took thousands of Jews to their death. Photo mural of a selection at Auschwitz-Birkenau was displayed on the other side. It was dark and very moving experience.

Display of concentration camp prisoner uniforms.

Torah scrolls desecrated during the Kristallnacht pogrom.

Paul finally received a text from Marsha that she was through, and we met in the lobby to head to the next museum.

Next on our list was the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

When you enter you are greeted by a 12 ton elephant. This was a real live elephant at one time.

The museum was opened in 1910. Whether looking at the history and cultures of Africa, describing our earliest Mammalian ancestor or primate diversity around the world, examining ancient life forms including the ever popular dinosaurs, or exploring the beauty of rare gemstones such as uniquely colored diamonds, this Museum as it!

This extensive exhibit was of all types of animals. Reminded Paul of a huge Cabella Store with all the stuffed animals. Paul thought the skeleton display was most interesting. They had skeletons of almost any animal you could think of, from giraffes, turtles, birds, fish, buffalo, cows, dogs and even cats (sorry Bella).

Mammal Hall – These animals look like they are alive.

Normally in a museum the sign says DO NOT TOUCH. This one is so hands-on, look what it says…

Ocean Hall

Dinosaurs Hall…This was Marsha’s favorite.

Fossil Hall…Marsha found this fossil for all you back in Ohio.

Geology, Gems, and Mineral Hall…These were GOREGOUS!

Topaz

 

This is a necklace from Napoleon that contains 172 diamonds. The picture doesn’t do it justice.

 

We did see the Hope Diamond but just couldn’t get a good enough picture.

Special Exhibit…This is a mummy bull. Very strange.

When we first walked into the Human Origins hall this was the current world population.

In the time it took Marsha to snap the picture above (a few seconds), this was what the population changed to.

Amazing how fast the world is growing.

By this time Paul was running out of energy so he did a little people watching on a bench in the main rotunda while Marsha finished looking through the museum. Paul said he was one of the few men sitting on the benches that wasn't dozing off!!!

We finished our day in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The Garden includes seventeen works from as well as loans for special exhibitions. This was nice but not nearly as wonderful as the sculpture garden in City Park, New Orleans. Paul felt he could have done most of these sculptures....ha ha!

Here are just a few examples. Look at the picture, try to guess the name and then check below the picture to see if you are correct. We will start out easy and go to the more difficult.

That’s right…Eraser

Very good…House

You are almost right…Thinker on a Rock

You men probably got this one…One-inch Weathering Steel

Now look real closely at the last one.

Correct…Girls. What you don’t see it? Well,the artist, a woman, regards this sculpture as her personal response to totalitarianism. We think someone needs to get a life…LOL

We returned home to relax for the evening. Arriving home about 4:30 p.m., Marsha remarked that it was the earliest we returned home all week. Can you say, “Exhausted!”

What Paul thinks is his last trip on the Metro.

Thanks again for stopping by. We look forward to seeing you back real soon.

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.