Friday, February 10, 2017

January 25, 2017, Washington DC

January 25, 2017, Washington DC

Coming out of Union Station
The Silver Meteor pulls into Washington DC at 6:30 AM, nearly thirty minutes early.  It’s dark outside, so I stop and eat breakfast in Union Station before heading out to explore the city.  The place is still decorated for Trump’s inauguration which was five days earlier.  There are huge flags hanging from the front of Union Station.  The capitol’s dome, in early morning light, can be seen from the great hall. 


Capitol in Early Morning Light
I leave the station at 7:15 A.M.  I have nearly the whole day, but unfortunately the museums won’t open until 10 AM.  I don’t have to be back at Union Station till 3:30 PM to catch my next train.  I zip up my jacket as it is cool, yet unseasonably warm for January in Washington, and head to the capitol which is bathe in the rays of sun as it rises over the horizon.  I walk around the north side of the capitol and kick myself for not bringing a better camera (I have my iPhone).  I click photo after photo as I walk around the capitol.  On the south side, the stage and platforms for the inauguration are still up.   I head down toward the Washington Monument.  The grassy area in the middle of the mall had been covered with two inch thick plastic flooring to protect it from the crowds who’d gathered at the inauguration.  Along the side of the mall, media companies are breaking down their equipment.  When I reach the monument, I take a break, looking out toward the White House.  It’s only a little after 8, yet the city is busy with helicopters coming and going and flights from Reagan National taking over every few minutes. 
Plastic Flooring used to protect the Mall's grass
There is a large orange construction crane a block or so behind the White House, the kind that is a couple hundred feet tall and a boom sticking out that’s almost as long as the structure is tall.  My sarcastic side takes over and I think to myself that maybe they are installing an orange canopy over the White House to mimic Trump’s hair.  As I continue walking toward the Lincoln Memorial, I notice a couple of very serious photographers set up at the base of the Washington Monument, their cameras mounted on tripods with massive lens pointed toward the White House.  I think that maybe they’re trying to catch Trump as he comes and goes in a helicopter. 
A small section of the WW2 Memorial

I first come to the World War II memorial, which is so massive (I had always through the monument of the Marines raising the flag was the memorial for this war, but now there is a massive memorial in the middle of the mall, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial).  I walk through it, with pillars for each state.  It is so big that it is impossible to catch with one photo and the sun’s angle makes it hard to capture the “Pacific Theater” side of the monument.  

Bronze Soldiers looking at Wall
"Pieta" in bad light
Next is the Vietnam War Memorial, which I’ve seen a few times (including at night and I recommend seeing it then).  While I have seen this one before, I have not seen the memorial to the women members of the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam.  I am moved by this small memorial.  There are three women, one is a nurse who his holding a wounded soldier in a fashion that reminds me of the Pieta (Michelangelo’s statue of Mary holding Jesus after he was removed from the cross).  Unfortunately, the sun is behind this section of the memorial and without a strobe, I am unable to capture a decent photo of it.  After a few minutes, I head on toward the Lincoln Memorial.
Lincoln Memorial

Korean War Memorial
After walking around the Lincoln Memorial, I head for the Korean War Memorial.  This is another new monument that I’ve not seen and it is incredible.  If you are in the Washington, check it out.  The memorial is haunting as there are bronze soldiers on patrol that are reflected by a wall behind them.  I’m impressed.  After spending some time at the memorial, I head back up toward the Washington Monument.  The museums are now open!  

Greenpeace's "Resist" Banner

As I walk, I notice the photographers have packed up their cameras and as I get closer I see what they were aiming to shoot.  On the crane I’d noticed before, that’s just behind the White House, flies a huge banner reading “RESIST!”  I take photos and, upon posting one on Facebook, learn from a friend that six members of Greenpeace took over the crane and unfurled the banner.  I stop and have a snack and remove my jacket and store it in my bag.  It’s really warm for January!  While I watch the banner wave, I wonder how long it will fly and if Trump has been tweeting about it.  I now have to decide which museum I want to visit.  I would really like to see the Holocaust and the African American Museums, as I’ve not been to either, but they are way too far from the train station (and I’m going to also have to eat lunch).  I decide to go to the American History Museum (which I was last in when I was probably 15) and save the others for a longer trip in DC.  So I walk back toward the capitol and stop in the museum. 
Leaving DC



The National History Museum is enjoyable as I really like GM’s exhibit of American transportation (especially the part about maritime history).  After a few hours, I have lunch in their cafeteria and then head back to the train station.  I arrive at 3 PM, allowing me enough time to duck into the Postal Museum that is adjacent to Union Station (which has an incredible stamp collection along with some interesting exhibits of the RPO (Railway Post Office) and the Pony Express.  At 3:45 PM, I’m at the station.  When the call for my train comes, I show my ticket to the conductor and he directs me to the car with my sleeper compartment.  After dinner in the diner and a toast of Dewar’s in honor of Robert Burns (today is the birthday of the Scottish poet) I fall asleep as the train rocks it way through the Allegheny Mountains.  In in the morning, I’ll be in South Bend, Indiana.  

27 comments:

  1. I spent three days in DC when I was around 15 or 16 and saw lots of things that I really didn't appreciate at the time. I really would like to go back now that I would appreciate them more and revisit them along with some of the new ones you mentioned above.

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  2. Great pictures. I've been to D.C. but that was years ago. There are so many new things I'd love to see. Take care.

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  3. My favorite city in America! I've been fortunate to spend three separate trips there and enjoyed every minute. I'd love to go back to see the Native American museum, hopefully this decade.

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    1. I came through Cleveland on this trip, too, but it was early in the morning and I didn't wake up!

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  4. I think you got some great shots with your phone!

    It's been over 40 years since I visited DC. I really need to go back again, but I think our next trip will be to the WWII Museum in NOLA.

    I'll admit I'm partial to the Arkansas state capitol building. It's a replica of the one in DC, but with a gold dome. :)

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    1. I am curious now about the WW2 museum in New Orleans

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  5. This was a great read, I was there with you ... thank you for that.

    The photo of the memorial to the women members of the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam was very special, and I am pleased you included this.

    I always like to see that view of the Lincoln Memorial.

    Great post

    All the best Jan

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  6. I went to D.C. in the early '80's. So much has changed since then. Nice photos. I enjoyed seeing them.

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  7. Never went to USA (And now is difficult ha!) But my mom was in Washington DC and she told me is really pretty. Lovely pictures Sage.

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    1. Most of us would welcome you here, Gloria. I hope you can visit us one day (as well as me being able to make it to Chili one day)

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  8. Thanxs for takin me 2 D.C. through this post, friend Sage, as I suspect me won't go dere any time soon ... Love, cat.

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    1. instead me going 2 see Bali ... will put up pics or not ... depending on how I like ... http://ckpeacemaker.wordpress.com/ ... be well on Ur wanderings, hmmm? Love, cat.

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  9. I love it. Of course the mainstream media isn't highlighting things like the RESIST banner, so I appreciate that you did.
    DC is a fun and very interesting place. I'm glad you got a dose of it.

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  10. I'd like to visit a few of these places, particularly the Korean War memorial.

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  11. I've never been there but there's so much to see. Thanks for all the pictures.

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  12. "There is a large orange construction crane a block or so behind the White House"

    Better I do not tell you the first image that came into my head when I read that sentence. :-) Bearing in mind who is occupying the White House at the moment.

    Loved your post. Thanks for the tour.

    Greetings from London.

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  13. Great photos, and a great time of day for taking them with the long, early morning shadows. Looks like you beat the crowds, too.

    If you have time on a future visit, I recommend the new MLK and FDR memorials. MLK is on the way to FDR so one can easily take in both.

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    1. I'll have to go back again... The last time I was in the city, it was just for 2 days with my daughter, in 2011--we got to see part of the Smithsonian and spend most of a day in the Capitol

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  14. That's cool that you were there at the time of the inauguration. Those are some good pictures.

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    1. I wasn't there for the inauguration, but on the Wednesday after it (5 days later). It was still cool to see what kind of prep went into the inauguration work.

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  15. It would be neat to see those tourist attractions.

    This is an interesting look into DC at this time. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. What a nice day and I felt as if I was walking with you.

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  17. so cool!! I was in DC so many years ago and don't remember it at all...I want to go back one day. it looks so nice!

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  18. What a wonderful group of photos, all amazing places, something every single one of us as Americans should take in at least once in our life time. I like the hair comment, I'm not a Trump fan at all. But I
    m usually using my cell phone for photos and your photos are wonderful to see. A most Happy of Valentine's Day to you too.

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  19. Loved this post Jeff! Before I was even done with the first paragraph, I was right there with you. This post (and it's style) totally reminds me of the narratives from your train trips in Vietnam, and other areas. They were all great posts.

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  20. I loved this post. Thanks for sharing. I'm hoping to make it there one day.

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  21. great photos and it sounds like an interesting trip. Nice to see all the war memorials. The most moving war memorial I've ever seen is the 2nd World War memorial / peace sculpture in Vienna.

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