First Stop: Washington DC

The White House

My family enjoyed a week in the Outer Banks of North Caroline in early July, to celebrate a special occasion, but we first flew into Washington DC to spend a weekend there seeing the sights. Washington DC is a very familiar city to us, as my son attended a university in DC for his undergraduate degree, and also lived there a couple of years afterward and was married in DC. On numerous trips from NYC to DC over those years, my husband and I began to feel as if DC was a second home. We enjoyed it's many cultural and historical venues and distinct neighborhoods. My son had many wonderful opportunities going to school in DC, as he interned for a Senator where he worked in the Senate building and had the opportunity to attend conferences at the Press Club and White House.  It was really a dream come true for him and gave him a wonderful background for the work he does today.  (All photos, including the photo collages, will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

The back of the White House

After being away for over ten years, since 9-11, I did notice quite a bit of added security all through our nation's capital, but much of it is still open to public access.  It really is a city that every American should visit and enjoy with pride. My only suggestion is not to visit in July when the weather is very hot and humid!  On our visit the weather was oppressive, and as we walked and took sightseeing buses, we also took many breaks to seek shade and water.

Our first president. George Washington chose the location and placed the cornerstone of the White House in 1791  President John Adams was the first president to live in the house in 1800.  After being partially destroyed in the War of 1812, it was reconstructed and has undergone major renovations and additions since, including President Teddy Roosevelt's move of the executive office from the second floor to what is now known as the West Wing of the house.

Did you know the White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and six levels? You can take an interesting virtual tour of the inside of the public areas of the White House, to see its rooms. furniture and artwork at this link.

 US Capital Building

The US Capital building has housed the meeting chambers of the United State Congress--the House of Representatives and the Senate--for two centuries. Construction on the building began in 1793, with President George Washington laying its cornerstone,  and has gone through many construction phases since.  It stands today as a monument to the legislative branch of our government and as a centerpiece of Capitol Hill and the National Mall.  There is a new Capitol Visitors Center located beneath the east front plaza where all visitors now must now enter.

The beautiful Capital building dome.

As part of the Capital Dome Restoration Project a five-layer, 14,700 square foot safety canopy was placed in the Capitol Building this past April and soon scaffolding will be seen on the outside while restoring the cast iron dome which should be completed over the next several years.

The Washinton Monument.

The Washington Monument is open to visitors again, after being closed for a few years after the earthquake of August 23, 2011. There is an elevator inside that brings visitors to the top.

The National Park Service web site had this interesting information about the monument:

"The Washington Monument, designed by Robert Mills and eventually completed by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, honors and memorializes George Washington at the center of the nation's capital. The structure was completed in two phases of construction, one private (1848-1854) and one public (1876-1884). Built in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk, evoking the timelessness of ancient civilizations, the Washington Monument embodies the awe, respect, and gratitude the nation felt for its most essential Founding Father. When completed, the Washington Monument was the tallest building in the world at 555 feet, 5-1/8 inches."
If you look closely at the monument you can see lines of demarcation where the work on the Washington Monument stopped and then resumed, and then a different quarry was used to complete the top.

 The Lincoln Memorial

The beautiful Lincoln Memorial--dedicated to the United State's 16 President, is always a stirring sight to see! My father was a veteran of World War II and Korea, so we made a point to pay homage to both sites at that time.

"On May 30, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated, during an event witnessed by approximately 50,000 people. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Howard Taft led the ceremony with President Warren G. Harding and Dr. Robert Morton of the Tuskegee Institute." Designed by the architect Henry Bacon, the monument is designed after the Greek Parthenon, to symbolize the birthplace of Democracy. Read more about this monument to our President during the Civil War on the Monuments NPS web site at this link.

 World War II Memorial

We viewed the World War II Memorial from a sightseeing bus on this trip, but we were able to see it up close in its dedication year in 2004

Information from the NPS website:

"The World War II Memorial honors the service of sixteen million members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, the support of countless millions on the home front, and the ultimate sacrifice of 405,399 Americans. On May 29, 2004, a four day "grand reunion' of veterans on the National Mall culminated in the dedication of this tribute to the legacy of 'The Greatest Generation.'"

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

My brother-in-law and brother served during the Vietnam War, and my husband lost a cousin in the war, so a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is always on our agenda when we visit Washington DC. It is also a very emotional place to visit and see the sacrifice of so many. You can see my husband looking up his cousin's name in the record book on site so that we could find his name's place among the over 58,000 servicemen and women who gave their lives in this war. My husband's cousin was only 20 years old when he was killed on a helicopter that was hit by enemy fire in 1966. May he and all who served so bravely, never be forgotten!

If you'd like to search for a name on the wall, and see more information about the soldier and leave a comment to visit the "Wall of Faces" web site and do a search.

We enjoyed seeing the iconic sights of Washington DC on our quick weekend trip, so much so that I know we will return in the future for a longer visit to visit the new additions to the Smithsonian museums and new monuments.

Another reason for visiting Washington DC was to visit my husband's nephew and his wife who live nearby in Maryland.  He is a chef in a DC foreign embassy, and we were fortunate to take a tour of the professional kitchen in the ambassador's home on our visit. I thought you'd enjoy seeing our nephew's cookbook shelf, for what he uses when he needs inspiration for a new recipe. It may be that the ambassador's wife placed a few of her favorite cookbooks on to his shelf!

We had a wonderful barbecue at our nephew's house on the Fourth of July and saw the firework show that evening!

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