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!

Nest stop and blog post:

Five Years of Joy!

It is five years ago today that my son and daughter-in-law were married in Washington DC!

It was such a beautiful and happy day, followed by so many others......

Happy Fifth Wedding Anniversary V&V!

We love you!

Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington D.C.

My husband and I were scheduled to attend The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D. C. this weekend, but unfortunately we had to stay home to attend a wake for a niece's father-in-law. A friend's daughter lives in DC, however, and was kind enough to share the photos she took of the festival with me, and I thought you might also enjoy seeing them.

"The National Cherry Blossom Festival annually commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, honoring the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and celebrating the continued close relationship between our two cultures.

A view of the Washington Monument through the cherry trees.

In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. In 1915, the United States Government reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. A group of American school children reenacted the initial planting in 1927 and the first "festival” was held in 1935, sponsored by civic groups in the Nation’s Capital.

First Lady Lady Bird Johnson accepted 3,800 more trees in 1965. In 1981, the cycle of giving came full circle. Japanese horticulturists were given cuttings from our trees to replace some cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood.

The Festival was expanded to two weeks in 1994 to accommodate a diverse activity schedule during the trees’ blooming. Today, more than a million people visit Washington, DC each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees and attend events that herald the beginning of spring in the Nation’s Capital.

The Festival looks forward to celebrating the centennial anniversary of the gift of trees in 2012 and is planning spectacular events to mark this historic and special occasion."

source

Everyone in DC looks forward to the first cherry blossoms heralding the arrival of Spring in the city. Many people head down to the Tidal Basin on their lunch break to escape the office and enjoy the view. Although my son attended his undergraduate college years in Washington DC we were never able to coordinate a visit during the festival period, as each year peek time changes due to weather conditions.

This year the festival was scheduled from March 28 to April 12, and the peak bloom date forecast was April 1.

As you can see the trees were very much in bloom this past weekend. In the photo above you can see how the trees rim the entire Tidal Basin.

The Cherry Blossom Festival begins with an opening ceremony and a Smithsonian Kite Festival. There is sushi tasting, Japanese street festivals, a 10-mile run, fireworks, and daily cultural performances at the Tidal Basin stage.

There are also blossoms elsewhere in the city, such as at the National Arboretum. It has 2,000 cherry tree species, most of which were created by arboretum researchers which aren't found at the Tidal Basin. The arboretum offers a self-guided tour of the blossoms, which may be done on foot or by car.

Some views of the Jefferson Memorial amongst the cherry trees.

Inside the Jefferson memorial looking up.

The Smithsonian Museum Castle building.

Washington DC is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year, but it's especially beautiful during cherry blossom time!

Thank you Lauren for sharing all your wonderful photos with us!

Edited to add:

I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the terrible earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy. We were relieved to know that no one in my husband's family live in that area, but we feel so sad for those that lost loved ones and their homes. Ciao Chow Linda did a post about the town of L'Aquila, one nearest the epicenter that was severely damaged, as she visited that town last fall. She gives links to reputable organizations where you can donate money if you wish to help. Please click on her name to go to that blog post. Thank you!