Wanderlust Traveler: Washington DC (Sightseeing)

We spent seven days visiting Washington DC during the first week of September 2012. This blog entry will document all of the sights we saw within the city during our week-long stay. I also have an additional blog entry that highlights the different day-trips we took outside of the city here.

This entry will cover the following sights in detail below:

Washington Monument
World War II Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
United States Capitol
White House
Georgetown
Ford's Theater
National Museum of American History
Library of Congress
Newseum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
U.S. Botanical Garden
National Air and Space Museum
National Archives
DAR Museum
National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Washington Monument:
This obelisk, located on the National Mall, was built to honor President George Washington. It is the tallest obelisk in the world standing at over 555 feet. Construction of the monument began in 1848 but due to delays of multiple factors, including the Civil War, was not completed until 1884. Unfortunately we were unable to climb or access the monument as it has been closed for repairs since Virginia earthquake in 2011. However, thankfully for us, we were able to view the monument from dozens of different vantage points along or near the National Mall, providing me plenty of photographic opportunities.

Washington Monument

National WWII Memorial:
Located between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, this memorial was built in dedication to the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II. The memorial features 56 pillars (for each state and territory) and a pair of 43-foot arches that surround a large plaza and beautiful fountain. There has been much controversy over this memorial, with some critics stating that the placement of the memorial was a poor choice, as it broke up what was once an unbroken view between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. Although I can understand and appreciate this criticism, I found that the fountain and plaza of this memorial adds to the overall appeal of the mall from a distance, especially as viewed from the Lincoln Memorial. There has also been significant criticism made against the design of the memorial, comparing it to style that was favored by Hilter and Mussolini. However, supporters have reminded these critics that the architecture style used in the memorial was very popular in the United States during the New Deal period, just a decade before the country's involvement with the war. Personally, I found the memorial to be quite beautiful, and a moving tribute to all those that served in the war.

World War II Memorial

The view of the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial from the World War II Memorial.

World War II Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial:
This memorial, also located on the National Mall, was built to honor those who fought and served in the Vietnam War. The 494 foot long wall has a total of 58,272 names inscribed on it who were either killed in action or who were missing in action. 58,272 people is obviously a huge number, but when we saw all of the names with our own eyes inscribed on the wall it was quite unnerving and almost difficult to comprehend. We saw dozens of family members using a piece of paper and pencil to trace over their family member's name, which was both moving and sad at the same time. Out of all of the memorials on the National Mall, this one was definitely the most inspiring.

In addition to the wall, there is also an adjacent sculpture of three soldiers called the Three Servicemen. On the other side of the wall is the Vietnam Women's Memorial, which, unfortunately, we missed out on.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Lincoln Memorial:
This well-known memorial was built in honor of President Abraham Lincoln from 1914 to 1922. The 36 columns on the exterior of the memorial represent the number of states at the time of Lincoln's death. Within the interior of the building is the impressive seated Lincoln statue, which stands 19 feet tall. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying the views of the mall from the steps of the memorial.

Lincoln Memorial

View from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Lincoln Memorial

View from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Korean War Veterans Memorial:
This memorial, which stands along the National Mall, was built to commemorate the men and women who served in the Korean War and was dedicated in 1995. The memorial features 19 soldiers crossing a field as well as a 164-foot-long granite wall etched with a mural of photos showing images of soldiers, equipment, and people involved with the war.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial:
Located in West Potomac Park, just southwest of the National Mall, this memorial was recently completed in 2011 in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The memorial has a beautiful view overlooking the Tidal Basin and features a 450-foot-long inscription wall with 14 quotes from his speeches, writings, and sermons. The most impressive part of the memorial however is the 30-foot-high relief of Martin Luther King, Jr. called the "Stone of Hope" which visitors reach after first passing through the "Mountain of Despair." Although the memorial is slightly off the beaten track, I highly recommend it to everyone, especially those that are making their way down the Tidal Basin to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial:
Also located in West Potomac Park along the Tidal Basin, this memorial was built to honor President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1997. The memorial is spread out over 7.5 acres and features four open-air interconnected alcoves: one for each of his four terms in office. I enjoyed reading all of the famous quotes by Franklin that were sprinkled throughout the memorial but felt that the overall size of the memorial was a bit too large and overdone, especially when compared to some of the other memorials. Additionally, it's quite a walking distance from the National Mall and not immediately close to public transportation, making it difficult for people to reach which is a shame.

View from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Thomas Jefferson Memorial:
Located within West Potomac Park on the south side of the Tidal Basin, this neo-classical monument was completed in 1943 in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. Located inside the colonnaded building is a 19-foot-tall bronze statue of Jefferson along with some of his famous quotes as well as excerpts from the Declaration of Independence on the wall. We enjoyed spending time sitting out on the steps of the memorial and looking down below us at the Tidal Basin. Be aware that the Jefferson Memorial is a very long walk from all of the other monuments along the National Mall. Although we knew it would involve a lot of walking, we were not prepared for the distance.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

United States Capitol:
Home to the United States Congress, this monumental building is located at the eastern end of the National Mall and was completed in two different states: 1800 (Senate wing) and 1811 (House wing). Unfortunately, soon afterwards in 1814 parts of the Capitol were burned down by the British during the War of 1812. The restoration finished a few years later in 1819, but additions to the Capitol continued until 1826 when the famous center rotunda was completed. Later during the 1850's, two new wings were added for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Eventually the cast-iron dome was added in 1863. In recent years a brand new visitors center has been added that is located directly underneath the Capitol. You'll want to make sure to reserve your guided tour of the Capitol building ahead of time, which can be easily completed on their website. The brief but interesting 30-minute tour includes a short introductory film, and a visit to the Rotunda, Crypt of the Capitol, Old Supreme Court Chamber, and the National Statuary Hall. There are additional more specialized tours that visitors can sign up for through their Representatives or Senators, or directly at the visitor center.

United States Capitol

Inside the Rotunda at the United States Capitol.

National Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol.

Old Supreme Court Chamber at the US Capitol Building.

Inside the Crypt of the Capitol inside the US Capitol.

United States Capitol

White House:
Home to the official residence and workplace of the United States President, this iconic building was completed in 1800 with many more additions and renovations occurring over the last 200-plus years. The building is open to the public for self-guided tours and reservations, which must be made in advance (several months is recommended) with your local Member of Congress. The self-guided tour allows you to visit a few of the rooms on the ground floor (Library Room, Vermeil Room, and China Room) as well as all of the public rooms on the state floor. Unfortunately no photography was allowed within the interior of the building. We both enjoyed touring the White House, and would recommend it to all visitors even though there weren't as many rooms to tour than as we originally anticipated there would be.

The White House

Georgetown:
This lovely and historic neighborhood is located in northwest Washington DC and has some of the cities oldest surviving buildings. The neighborhood was made famous in the 1960's when John and Jackie Kennedy called it home. Georgetown was originally founded in 1751 and remained its own town until 1871 when it was annexed by Washington DC. The neighborhood is filled with many different shops and restaurants along its brick-lined streets, making it a perfect place to simply wander and stroll. Shyawn and I spent about three hours touring Georgetown and made several stops, including the Old Stone House (one of the oldest structures in the city), the C & O Canal, the Washington Harbour, the Exorcist Steps (stairs used in the Exorcist movie), and Cox's Row, where John and Jackie once resided. As mentioned in my lodging blog on Washington DC, the next time we come to visit we'll definitely be staying in this beautiful neighborhood.

Georgetown

The Old Stone House in Georgetown.

A beautiful tree outside of the Old Stone House in Georgetown.

Georgetown

The Old Stone House (on the far right) in Georgetown.

Georgetown

The C & O Canal in Georgetown.

Georgetown

Washington Harbour in Georgetown

Georgetown

The famous Exorcist Steps in Georgetown.

Georgetown

Cox's row in Georgetown.

Georgetown

Ford's Theatre/Petersen House:
President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 as he sat in the Presidential Box. In addition to touring the theater and small museum beneath the theater that covers the history of the Lincoln presidency, visitors can also walk directly across the street to tour the Petersen House, where Lincoln was brought immediately after the shooting and later died. We both found the small museum at the theater to be quite interesting as it contains a number of historic artifacts from the assassination, including the gun that killed Lincoln.

Ford's Theatre

Ford's Theatre Museum

Ford's Theatre

The Presidential Box at Ford's Theatre.

Ford's Theatre

The Presidential Box at Ford's Theatre.

Us at Ford's Theatre.

The Petersen House, where Lincoln died.

The bedroom at Petersen House, which Lincoln died in.

Museum at the Petersen House.

National Museum of American History:
Out of the many places we had planned to visit during our week-long stay in Washington DC, this museum was one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing. This museum contains some of the United States most beloved artifacts relating to the history of the country, including the Star-Spangled Banner, Dorothy's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz, and one of Abraham Lincoln's top hats. Highlights of the museum for me included The First Ladies exhibit (featuring more than two dozen gowns worn by former first ladies), The Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit, and the Within These Walls exhibit, which features a partially reconstructed two-and-a-half story Georgian-style house that was built in the 1760's. We only had a few hours to spend here, but I wish we would have devoted the better part of a day. We got to see nearly everything, but we had to rush our way through many of the exhibits which was frustrating. I can't wait to go back and visit again as shortly after our visit a new exhibit called FOOD: Transforming the American Table opened up.

National Museum of American History

One of the original Dumbo the Flying Elephant cars from Disneyland at the National Museum of American History.

The Doll's House at the National Museum of American History.

One of the gowns on display at the First Ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

First Ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Shyawn having a good time at The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

The Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit at the National Museum of America History.

Greensboro Lunch Counter at the National Museum of American History.

Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers at the National Museum of American History.

One of the earliest Mac computers at the National Museum of American History.

Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty temporary exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Outside the Star-Spangled Banner exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Within These Walls exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

America on the Move exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Julia Child's Kitchen at the National Museum of American History.

America on the Move exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Library of Congress:
The largest library in the world was established for Congress in 1800 and was originally housed in the U.S. Capitol. Unfortunately, the same fire that destroyed part of the U.S. Capitol in 1814 also destroyed most of the books within the library's collection. As a result, Thomas Jefferson decided to sell his entire personal collection of 6,487 volumes to Congress so that they could start over. Unfortunately, a few decades later in 1851 yet another disastrous fire occurred, ruining nearly 2/3 of the books in the collection. The Library of Congress eventually moved into the beautiful building it now occupies today in 1897. Within the Thomas Jefferson Building, the Great Hall features colorful and detailed mosaics and overhead paintings while the Main Reading Room features an incredible dome (no photos allowed). There is a guided tour that occurs nearly every hour for free. However, our visit occurred during the one hour that there was no tour (lunch time) so we opted to tour the building ourselves, which worked out fine.

The Library of Congress

The Great Hall at the Library of Congress.

Newseum:
Located in the Penn Quarter, this highly interactive journalism and news museum is one of Washington DC's most visited museums even with its steep admission fee. The interior of the museum features a 90-foot high atrium, seven different floors of displays, and 15 theaters. Some of our favorite exhibits from the museum included the Berlin Wall Gallery (displays several sections of the Berlin Wall), the 9/11 Gallery, and the News History Gallery. We only had three hours to spend here and unfortunately that was no where near the amount of time we needed. Like the National Museum of American History, a full day would have been much more appropriate. We ended up missing the last two floors of the museum and didn't have enough time to fully absorb some of the other galleries we were able to see.

Newseum

Berlin Wall Gallery at the Newseum.

G-Men and Journalists gallery at the Newseum.

Inside the Unibomber's cabin at the G-Men and Journalists gallery at the Newseum.

G-Men and Journalists gallery at the Newseum.

The Greenspun Family Terrace at the Newseum.

Today's Front Pages Gallery at the Newseum.

Every Four Years temporary gallery at the Newseum.

Newseum

News History Gallery at the Newseum.

The Pulliam Family Great Books Gallery at the Newseum.

Newseum

First Amendment Gallery at the Newseum.

The 9/11 Gallery at the Newseum.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
This museum, built as a memorial to the millions of victims murdered during the Holocaust, is one of the Washington DC's most popular museums to visit. Unfortunately during our late afternoon visit the museum was insanely crowded, to the point where we were literally packed in like sardines and unable to even catch a glimpse at some of the displays. As a result, our visit was not as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be.

After entering the museum, we were provided with an identity card of an actual person who experienced the Holocaust. The identity card instructed us to read one page at a time, as we made our way through each of the floors/exhibits and different time periods of the Holocaust. At the end of each visit visitors learn by reading their identity card if the person actually lived through the Holocaust or not; fortunately, both of ours did.

Having been to Auschwitz several years prior, I was very impressed with the museum's exhibits, especially the section on the concentration camps which featured reconstructed barracks from Auschwitz. Although nothing compares to the realities of actually visiting a concentration camp, this museum is the next best thing for individuals to gain an insight and perspective on what things were really like for the victims of the Holocaust.

Photography was not allowed within any of the exhibitions so I have very few photos to show.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Picking up our identification cards at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Botanical Garden:
For those looking for a reprieve from a heavy day of museum visits, the United States Botanical Garden makes a perfect stop to add into your itinerary. Congress created this garden in 1820 with the goal to collect, grow, and distribute important plants. In addition to the outdoor gardens, there is also a 38,000 square foot greenhouse conservatory which features multiple different garden environments including jungle, Hawaii, and world deserts. I had a photographer's heyday while at the garden, taking literally over 100 photographs.

United States Botanical Garden

National Air and Space Museum:
This very famous and popular museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and has the largest collection of historic spacecraft and aircraft in the world. Some of the more notable artifacts on display include the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Mercury capsule Friendship 7, moon rocks brought back from the Apollo 11 mission, and the Apollo Lunar Module. This was hands down Shyawn's favorite museum of the trip while it was admittedly my least favorite as the subject matter was not high on my list of interests. However, I know that my viewpoint is of the minority as the National Air and Space Museum is Washington DC's most visited museum.

National Air and Space Museum

The Apollo Lunar Module at the National Air and Space Museum.

National Archives:
This building is home to three of the most important documents in U.S. history; the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, all of which are on display for the public to see. Understandably so, no photos are allowed inside the rotunda where the famous documents lie.

National Archives Building

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum:
This small and under-visited museum contains 31 period rooms ranging from a 17th century New Jersey English council chamber to a 1775 bedchamber in Massachusetts to a California adobe parlor from 1850. Each room is sponsored by a different state organization of the NSDAR. In order to make these period rooms come alive and to fully appreciate them, visitors should take advantage of one of the docent-led tours which are available to walk-in visitors. I learned about the museum from my sister who knowing how much I loved history informed me I must go! Shyawn, as my sister predicted, strongly disliked the museum. Fortunately for him the docent-led tour only took about 30 minutes.

DAR Museum

National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum:
These two art museums are housed together side-by-side inside the beautifully restored 1836 Patent Building. Collectively the two institutions are called the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture.

The National Portrait Gallery collection consists of more than 20,000 objects in a wide range of media including photography, oil on canvas, drawing, and marble. Our favorite exhibition was the America's Presidents collection, which is the country's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside of the White House.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum was the nation's first collection of art and is one of the world's largest collections of American art, spanning more than three centuries. We specifically came to the museum to view one of its special exhibitions called The Art of Video Games, as Shyawn had seen an article written up about the exhibition months before our visit. Much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed the exhibit much more than I thought I would.

National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum

National Portrait Gallery

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden:
Located along the National Mall in a 6.1 acre block, this garden is part of the National Gallery of Art and opened to the public in 1999. The garden features several different pieces from the museum's contemporary collection. We happened to walk through the garden on a rainy afternoon while making our way from the Newseum to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this garden again, but if you happen to be in the area you might as well spend at least a few minutes walking around and enjoying some of the artwork.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

1 comment:

AnonymousDecember 28, 2012 at 6:45 PM
You certainly saw a slew of sights! And as a librarian I am highly jealous of your visit to the Library of Congress. I'm considering a trip there in the winter provided no mega East Coast storms get in the way. Your Georgetown photos are my favorites, that's a DC neighborhood I've actually never been to but it definitely looks charming and I love the history that appears to ooze out.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Washington DC (Sightseeing)

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Washington DC (Sightseeing)

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