Fourth of July Excursions, Final Notes

I boarded the train back the Richmond, spent the night and drove home the next morning. Nothing exceptional about the trip home. But looking back, this trip was good. There were many places that I could visit on a future trip. The heat was exhausting, however, but I found ways around it. July 5 was not a real good day to visit Washington since they had not got back to normal after the 4th fireworks. It might have been better to visit the museums and sites of interest, not on the National Mall. The trip home was normal. I thought about this past trip and begin thinking  about the next. I have many prospectus of trips, including a replay of the Boston Trip.

SOUVENIRS  AGAIN

Back a few years ago, I had talked about souvenirs of vacations and daytrips. Any number of perimeters can be used in selecting souvenirs. One is just random, something that catches the fancy. Another form of souvenir is one that is representative of the location, something out of seashells, from the beach trip, mountain craft item  while in the mountains, etc. The best way is to buy a type of item. It might be snow globes, figurines, or the like. When I was 10 or 11, I collected postcards as souvenirs. I chose two from each destination plus one of the motels we stayed in. They were very available, even in drug stores and malls and in lobbies of motels or even in the rooms. When I was in past high school, I lost interest and my brother took it over. I had added cards from friends and family, as well. A few years ago, I found the collection in my parents basement. I took them and organized them, scanned them into the computer. My hope is to get a digital frame and display them in a slide show.

After High School, I was not much of a souvenir collector. I worked in the tourist industry and lost interest, for a while. I next started collecting patches. However, patches are not found everywhere. I now collect mugs and patches. Patches are for parks and memorials and mugs for everywhere else. I will not collect duplicate destinations or from places that I just pass though.

Souvenirs may not be easy to buy on a trip, because you do not stop by a gift shop. I have been known to mail order souvenirs after getting home. I could have them shipped, to make my luggage lighter or to remove the responsibility for breakage. On a tour to the Holy Lands, there was a couple that packed a collapsible suitcase to fill up with souvenirs, until it was needed it was packed in a suitcase.

Washington, DC, the Memorials, Part 5, And Beyond

Finally, there are a number of lesser monuments, statues, and memorials. Leaving the Lincoln Memorial, I was looking for the bus stop and missed it. I did, however, come upon this memorial to John Ericsson, an immigrant who designed the USS Monitor.


Or on Lafayette Square this statue of  General Kościuszko Statue. OK Follow the link to know who he is [link].

If you decide to visit Washington, DC, it is a bad idea to visit July 5. The 4th of July is wonderful, in DC. The fireworks on the National Mall is fantastic, so I hear. However, there are a lot of barriers and fences, to maintain the crowds. On July 5, those barriers are still up. They close off Lafayette Square meaning you cannot get as close the White House as at other times There is only a small space which is OK for pictures:


I had bypassed the Capitol, at the beginning of my "tour" with the hope that I might have time at the end of my "tour." In addition to the barriers, leftover from the fireworks, there were tents that were used the night before. So, as I approached the Capitol bus stop, I decided to avoid the capitol. I did have a couple of pictures taken from the Lincoln Memorial, with the Washington Monument in the foreground (intended taken for that reason). At Union Station, I took another picture of the Capitol, in the distance. The only way to improve on them would be to use a telephoto lens.


I mentioned that I finally arrived back to Union Station. I started with a picture of the Capitol but continued with a picture or two of the Fountain.

As a railfan, I do need at least several pictures of Union Station


I had enough time for supper before the train ride back the Richmond.

Washington, DC, the Memorials, Part 4, Lincoln Memorial

From the Martin Luther King memorial, I walked back to the bus and went one stop. The bus stop is behind the Lincoln Memorial, but in view of Memorial Bridge, leading to Arlington Cemetery. I went to Arlington Cemetery, back around New Years Day. I wanted pictures of the golden statue that guard the bridge. But first, a picture of The Lee House, in Arlington Cemetery. Remember that Arlington was Robert E. Lee's home, before the Civil War. During the war, the Federal Government confiscated the estate and turned it, immediately, into a cemetery. The house is preserved and open to the public.

And, now the statues:


I walked to the from of the Lincoln and climbed the step.

At this point, I want to say is that I stood at that point where Martin Luther King, Jr. stood, August 28 1963 overlooking the reflecting pool, and told America: "I have a dream....", I was touched!

As a pastor, in seminary, we read The Preacher King, Richard Lischer. He describes that King was not schedule to speak that day, but called on at the last minute. He took one of his sermon devices and changed into that memorable "I have a dream..."

Washington, DC, the Memorials, Part 3, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

After visiting the Jefferson Memorial, I walked to the bus stop and too a side trip to the George Mason Memorial. I had not seen this before, even in pictures.


I boarded the bus and we traveled through West Potomac Park, along the river, past the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. I did not stop and visit but the following pic is from the web.

The bus stopped at the Martin Luther King Memorial. It is interesting that earlier this year, on my day trip to Atlanta I visited his Birthplace Memorial and his grave.

Washington, DC, the Memorials, Part 2, the Jefferson Memorial

The Washington Monument was closed, for renovation. According to the Park Service literature, the elevator was being updated to current standards. Estimates would be sometime 2019, before it would be opened again. So, I did not go up to it but took my pictures, around it. My prospectus told me to take the bus to the Jefferson Memorial. I forgot to look at the prospectus and walked, instead. It was a nice walk with many good views around the Tidal Basin.


Once at the memorial we climb the steps and look inside:


Again, another view of the Washington Monument. outward through the columns of The Jefferson Memorial:

(to be continued)

Washington, DC, the Memorials, Part 1, the Washington Monument

According to my prospectus, I would be taking the Circular Bus. First, I would head to the east side of  the Capitol via the Union Station - Navy Yards route. I would go through the capitol and pick up the National Mall route. First, I had a Metro Card from a previous stay in DC and needed to check and add fare to it. Coming out of Union Station I looked for the bus stop. I finally asked a policeman, who pointed me to the stop for the National Mall route. I got to that stop and there were two drivers waiting to get on the bus to start their shift. They pointed me to the stop, on the other end of Union Station. At this time, I looked at my prospectus and realized with all that happened, I was an hour behind. Many times the prospectus has a lot of filler so I could see the capitol at the end of my "tour."

So to the National Mall Circular Bus. I got off close to the Washington Monument. I had left my camera in the bag, thinking that for still pictures, the phone would do. After arriving at the Washington Monument, I switched over to my SLR, which allowed for a wider angle, wider than the phone. Plus, the phone had a unsettling delay between pressing the shutter release and the actual shutter release, of a second or two, so it was easy to miss getting what you wanted, particular on a bus.

At the center of this "tour" seemed to be the Washington Monument, from the Mall, from the Jefferson Memorial, or the Lincoln Memorial.

From the Mall

From the Mall

Through the Columns of the Jefferson Memorial

From the Bottom Steps of the Jefferson Memorial

From Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Beyond

From Lincoln Memorial

From Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Beyond

Now, on to the Jefferson Memorial (to be continued):