The Big Things, Washington DC

Another rite-of-passage can be marked off Naomi and Danielle's childhood list: Visit the nation's capital - Washington, DC! Oh, and: walk allllll around seeing everything grand until your feet and legs ache in all new ways! And do it all within budget -- we dubbed it 5-days-in-a-backpack! Hotel Harrington is a 100 year old hotel smack in the middle of downtown, and a 10ish-minute walk from just about all the "must-sees" in DC. We were a little apprehensive about the 100-year old part and the slightly funky smell in the lobby when we first arrived, but the room was just fine with tons of space, frigid A/C, cable TV (endless Food Network and Shark Tank!) and comfy beds for everyone! (Who really needs wi-fi and shower pressure anyways, after a long day of exploring and filling your mind with history and knowledge...). We appreciated it being just around the corner from yummy breakfast options at Pret A Manger (almond croissants!) and Corner Bakery.

Jeff and I have both been to DC as kids and then again together back in the 1900's (circa 1996, all the classic sites were unchanged). It was time for Naomi and Danielle to see firsthand all the monuments and buildings they've learned about in school! The most important one being the Captial.

Thanks to our representative, Michael Burgess (well, and to his assistant), we were able to tour the inside of the Capital Buidling, no illegal insurrection required. The rotunda is quite extraordinary, and accomplishes it's goal: to impress any and all visitors! 

Thanks to Senator Cornyn for granting us tickets to enter the Senate Gallery, as well as gifting us Skittles, Starbursts and Dr. Pepper! It happened to be the day that the Debt Ceiling bill was passed, although most of that action took place later in the evening long after we left. We did hear 3 different senators (one being Rand Paul) present to the presiding Senate President Cory Booker (NJ) and to a mostly empty room. Chuck Schumer did walk through the room, and I got a personal acknowledgement from Cory Booker (big smile and nod in reaction to my big smile and nod) when he left to yield the President seat to John Fetterman.

The Supreme Court Building, not to be confused with all the other white buildings with columns, is also quite striking. No tickets, no candy - we did not tour inside.

According to his public calendar, President Biden was NOT at the White House the day we visited (he was in Colorado Springs delivering a commencement address at the Air Force Academy).

But the Biden's left the place tidied up while they were out. (Weird to think your house is wide open to thousands of guests every single day! But I guess it is the "people's house"...)

Danielle and I both preferred the Blue Room, Naomi fancied the Green Room, and Jeff best liked the red carpet throughout. So much history and history-in-the-making in the halls and rooms that are open to visitors... 

Out the windows of the White House (and practically anywhere you went in downtown), we could see the Washington Monument! It was the first of many monuments which we saw. We did trek the length of the National Mall to visit all the highlights. NOTE: There was an "Out of the Darkness" overnight walk for suicide prevention about to start while we were near the Reflecting Pool. A very nice lady, whom we trust and who just happened to work for NASA, took this lovely picture for us from the steps of the Lincoln Monument!

It was from those steps that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered his "I have a dream" speech, in the shadow of Lincoln -- the perfect place for history to continue and for progress to be made. On the statue, it was neat to notice the symbolism in Lincoln's left hand clenched to show his determination in ending the Civil War and his right hand open to represent a desire to welcome the Confederacy back into the Union. Naomi and Danielle also were able to spot the "typo" on the side wall.

Off to one side, we walked along the solemn site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (much more impressive than the replica we visited a couple years ago). It was humbling to see several men wearing "Vietnam Veteran" hats while searching for names on the wall. A simple "Thank you for your service" comment from a stranger to a veteran hardly seems worthy...

 
Nearby, we walked along the Korean War Memorial, where 18 soldier statues loom along with thousands of names of those killed during the war.

A "newish" monument (2011) was the Martin Luther King Monument - a first for all of us. Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope. The calm, towering presence of MLK can be felt all around.

Another new site for all of us was the Franklin Delanor Roosevelt Memorial (1997). This one feels quite different from the others, as it was created to be inclusive for all -- fewer stairs and ramps to compensate. I personally loved all the inspiring FDR quotes etched in the stone throughout. 

“We have faith that future generations will know that here, in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance, intolerance, and slavery, and war.” and "I hate war."

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

Rounding out the memorials (and at the end of a long day!) was the Jefferson Memorial. Jefferson did not get quite the crowds that were at the other monuments (might have been our late timing or the construction taking place on the outside of the monument or perhaps his diminished popularity due to his role in slavery.)

Jefferson holds the Declaration of Independence, which he was the primary author of, and he was our third president, so he earned this spot in history.

We covered a LOT of ground and took in a LOT of sites, which pushed our physical selves to the limit! Next up: we'd fill our brains with a LOT of history and knowledge and words.