Washington DC Day I 6/4/11

Our first sight of Washington DC coming out of the Metro subway station below. The drive from Duncan's Family Campground to the Metro station was twenty minutes. It was a challenge for us small town folks to figure out the subway fare machine and ended up getting help. The ride on the subway to downtown DC was another twenty minutes.

On our walk to  the trolley station we see the oldest Catholic Church in DC. We decided to pay the fare of $35 a person for a two day trolley pass in DC, with as many get off, and on stops as you wanted. We jumped on the green line trolley first.

On the tour, our driver pointed out all the different kinds of architecture in the city.

He told us the different kinds, but I have forgotten it all ready. 

If you have deep pockets, you can stay at the Hotel Washington, and skip the forty minutes drive back and forth a day, like we did.

I was impressed with all the neat old buildings in the city.

This is the architecture on the Hotel Washington.

Here is a close up view.

I think this was the Treasury Department.

Another view of the Treasury Department. Joe's brother told us to get to DC before June 15, to avoid the crowds of kids out of school for the summer. We would advise getting here before June 1.

I forget what building this was. just showing the great designs and detail.

We got off at the stop to see the Washington National Cathedral.

Joe and I have never been in anything this grand.

These scenes are above the three arch doorways symbolizing creation to redemption.

This is found inside a door entering into the Cathedral.

The Cathedral 's architectural style is Gothic.

The Cathedral is the sixth largest in the world.

It has many large stain glass windows everywhere.

Stain glass windows,way up above and down below.

This stain glass window has a moon rock placed in the center. It was brought back by Apollo XI crew. 

 The window is called the Space Window commemorating the mission.

The picture does not show how deep the sanctuary really is. The two columns they have in the front are labeled with, " This Pier Stands To The Glory Of God'

This was written on the large column.

The detail on the front alter is unbelievable.

This Cathedral was started in 1907 and completed 83 years later in 1990.

There is a tower you can go to, by way of the elevator for great views of the city.

A close up of the Washington and Jefferson Monuments from the Cathedral tower.

We climbed aboard the trolley again, which took us through George Town, which Joe didn't want to get off for, because he said it just looked like a bunch of shopping places to him. If we had more time, I would have liked to get off. Then our tour guide took us on Embassy Row which is located along Massachusetts Ave. and DuPont Circle.There are 175 Embassies  in Washing ton DC. Our tour guide impressed us all as he named them off as he drove passed them. Our trolley then took us back to the starting point and then we jumped on the orange line trolley for another route. The picture above is of the Union Station, where all the trains come and leave Washington DC.

The trolley took us past the Capitol, which is a stop,

and past the Potomac River. Washington DC is a no fly zone east of the Potomac, except for helicopters.

We jumped off at the Lincoln Memorial. As you can see, it is impossible to get a picture of just it.

Joe said he didn't think the Lincoln statue was as large as he thought it would be.

At the top of the memorial when you look east, you can see the Washington Memorial. As you can see, the reflecting pool between them is being repaired.

From the west side of the Lincoln Memorial, you can see the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the,

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge.

After seeing the Lincoln Memorial, we walked down to see the Korean War Memorial.

Korean War  1950 to 1953

There were still a lot of flowers from Memorial Weekend.

Our Nation Honors Her Sons And Daughters Who Answered The Call To Defend A Country They Never Knew And A People They Never Met.

Freedom Is Not Free

We jumped back on the orange line trolley. It went past the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin,

the Washington Memorial,

and a stone head in front of some building.

We also went past a building with this on it.I really liked that these word are in stone and hope they are never removed.

Back down town, we jump off the trolley and walked four blocks for the subway. We always had to make sure we got on the blue line to Largo Town Center Station, or we might end up some where else. There are five color line subways, all going different directions out of down town.

We arrive back to the parking lot which was free, because it was a weekend. Twenty minutes later we arrived back home.  I hope I didn't wear you out with such a long day, but it was a busy day.