6.08.2009

CWF - Day 2 - Part 2

A night view of Washington, DC. Wow. This place is pretty much amazing at night. Even though I have been here before, I never really got a good 'night view' of DC. I think this is one thing that everyone should have on their 'bucket list', and actually achieve it! What made these 'views' even better, CWF has done a fantastic job of training our program assistant that we have assigned to our group. (Believe it or not, we have a gal from Iowa leading our group.) On our bus rides on the way to the sites, she gives us some commentary about the site, details you don't normally hear, and lots of other good facts. It really makes this a completely different trip having a 'certified tour guide' guiding us around. (Yes, CWF has their program assistants get certified in guiding tours....and I'm thankful for it.)

On to the 'view'. We started out at the Jefferson Memorial. Did you know that on the back side of Jefferson's statue, there are some significant features that don't normall belong there? They represent 5 items. Here are the ones I remember: corn represents agriculture and its importance, tobacco for commerce, books, pillar, and an eagles wing. Sorry I can't remember what the last 3 are for. But you would understand if you were hearing all of these new and interesting facts.


One more thing regarding this memorial. Did you know that one of the Presidents had some trees cut down so he would have a view of the Jefferson Memorial?
While at Jefferson Memorial, look at what we saw fly by.

Then on to Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial. This place was a little busy, so I didn't get all the pictures I wanted. Can anyone tell me how many terms Roosevelt was in office? Well, it was four. So with his memorial, they set it up with 'four' different rooms/areas, each to represent a term in office. The first term had a waterfall that dropped straight down. This was to represent the Depression. The second term represented the new deal....I believe (again, information overload). This one had a waterfall with a stair-step drop. There were also some depictions of a husband and wife struggling, as well as a line of men waiting in a bread line. There were also some big 'rolling pin' type things (as our p.a. called them) that were like stamps. It left a raised image when 'rolled'. Third room was when the war started.....that he hated. But, he knew we needed to go to war. In here there were big stone blocks scattered around, with a waterfall (that didn't work) that would have had water coming out in random directions/places. The fourth room had a waterfall that represented his previous years in office, combined all in to one. There were also steps that had a timeline of all that went on in his life. I ran out of time taking pictures, so wasn't able to get all I wanted. And with having so many groups there, I wasn't even able to see the statue of FDR in his military cloak, with his dog next to him.

Room/Term 1
Room/Term 2
Room/Term 3
Room/Term 4
Then to my favorite....Lincoln Memorial. By this time, it was getting dark. Dark enough were it was hard to get some pictures standing on the the memorial steps, looking towards the reflecting pond and seeing the Washington Monument (with the Capitol in the background). I also handed my camera over to a couple of girls here, because their camera batteries were dead. And after just a few pictures, mine started flashing also. They still got some great pictures.

After Lincoln, we visited the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. It was quite dark by then, and hard to take pictures. But the girls did get some good ones.


So today was a day of lots of walking around, and educational, but yet fun. Because there is no way I want to post all the pictures, go here to check out the rest of them. Tomorrow....the National Zoo.

1 comment:

clarkitect said...

Coleigh-

I love DC at night too. You are right, it is a bucket lister. It is awesome touring the memorials with someone who knows about them. Also, I don't want to be that guy, but I'm gonna be that guy. As you stand on the Lincoln Memorial's steps you look East across the reflecting pool to the Washington Monument, and beyond it, across the mall, is the Capitol, not the White House. The White House is North of the Washington Monument and is in line with the Jefferson (as you captured in your photo from the Jefferson stating the need for cutting trees to get a view of the Jefferson from the White House). I'm actually more of a fan of John Adams than of Thomas Jefferson.

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