A Weekend in Washington DC

A Weekend in Washington DC


In my previous post Shanti and I ventured out to a local part to revisit and relearn some history. We were supposed to head back to the Guilford Courthouse for the annual battle re-enactment, but unfortunately the task of tearing up our yard and starting over in the hopes of growing grass took precedence. This weekend, however, we took advantage of the short 5 hour drive to Washington DC. For Shanti, this was her first visit to our nation's most important city. When I was younger my family took a trip, but of course that particular visit felt like it took place in another lifetime. My recollections are far and few.

DAY 1: Find the hotel, get our bearings, and figure out the public transit system. As luck would have it, I happened to choose a hotel with a "Metro" rail station just across the street. Previously, I anticipated days of driving and fighting for parking with other tourists. The Metro system proved to be a huge convenience and relief. Riding subway trains are just another part of the experience.

Our first "day 1" did not actually take place until Saturday (3/24) when we woke up early and headed out to see the sites. The weather forecast called for clouds and rain. Luckily, all we got were the clouds and the occasional mist. We spent 90% of the day walking into museums. On our first day out we visited the National Air & Space Museum, National Art Museum, and the National Museum of Natural History. I can tell you with a great degree of certainty that I could have easily spent an entire day exploring each of these museums. We did the best we could with the time we had and walked briskly and attentively. One of the attractions that caught our attention in the Nat'l Air/Space Museum was a Japanese kite festival. Inside of the museum were kite flying demos, kites for kids build sessions, and many other wings on display.


On the occasion to where it did not appear to be raining Shanti and I walked throughout the National Mall taking a moment every now and again to make a photo of anything in sight. The overcast sky made for a great black and white image of the Capitol Building.



A good friend of mine from a model rocketry forum suggested we spend the evening riding the "Monuments by Moonlight" tour that operates just outside of Union Station. This was exactly what we needed - a quick way to get around town, see the sights, and have someone narrarate the history behind all of it. One of our first stops was at the FDR Memorial. Across the river was a stunning view of the Washington Monument.



One of our final stops of the evening was at the Iwo Jima Memorial. I had no idea how big this statue was nor did I ever really reflect on the significance of the event that this memorial represents. It was truly moving to stand beneath this larger than life statue and reflect on the sacrifices made by US Marines at the Japanese island.



I have many more photos to upload and share. Please check back later in the week when I have more photos from our weekend trip to DC posted. See you soon.

Washington DC - Holga Photography

Washington DC - Holga Photography

"Dinner at Union Station"

"Shanti's Starbucks for Starters"

"Gravel Path to the Capitol"

"Washington Monument by Moonlight"

"White House Lawn"

"Leaving Rosslyn Station"

Kids at Play - Washington Monument

Kids at Play - Washington Monument


At the base of the Washington National Monument is a series of vents that release steam from below the surface. I had no idea what the source of the steam was from, but it made me wonder if I would allow my child to play on top of the grates. It made me remember how boring I thought DC was when I first visited. If I were their age I would have been doing the exact same thing. Now, whether or not my parents would have allowed me to play on there is a different story.

World War II Memorial - Washington DC

World War II Memorial - Washington DC



This particular memorial had far too many features to capture. So, instead I decided to take a series of about six photos and stitch them together and present them as one photo. If I lived remotely close to DC (i.e. within a rail's ride) I would be there quite often just to photograph and seek unique opportunities to capture life. But, I live in North Carolina. Perhaps I should get back out into the mountains more often. Enjoy.

Hello Mr. President....(sort of)

Hello Mr. President....(sort of)



We spent Sunday walking the National Mall and surrounding monuments just taking in the awesome weather and walking up to some of the monuments and memorials. Sometime in the early afternoon while we were at the base of the Washington Monument we had seen a horse mounted officer directing anyone with an airborne kite to bring them down. Now, I know in the post 9/11 world there is plenty of room for paranoia, but this seemed a bit odd. After all, it was a beautiful day and there were plenty of kids with their parents enjoying their day. Well, sure enough not but a few moments later we heard Marine One just over the horizon. Luckily for us, we were in the right place at the right time. I watched Marine One fly right over head and land on the White House lawn just like I had seen on TV all of those times on the news. It was an interesting moment. I have a feeling that is the closest I will ever be to meeting the President.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park




I cannot believe I have been away from Florida nearly 1 year! The last weekend of March marks my first week living in North Carolina. Exploring this state - mostly the surrounding areas - has been a lot of fun and a large part of what consumes my weekends. I enjoy the simplicity of toting my camera and capturing bits and pieces of my new experiences.

This week also marks a much more significant anniversary. Nearly 226 years ago a major Revolutionary War battle was fought not only 25 minutes from where I live! Rather than repeat the history found all over the web, why not check out their website and do a little reading? ;) http://www.nps.gov/guco - Lucky for me, this weekend is the annual re-enactment of the war. As a kid this kind of stuff would have bored me to tears. Many many years later and it still does. I am kidding of course although I look forward to photographing the event and bringing to my weblog some new images from the event.



Guilford Courthouse Park does not offer all that much for the eyes to enjoy. Rather, the park is host to many walking and biking trails for anyone looking to enjoy the kind of weather we are having this spring. Along the trails are markers with informational panels describing what major event took place at each site. Every so often there is a statue to commemorate some other historical figure that had some major involvement. I would probably prefer to have some book reader narrarate through a headset as I envision a battle or some other event. I just have a hard time reading something and then looking into an open field. My imagination is not as vivid as it was when I was a kid. For those without an imagination, the park developers did a great job of putting together a museum chock full of artifacts, displays, mini-movies, and plenty of reading material. They even have a small gift shop for the thrilled tourist.



I am not a history buff nor do I know anything about nature. Perhaps some day I might take the time to learn a little bit of both seeing how much I enjoy capturing their images. Next weekend promises to have a lot of activity at the park. I look forward to the mock encampments, gun battles, and demonstrations for us non-history folk. I may even make a mental note or two.

This mini-history visit is just the warm-up for our visit to Washington DC in the next couple of weekends. I truly look forward to seeing history through the eyes of an adult. I can't even remember my last visit to DC. I'll be taking plenty of photos. Who knows what I will remember in another 20 years!



Above: A park patrons enjoys life by sitting on a park bench, enjoying the weather, and admiring the statue of Nathanael Greene at the end of the field.

Salem Lake Stroll

Salem Lake Park - Winston-Salem, NC April 12, 2006

So this is my first official photographic entry on my blog of a park in my new town. The theme, as you can see, has not strayed much from where I left off when I was living in Tampa. Parks, nature, trails, and just walking with a camera is all a part of what it means to just lose focus of the day's events and slow down.

Slowing down is a natural occurrence here. Considering there are more people in Hillsborough County than the three cities together called the "Piedmont Triad", somehow I think this place suits me. Homeowners tend to their lawns and carefully, but quietly and in unspoken fashion, compete against their neighbors for curbside appearance dominance. Not too long ago I walked into a fast food restaurant and after only a few moments of waiting on a batch of fries the manager came over to promptly apologize for the time it took to get me my order. I was puzzled. Yesterday I used my blinker to change lanes and low and behold - they let me in. Strange.

Today's outing was a practice in just walking, looking, and absorbing. The park I chose is relatively ho-hum and kind of yawn inspiring relative to the rest of what N. Carolina has to offer. I cannot wait to have a chance at photographing a night sky while camped someplace out in a valley. The famed "Biltmore Estate" and the five hours distance between here and Washington D.C. have me itching for longer weekends and shortened work days. I cannot wait to see what this state has to offer me. Complacency in my newfound home has not yet settled into the routine of waking up and going to work daily. A simple task such as the need to trim my growing hair reminds me that my barber since the fifth grade will no longer be nearby. The car I sit in and ride to work in no longer rolls down the same streets. The rearview mirror is no longer a self defense mechanism. Rather, it is more of another view to check out the new surroundings. I am reminded that life in a new place truly means that life here will be with new faces. The military taught me a few things about new faces. The ones I have encountered here have been friendly to me.


Today I watched this older guy pull off of the road and onto the should to find his way into a side entrance to the park. He had no dog nor human companion. He quickly pulled a nice sized kayak off of the roof of his modest Ford Taurus and carefully rolled it down the gravel path on a cleverly designed set of wheels. Something tells me he has done this before. I couldn't tell if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders or if he was just eager to get on the water. I carefully snuck a photo of him paddling away. I did not want him to see me. Some part of me thinks that him noticing me would have ruined his experience as if I was some intruder on his private early evening cruise. He did me the favor by not looking over at me - you know how people do with malcontent and evil curious eyes.

The park walk was nice. Watching the sun as it set down through the forest was a nice end to a busy day and something that will never age. I look forward to my new house and for Shanti to join me near the end of the month. Exploring a new place with someone else is always rewarding. We have lots of exploring to do and many more parks to visit. Thanks for stopping by.

Nature - Tune in

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we only will tune in."

-- George Washington Carver