With summertime being fire season, it is rare to see fireworks of any kind in California. Dan asked me what I would like to do for my birthday, and I picked Washington DC to see the Independence Day Fireworks. My birthday is July 1 and July 4 felt like it should be part of my birthday celebration. Seeing fireworks in the nation's capitol was truly grand.
Vatsala and Wolfgang (our friends from Sri Lanka) joined us to celebrate my birthday at Ilili on the wharf. Ilili served us a small plate of baklava for my birthday dessert. We also went to the exciting and energizing "Step Afrika!'s The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence" performance at the Arena Stage at Mead Center (https://www.stepafrika.org).
It was mostly very hot and humid, but we perservered in our sightseeing. We began with a visit to the Library of Congress (LOC). The building is beautiful and their collection of treasures, documents, and photographs is amazing. We saw Lincoln's handwritten Gettysburg address. He delivered the speech on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a cemetery for the Union dead from the battle of Gettysburg. He began this speech on Executive Mansion (now the White House) stationery and a pen, but finished it on lined ledger paper and in pencil. The label at the museum says "In fewer than 300 words, he captured the larger meaning of the conflict, and bound the past, present, and future with a "'mystic chord of memory."'
The Library also has one of the few existing copies of The Gutenberg Bible. It is the first book printed in Western Europe using moveable metal type. Gutenberg figured out how to create uniform, changeable metal letters that he then placed on an olive oil press. The LOC copy is printed on vellum (parchment made from animal skin) and dates to 1455. It is the "Catholic" version based on St. Jerome's fourth century translation from Latin.
Also at the LOC are the archives from the Farm Security Administration (FSA) established in 1937 and operational until 1946. The FSA employed photographers to document poverty in rural America. Many of those photos were on display including the famous 1936 Dorothea Lange photo called "Migrant Mother."
The LOC has more than 14 million photographs in its collection. Some were part of an exhibit that traced the evolution of photography from daguerreotypes and other early processes to contemporary digital technology (1836 to today). Many of their exhibits are available online: https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/.
We stopped in at the nearby Supreme Court building and were fortunate that a docent was about to give a lecture about how the court works. The lecture was given in the actual courtroom where the Supremes hear cases. Photography is forbidden within the courtroom.
We visited the Military Women's Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. Opened in 1997 this memorial is dedicated to the more than 3 million women who have served our country since the American Revolution. The Military Women’s Memorial tells the stories of women, past and present, who serve or have served our nation. Surprisingly, this is a private memorial and not government funded despite its location at Arlington Cemetery.
After reading The Women by Kristin Hannah a fictional story about a young nurse who joined the Army and served in Vietnam, I knew I needed to see the Vietnam Women's Memorial. This memorial wasn't established until 1993. It was the first memorial in Washington DC that honored women's military service. The three women represent more than 265,000 military and civilian women who served around the world during the war. The monument is framed by eight trees in memory of the eight military women who died in Vietnam.
Photos below: U.S. Capitol, Washington's Monument, A favorite quote from the Holocaust Museum, Iwo Jima Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial.
On July 4, we came across the Independence Day Parade on Constitution Avenue. It was very hot and very humid. We watched for a couple of hours before escaping the heat.
Ways to stay cool while waiting for the fireworks show:
As we started back to our hotel, it began to rain and rain. By the time we reached the hotel we were soaked. Fortunately, we had plenty of time before the big show. Because I didn't bring my tripod, we decided to return to a spot near the hotel on a bridge at the Tidal Basin directly across from the MLK Jr Memorial and Arlington, VA. It was perfect. We watched the sky clear for a beautiful sunset. The fireworks began at 9:09 and ended at 9:27. The fireworks are fired from both sides of the reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial (currently being renovated) and the Washington Monument.
Tomorrow morning we take the Amtrak to NYC for five more days.
Particulars:
Salamander Hotel (they had a good rate because they are renovating). Our room was cool and comfortable. It was a great location for the Wharf, the National Mall, and the monuments around the Tidal Basin.
Eating:
Ilili at the Wharf. Interesting and excellent Lebanese food.
Ambar Capitol Hill, Balkan Food. One evening we met one of Dan's former co-workers at this restaurant for great conversation and food. The food is Eastern European. It was great to enjoy Macedonian, Serbian, and Bosnian food once again. I believe it is mentioned in the Michelin Guide.
Lunches were more difficult as there weren't many restaurants open or around. Best bests are to grab something at a museum, or the lunch room at the Madison Library (next door to the Library of Congress), or the USDA Food Hall at 1400 Independence Ave SW. The USDA has food stations with hot foods, cold foods, salad bar, a deli, a sushi station with a sushi chef that will prepare to order, and a noodle station. The Madison Library and the USDA Food Hall are open for lunch M-F.
Museums:
Besides the Holocaust Museum and the Library of Congress, I really enjoyed the National Museum of African American History and Culture. We didn't get to all the floors. We began at the 4th floor and just stayed there enjoying the art and the music history exhibits.
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