The Thursday Ramble: Monumental Washington DC

 This was taken landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, I had a row to myself, grabbed the camera and slid over into the window seat.  The lighting is flat on this image, and I was over the wing, not the best photo, but the view is amazing.  

Bottom right, is the Lincoln Memorial, with the reflecting pool stretching out in front of it.  The street to the left of that, if I am driving to the office, I take the left turn before curve, go to the next intersection and turn right, go 6 blocks, turn left at the light, and the parking garage at my office is about half a mile up on the right. 

Just past the curve, you can see the black granite "v" of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Back when I was in middle school I wore a stainless steel bracelet with the name of a pilot missing in action.  His name is engraved on the wall (aka he was killed in action.)   

At the far end of the reflecting pool is the World War II memorial. The image flattens it, it was built low to not obstruct the view. 

Beyond that on a hill is the Washington Monument.  I should go ride the elevator to the top, I have not done that since the earthquake damage was repaired and the elevators replaced.  There are narrow slit style windows at the top. After the earthquake they recruited engineers to inspect the outside on ropes, one the requirements was being thin, very thin, as they had to slip out through the windows at the top and descend down on ropes.  Someplace I have a cell phone photo of them hang on ropes down the side.  The elevators have always been there, being steam powered when it was first built.  It was only open a short time when someone tried to jump out of one of the windows.  He couldn't fit out the windows, so he pried open the elevator doors. 

If you go to the left of the Washington Monument, you can see the dark building, that is the African American History Museum, farther to the left, where the patch of dead grass is at is a park in front of the White House.  My office is about 3 blocks north west of there.  

Beyond the Washington Monument is the Capital building.  The public entrance is on the other side.  The Senate is on the left, House on the Right. Across the street from the capital are the Supreme Court, and Library of Congress. 

Scattered along both sides of the grassy "Mall" are the numerous museums of the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Gallery of Art.  The National Gallery is not a part of the Smithsonian, the Portrait Gallery at Gallery place is (it is in the image on the left side.) The National Gallery was privately funded, so Congress couldn't control what they show in anyway, or control their funding if the government was unhappy with the art.   

Well that is a bit of a rambling view, of one of my favorite cities in the world, as sweetie bear often says, "and we live here!"