A Capitol Tour and Library of Congress

Day 10 – Moored, Washington, DC

We were up early and ready to tackle another day of being tourists in Washington, DC. I was able to book a free tour of the Capitol Building on line and we headed there first. There's no lack of information nor brochures available about the Capitol and I took advantage of them all.

Situated on nearly 60 acres of winding paths, trees and flowers at the east end of the National Mall, the Capitol Building grounds “reflect a plan completed in 1892 by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted”.

The Capitol Visitor's Center was completed in 2008 and it's absolutely grand. It's wide and expansive, with marble floors and pillars. We passed through Security, picked up our passes and spent some time in the informative Emancipation Hall exhibit area while waiting for the tour to begin.

A full-size plaster model of the Statue of Freedom dominates the entrance to the Exhibition Hall. The American sculptor, Thomas Crawford, designed it as the topper for the US Capitol Building. Its 20', 15,000 pound, bronze counterpart has stood atop the cast-iron Capitol dome since 1863. The plaster model has been shuffled around from the National Statuary Hall, to the Smithsonian, to storage and then here when the Visitor's Center opened in 2008.

We watched a 15-minute introductory video and then met our well-rehearsed tour guide. Our group of about 25 people followed like sheep as the guide pointed out key statues and architectural features, showed us the old Supreme Court headquarters, the Senate chamber and narrated the history of the Capitol building. In the Hall of Statuary and throughout the building, statues of famous men and women were on display. Each state is allowed two statues and all are displayed somewhere within the Capitol Building.

The pièce de resistance, however, was the Capitol Rotunda, the eye of the Capitol dome. Italian immigrant, Constantino Brumidi , was responsible for most of the murals and wall paintings within the Rotunda, including his exquisite masterpiece, The Apotheosis of Washington, which adorns the ceiling of the Rotunda.

A frieze encircles the base of the dome and depicts significant events in American history including the landing of Columbus, Cornwallis' surrender to Washington, the discovery of gold in California and the Wright Brothers. The fresco technique used was “grisaille, a monochrome of whites and browns to give the effect of sculpture”.

When the tour had ended, the guide suggested we take the underground tunnel from the Capitol to the Library of Congress, a building, he said, was the most beautiful in Washington. How could we resist? “The Library of Congress [established in 1800] is the world's largest repository of knowledge and creativity with a collection of more than 162 million items.” We entered the Great Hall, the centerpiece of the building, and gasped in wonder at its incredible beauty. Wow!

In a Beaux Arts tradition, the heavily ornamented ceiling and walls were exquisite. Stained-glass skylights cast a warm glow on the two marble staircases that flanked the hall and led to the second floor at mezzanine level. There was too much for the eye to see and the mind to contemplate in one session.

We climbed another marble staircase to a special gallery that overlooks the Reading Room, a center for research and study.

We wandered through the Great Hall and exhibits and side corridors and rooms taking in everything from Bob Hope's funniest jokes, to Marvin Hamlisch's Oscar for Best Score in The Way We Were to the Gutenberg Bible.

Once again, we were awed and overwhelmed by what we had seen and experienced. These are not places that can be viewed once and checked off as “been there, done that”. These are incredible places that might take a lifetime to totally take in and comprehend and beckon visitors to return over and over again. For us, we needed time to digest and appreciate. We caught a late lunch at one of the food trucks that line the National Mall, wandered around town some more and by late afternoon, tuckered out in body and mind, headed back to Cups.

A Monumental Day in Washington, DC

Day 9 – Moored, Washington, DC

We didn't waste a minute of our time in D.C. As soon as Cups was secured on her mooring and tidied up, we headed ashore to check in with the Gangplank Marina, get the lay of the land and begin exploring. The day was glorious … warm and sunny. Washington's many monuments were first on our list of must-sees. We were only a 15-minute walk from the National Mall and headed first to the Washington Monument. Though the monument was closed for maintenance, we weren't phased in the least. Just standing at its base and looking up was a thrill.

We continued along the National Mall to the World War II Memorial, a war in which our fathers fought.

We'd seen the Vietnam Memorial before, but Paul hadn't. The Vietnam Women's Memorial had been added since our last visit. Over 265,000 American women served during the Vietnam War era, 11,000 of whom were in Vietnam, mostly as nurses.

Then we moved on to The Wall. This was “our” war. David served during this war, as did many of our friends and relatives. We used the reference book to find the name of Jimmy Tazelaar, a close family friend of the Lynn family. Though many people were viewing the monument, the tenor was quiet and somber. Wreaths and bouquets, photographs and letters all lay in memory of the thousands who died in this war.

We followed the Mall to its end at the Lincoln Memorial and climbed the steep steps to pay tribute to our 16th President. It's an inspiring, grand monument to a great man.

On the south side of the Mall, we came across the Korean War Monument, very different and almost unnerving.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument was next on our path. Another inspiring memorial to a great man.

We crossed the Kutz Bridge over the Tidal Basin for great views of the Jefferson Memorial. During cherry blossom time, this must be an exquisite view.

In our wanderings, we also managed to take in the U S Navy Memorial.

There is no dearth of memorials, monuments, statues and public artwork in Washington, DC and though we didn't see them all, we were invigorated and enthused by what we did manage to see. They are somber and thought-provoking, but elicit a pride in our country that is heartening.

We walked over seven miles during the course of the day and when we returned to Nine of Cups, our dogs were definitely tired and we were “memorial-ed” out. A glass of wine, dinner, a movie and a good night's sleep. We recouped for another day in the capital city. Tomorrow, a tour of the Capitol.

George Washington's Mount Vernon

Day 8 – 0 nm – we stayed put (passage total: 223 nm)

We purchased our tickets on-line and headed to the wharf right at 0900 when Mount Vernon opens. We figured we'd walk around and enjoy ourselves for a few hours, see what there was to see and then head back to Cups. As it was we didn't get to see everything there was to see and they ushered us out at 1730. In a word … “amazing” comes to mind!

First, a little history. When the Washingtons died, Mount Vernon was passed on to his heirs. The Washingtons had no children. Through the generations one of Washington's nephews ended up with the property, but could not afford the upkeep of the place. In 1853, he offered to sell it to the US Government for $200,000. The timing was bad. Civil unrest was brewing and the government declined the purchase.

“If the men of America have seen fit to allow the home of its most respected hero to go to ruin, why can't the women of America band together to save it?” “In 1853, Louisa Bird Cunningham wrote these words to her daughter, Ann Pamela Cunningham, after seeing the decrepit state of George Washington's home while traveling on the Potomac River. Ann Pamela Cunningham, inspired by her mother's words, took it upon herself to challenge the nation to save Mount Vernon. She founded the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association in 1853 and by 1858 had raised $200,000 dollars to purchase the mansion and two hundred acres.” To this day, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association runs and maintains this outstanding piece of history. It is the first national historic preservation organization in the United States and the oldest women's patriotic society.

I guess what impressed me most was the exceptional way everything at Mount Vernon has been restored and maintained with an incredible attention to the detail. It's all top shelf … from the restorations to the exhibits to the gift shop. It's apparent that improvements have been made and are continuing to be made.

One of the highlights was the mansion tour. Considerable restored original furnishings were augmented with period furniture and replicas. Paint colors, carpet, upholstery and wallpaper patterns are true to the period. Though no photography was allowed in the mansion itself, here is a picture of a picture of the “new room”, one of the last rooms added to his 21-room home. Take a virtual tour on line to get a better feel for the grandness of Washington's palatial estate.

As we departed the mansion, we couldn't help admire Nine of Cups, waiting patiently for us in the anchorage.

Trails and paths wended their way throughout the estate. We saw Washington's tomb in a serene, pastoral setting. The building of his last resting place and that of wife, Martha, and several other relatives was one of his last requests in his will and testament.

George Washington was a slave owner. In fact, when he died, there were 317 slaves working on his plantations and farms. A slave memorial has been erected next to the slave cemetery to honor those who were enslaved here.

We watched blacksmith demonstrations and viewed a spinning display. Many of the original buildings are furnished according to their use … laundry rooms, salt house, a shoemaker's shop, an ice house, etc. There were farm animals and gardens and forests to explore.

We took a free shuttle to the grist mill and distillery, about 3 miles away from the main estate. Washington was an innovative farmer and good businessman. The grist mill was used to grind corn, wheat and barley for use on the plantation, and enough was left over to export.

Washington hired a Scotsman as a farm manager who convinced him to begin distilling spirits. By 1798, it was one of the largest distilleries in America and one of Washington's most successful enterprises. We saw well-done, very informative demonstrations in both venues.

In the Educational Center, we expected some basic info and quick walk-through. The place went on and on and on in a spectacular fashion, providing insights into Washington's life and his great contributions to America's history. We watched three award-winning videos and saw several life-sized models of Washington at different ages, faithfully recreated to look so real, you could almost see him breathing. The displays included everything from Washington's false teeth (no, they weren't made of wood) to firearms to fine china used at the mansion. This was one of the most interesting and inspiring interpretive centers we've ever visited.

I particularly liked a display dispelling several myths about Washington … the wooden teeth, chopping down the cherry tree, never telling a lie, throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac (no way!).

We walked the grounds till we could barely take another step … then walked some more. We ended our day at the Pioneer Farm where Washington's innovative 16-sided threshing barn was open for viewing.

Here, there were replicas of the slave cabins that would have stood on the same site.

Boatbuilding and fishery exhibits as well as agricultural exhibits were just closing down as we walked by. Security folks were encouraging lingering visitors to head for the exits. We explained that our exit was at the wharf. “Oh, yeah, you're the guys from the boat out there.” Yup, that's us.

We returned to Cups tired, but exhilarated by an outstanding day. Life is good!