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Bruce & Junne's Washington DC trip 09/21/02 - 09/26/02 Washington DC
~ Here are some highlights of our trip ~ WHY are the pictures on this page so SMALL? Most of the pictures here been reduced to a thumbnail size to take up less space and help speed up the process of your viewing - you can click on most of these pictures to see the actual full size.
We stayed at the very elegant Hilton located on Embassy Row and very close walking distance to the Dupont Circle area. We got into DC late in the evening on Saturday Sept 21st. At 11:00pm, we had little fine dining choices but found a GREAT American Bistro called Mimi's. They have singing servers ( which were pretty darn good! ) and also some of the best "wraps" I have ever tasted! Pretty interesting and VERY crowded, even at 11:00pm, people were still coming in for a good bite to eat and free entertainment.
This is the Dupont Circle area of DC. This neighborhood is a wonderful mix of grand mansions, art galleries, sidewalk cafes and unique museums, including the Textile Museum, Woodrow Wilson House and the Phillips Collection, the first modern art museum in the United States, featuring works by Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso and others.
Washington After Dark Tour We took a Grayline tour and saw the national monuments and federal buildings flooded in lights, from the illuminated dome of the US Capitol to the breathtaking view from the roof of the Kennedy Center. We stepped off the coach and visited the Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean and FDR Memorials and the Kennedy Center. From the coach, we saw the US Capitol, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, House and Senate Office Buildings, Federal Triangle, Pennsylvania Avenue, The White House, Capitol Reflecting Pool, Georgetown and Marine Corps (Iwo Jima) Memorial. It was a very fascinating 3 hour tour and a neat way to view things from a nighttime perspective.
Washington Monument This 555 foot obelisk towers over the National Mall and has come to represent Washington D.C. itself.
These are some of the pictures we took from the top of the monument.
The Smithsonian Museums we visited: National Air and Space Museum - The National Air & Space Museum is one of the essential stops on a visit to Washington D.C. It is the most visited Museum in the world for good reason, as exhibits like the Wright Brothers' plane, the Apollo 11 command module, and IMAX movies never fail to captivate young and old alike. We stayed for the IMAX movie, Space Station 3D movie.
National Museum of American History - >The National Museum of American History helps the Smithsonian earn the nickname of "the nation's attic". One can view the mementos of a nation ranging from the flag that inspired "The Star Spangled Banner" to Fonzie's leather jacket. We also saw the original shows that Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz, as well as many other "pop culture" items. Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden - The Hirshhorn is definitely one of the most interesting art museums in Washington. Even if you are not a fan of modern art, there is something in the Hirshhorn that will spark your interest. Walk past the bust of Elvis to the "Directions:Tony Oursler" exhibit. It is weird and wonderful. Some of the sculptures are downright "creepy" in my opinion.
There are a total of 7 museums in the Smithsonian network but we only saw these 3 due to time constraints.
The Spy Museum. Is the first museum dedicated to International Espionage, opened in Washington D.C. on July 19, 2002.
The International Spy Museum, a new museum exploring the craft, practice, history, and contemporary role of espionage, opened in Washington, D.C. in July 2002. The International Spy Museum is the first public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on an all-but-invisible profession that has shaped history and continues to have a significant impact on world events. Very interesting displays and kiosks throughout the exhibit. Lots of hands on type of stuff here.
The local attractions and other places of interest we visited: The Capitol Building - Home to the Legislative branch of the Government, The Capitol building overlooks the National Mall. We got to have a personal guided tour courtesy of Congressman Pete Stark's office.
One of the most recognizable structures in the world, one can't say they've been to Washington D.C. until they have seen the White House. Although the White House is currently closed for all tours, we did manage to visit the The White House Visitors Centerand also take this lovely shot from outside. Here sits, across the street, the national Christmas tree.
One of the most fascinating tour we took was that of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing - I have never see so much money in my life! Pallets of uncut bills all ready to be shipped to The Treasury. I was able to purchase a few of those uncut bills in 1 dollar denominations. Here is a picture of me standing next to a pallet of 10.00 bills - total of 1 million dollars! The BUCK definitely stopped there!
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - The Kennedy Center, located on 17 acres overlooking the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., is America's living memorial to President Kennedy as well as the nation's busiest arts facility, presenting more than 3,300 performances each year for audiences numbering more than 2 million. More than 3 million people tour the Center each year, and an additional 20 million each year attend touring Kennedy Center productions or tune in to television, radio, and Internet broadcasts. As part of the Kennedy Center's Performing Arts for Everyone outreach program, hundreds of free performances are offered each year featuring national and local artists; these include early-evening concerts on the Millennium Stage, dozens of performances during the annual Open House Arts Festival, and daily concerts of seasonal music in December as part of Holidays at the Kennedy Center. Since 1999, each night's Millennium Stage performance has been broadcast live over the Internet, and digitally archived on the Kennedy Center's Web site. Ford's Theater - Ford's Theater is the site of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The theater is still in operation today and has a basement museum dedicated to Lincoln. Unfortunately, the day we were there, the bldg was closed. They had a sign outside that they were undergoing renovations until November. All we managed was a picture from outside.
Library Of Congress - The world's largest library with 26 million books, films, documents and photographs. With over 100 million items on its shelves, the Library of Congress is one of the world's largest libraries. Sit in the plush Main Reading Room or see one of the Library's exhibits. Displayed items include one of three perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible. We took a guided tour thru the main areas of the library.
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State, which are used for official functions hosted by the Secretary of State and other high level government officials, are open for pre-arranged tours at no charge. These rooms hold a premier collection of 18th Century American Furniture, paintings and decorative arts. We took a 60 minute guided tour of this building.
As you can see, we had quite a bit of things to do to fill up our 5 nights/6 days in DC! We had a great time and the weather was in the 70's for us every day!
Last but not least, a panoramic picture of the Capitol Bldg.
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( This Website Dedicated in Memory of Ernest J. Webbe 1939 - 1999 )
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Last Updated: 03 January 2016 16:48.
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