The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Interior shots of the underground Metro station in Washington, D.C. Having rode the subway in several different major cities, I can say this one wasn't too bad. The reality is that the Korean subway system is just so far superior in so many ways, it's hard to beat.

This will be my last post from my recent vacation to America, as the last thing I really did there was visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with my mother. The day was a lot warmer and sunnier than the one before, which made viewing the monument spectacular.

I studied the artistic aspect of the memorial in one of my art history courses in college and so had that as my primer. But I think one can't really be too prepared to see this monument as it reflects such a dark history in America's past.

Yet what I mostly took away from this visit is seeing how other people reacted to the wall and those sorts of interactions.

Along the path of the wall were volunteers with pamphlets one could use to rub off the names, but also served as an information packet. Lots of folks talked to these guides who provided historical information and explanation of the design of the wall.

As for myself, I was of course moved by the simplicity of the design and the sheer number of names along it's surface. I couldn't help but think how all these people passed away for something that is now history.

My mom commented how she saw the men in her high school classes go off to war, and wondered if any of their names were up here.

My mom took a moment to recognize the sun shining down on all the names and considered that this must have been no coincidence as she remarked, it must be to keep them all warm.

For me this was the last place in D.C. I visited with my mother before I was whisked away to the airport. Before doing so we caught a glimpse of the memorial for women veterans.

I highly recommend this as a "must do" when visiting D.C., even if you think it is just part of the tourist side of the town. One really can't miss this monument as it represents a great turning point in America's history.

The Lincoln Memorial

It wasn't the sunniest or the warmest day on our trip, but seeing the Lincoln Memorial was worth it. I took my family to Foggy Bottom station and we tried to catch a bus closer to The Mall area. But you could easily have walked the distance.

Approaching the memorial, you start to sense the significance and iconic power of it's structure.

You are even more taken away by the historical and marvel of this monument when you walk up the stone stairs and see Lincoln's body enlarged in marble.

People stand, stare and take in this great figure, and to the right and left of the statue you can read Lincoln's famous speech's and works.

I for one enjoyed watching folks, as I could tell many were from around the world. Even if not everyone knew the great historical significance to every detail, I could conjure that they understood the power behind it all.

Folks mostly had their picture taken, looked around and then admired the view from atop the steps.

Unfortunately the reflecting pool was under construction, so I guess I'll have to see it in its full glory some other time. The rain started to trickle down and soon it was chillier. I decided to have a restful day back at the hotel and catch up with everyone later. Otherwise, it was quite eventful to see the Lincoln Memorial, something I'm sure everyone does when they go to D.C.

The United States Botanical Garden

Although we had about an hour to see The United States Botanical Garden, I had a good time. They were having a special orchid exhibit, which were lovely to look at.

A little historical fact: "The institution actually traces its beginning to 1816, when the constitution of the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences in Washington, D.C., proposed the creation of a botanic garden to collect, grow, and distribute plants of this and other countries that might contribute to the welfare of the American people. "

The other areas of the gardens included different environments such as one for swamp flora and a desert. 

As you can tell I mostly enjoyed photographing the plant life and using my new pancake lens. I'm sure I would have gotten a lot more, had there been more time. But I have always enjoyed the plant life from the desert and their many shapes and forms.

Overall a must see on your trip to D.C. as it is all simple pleasure and not loaded with politics or grand artistic value. Just beautiful flowers and interesting plant life, to help sooth the traveled soul. 

The U.S. Capitol Building

During my recent time spent in Washington, D.C. I made it out to the Capitol Building with my family. It was a really amazing experience, mostly because I didn't know all the great history behind such a architectural icon.

For one, you are at awe by the sight of this glowing white building that sits on a sloping hill. Then once inside and taken around you are even more impressed at the design and historical artifacts laying about.

My cousins got us advanced tickets for a tour at 1:10 PM and so we rested a while and then joined the line. The tour took us into several rooms with a lot of history, and our tour guide was quite enthusiastic.

At first we watched a short movie highlighting the importance and history of the US Capitol building. I found this video quite moving, actually, as it showed the struggle the founders had with creating the American nation. Maybe it's because I had been abroad so much, but the video felt really significant to me.

Anyways, after this we were led into the Crypt of the Capitol, which was a bit spooky I guess.

The guide said that is one of the most praised sculptures of Lincoln and was highly praised when it was created, mostly for showing several expressions on his face.

Next we were taken into the Rotunda, which was vast and full of great murals on the walls.

 Here we were told about the various murals and their symbolism, but I simply enjoyed the architecture and amazing history of this space.

The symbolic and physical heart of the United States Capitol is the Rotunda, an imposing circular room 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet in height. It is the principal circulation space in the Capitol, connecting the House and Senate sides, and is visited by thousands of people each day. The Rotunda is used for important ceremonial events as authorized by concurrent resolution, such as the lying in stateof eminent citizens and the dedication of works of art.

As you can see I felt a great sense of awe standing in that important room. Next we were taken into the National Statuary Hall, which use to be one of the rooms for debate.

And then we were taken back into the Rotunda room...

On our way out of the tour we went through an old hall that was very low-lit. I inquired about this and it turns it was always this dark.

Our tour guide was kind to us and gave us all free tickets to see the inside of the House of Representatives. To get there we walked through several hallways and couldn't bring anything with us. The interior seemed smaller than it appears on TV, but I still felt inspired by what I saw and understood the history of such a room.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a meal in the cafeteria and carried on with our day.

More to come from my recent vacation...