Gary-Summer: April 3, 2023

Monday, April 3, 2023

April 3, 2023 - Washington DC

Title: April 3, 2023 - Washington DC

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Tourist

Distance: 2.6 miles walking

Description:

Today is our last day in DC. We will be packing tonight for an early morning exit. So there are only a few things we are going to do today. Plan A is to try to do the Holocaust Museum. Otherwise our Plan B includes the Postal Museum, the US Botanic Gardens and maybe some of the Smithsonian gardens. But then again, yesterday was a day which we thought we would only go to the Bible Museum.

Inverted Jenny stamps

I woke up early and could not get back to sleep. So I was in prime position to get some Holocaust tickets. I got farther on this last chance than I have before, but not far enough. Oh well, guess this means if we come back here again, we will have something to do. So it looks like stamps and gardens today.

But I do get something done-I text Trinity that the toilet still is not working properly. Sherri gets up early and we have oatmeal. Probably because we both got up early, we made it out the door at 9:40. It is a 15-20 minute down 1st and Capitol Streets to the Postal Museum. I think we might be the first ones in today. Just entering into this place brings back memories of my youth, spending time with my mother as we collected stamps together.

How our mail gets to us

There is much which I remember about stamp collecting: counting the perforations-that is, when stamps had perforations instead of the micro cuts; the magnifying glass looking for small imperfections, sorting through mounds of stamps, trying to find the one I do not have; wondering what a foreign country was like by the stamp. All things of my youth. This was wonderful. Not that I think I will resume collecting. Just nice to go back.

Robert Taft

It is exciting to see the stamps I read about back then. Also, just going through the various themes, such as baseball and the stamps associated with them. When we went through the main level, we came out and a guard saw us and asked if he could help? We explained what we saw was wonderful and were just trying to figure out what to do next. He pointed downstairs. So we go off in that direction.

The downstairs I can sum up as being how the mail has gotten delivered. This ranged from the mail on the street corner and the need for privacy around the Revolutionary War, to the expansion out West and the need for speed. This included stagecoach mail and the Pony Express, going forward to the early use of planes, trains and vehicles to get the mail out. Then the automation from early sorters to the current barcodes. Fascinating history. By the time we leave, it is 11:30.

Atrium at the Gardens

We walk towards the U.S. Botanical Gardens. But first, we see a monument I do not recall seeing before. It is for Robert A. Taft. We know who William Howard Taft was, but who is this guy and why does he deserve such a large monument? It looks almost like a bell tower. Turns out he was a minor contender for President, short term Speaker of the House, as well as leader of the House conservatives-both Republicans and Democrats. Taft was noted for working with all political factions. Yes in those days, parties were not divided as we are now. As we leave, Taft’s monument starts chiming away at 11:45. It is a bell tower!

And onward to the Botanical Gardens. Last night we explored some of the outer gardens. But today, the inside of the gardens are open and we walk in, right before a whole school full of kids come in as well. On the whole, this is welcomed as it gives these students a chance to enlarge their appreciation. It just is not expected.

Glass Sculpture of a tree

Sherri is in her element, looking at each plant, each flower, each tag. She seems to be particularly looking for plants she can either use in Fresno or which she already has. We enter the hot house area-and it is warm. I heard one of the students backing off on going to the upper story because she said she had been up there already and it was hot! There are trees growing within the hot house-30-40’ trees! No wonder this looks so large from the outside-it is! All manner of warm plants grow here. We spend a good deal of time wandering around it.

Also went through a Mediterranean environment. These plants are very much like Fresno’s. Sherri would have liked to have gone through the desert area as well, but that section is closed due to the weather. I wonder if it is too wet? Too cool? Too warm? No explanation.

About this time Wendy from our fire lookouts rattles my cage and wonders if I can give her some azimuth locations from some of the lookouts. I check in with Sherri and she is OK with that. So I go off and work through what Wendy wants. This gives Sherri enough time to enjoy looking around some more.

Bartholdi Fountain

Afterwards, we go out and find a table. It's lunch time. Very comfortable being in the shade. Not that it is overly warm, just comfortable. We talked for a while and then wandered to the south. There is a triangular shaped garden across the street called the Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens. The reason? Bartholdi sculptures a fountain which is placed in the middle of the area. This is more park-like than the main Gardens. Very pleasant to walk around. But I wonder what it would look like with the fountain running and the pool with water.

We cross Washington Ave and find another memorial. This is the American Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial. It is interesting because while there is the typical stone in the middle of it-this one dark gray in a triangle shape, what catches our attention is the multiple paned etched glass running the length of it. The pictures are multi-layer giving a sense of life. Really interesting. Also etched into the glass are the words of what it means to be disabled due to war injuries. I cannot say it is as moving as some of the other memorials, but it gives us pause. There is a six pointed star-one for each service branch.

We walk another couple of blocks and come across another memorial, and visitor center. It seems like this city is made up of memorials everywhere you turn. But maybe that is good for the politicians who are here to see, if they pay attention. It gives examples of idealism, heroism, integrity, and leadership.

The one we came up on was Eisenhower. It is a vast plaza, with three areas and a visitor center. I visit the visitor center and get some more National Parks Passport Stamps. We then go in the wrong order-just like the FDR Memorial from his presidency to his childhood. It is not the most moving of memorials because of its vacaness. But it does stand tribute to a man who turned a World War into victory and brought stability to a nation for eight years.

We now walk down to the Smithsonian Castle area. It is closed-I am assuming for renovations. But we are not really looking at going in. We just want to wander through the Haupt gardens. This is a relaxing, refreshing garden. We stop and enjoy a few minutes sitting by the grass, looking at the Castle walls.

But then the final leg of our time out today begins. We wander over to the Smithsonian Metro Station-we have used this a couple of times already. The escalator takes us down into the bowels of the earth. Here we hop on the Blue Line. I notice we are now approaching L’Affiant Station--this is the wrong way! But from here we can hop onto another train-as long as I can get us to the right side of the track, which initially we are not on. After getting on the right side, we get onto the Green Line and get to Gallery Place. Here we go down to the Red Line and arrive safely at NoMa Station. We reach our abode by 4pm.

We mostly rest. But the toilet has not been fixed yet. Sherri lays down in the bed, more resting than napping.I lay on the couch reading. About 45 minutes later, maintenance shows up and snakes the toilet. We have a working toilet now for the next 13 hours!

For dinner, we decided Subway is good enough. We eat out there, a few blocks away. Come back, and get packed to leave. I head to bed a little before 10.