Vacation 2010 - Day 5

July 6, 2010

Sorry for the white blog. The free sight I get my layouts from has become very popular; therefore, the server they post their codes on (Photobucket) says they are getting too many hits, which is putting a drag on their server. So, to upgrade their server to accommodate all of the traffic on this site, they want to charge them an ungodly fee. Therefore the owners are searching for another free server to use - otherwise they will need to charge for using their layouts. So since they haven't paid, Photobucket erased all their codes, which erased our free layouts. So, I just wanted to let you know I will deal with making my blog pretty when I get home, but nothing is wrong with my blog. On Tuesday, we left for Washington DC on our own. Nick had homework to do and Alison had some things to do also. We decided to ditch the bus and try parking in the street. The drive down I-95 to DC was not the horror story we had been hearing. The traffic was heavy, but it kept moving. We drove straight to the Smithsonian’s Portrait Gallery and The American Art Gallery. We got a parking spot on the street right in front of the Gallery….what luck! See pictures below.

                                                                                  

                                                                                      

                                                                     

"The Sad Thing Is I'm So Damn Happy"

 Bill Clinton

John Kennedy

Portraits of Indian Chiefs
2nd Floor at the top of the Stairs.

Dying Indian

Dying Cleopatra

Umhmmmmm?

   

This picture does not do this piano justice.

Elvis Presley

 

            Pocahontas                                                                        

 

  

 

Hmm, my friend must of took these. I have no clue for sure who they are, but I think the one on the right is Teddy Roosevelt. Any body have a clue?

 

  Abraham Lincoln                                                                                  Andrew Jackson

  George Washington                                                                    Marilyn Monroe

OK, that ends the Art Museums. Next we went to Washington Memorial. We were too late to go to the top, but it is a good. I thought there was an elevator....but I later found out there was only stairs. I decided it looks just fine on the outside! Who needs to see a 360 degree view of Washington DC?

                                                                                       Washington Memorial in the middle of the day.

After we left the Washington Memorial, we headed for the Lincoln Memorial. Now, thus far on this day, we had no problems finding a parking spot. However, it was a nightmare to get to the Lincoln Memorial. Now, if you look at a map of this area, the Lincoln Memorial is behind the Washington Monument. Now it is a good walk, but my daughter was having heart failure because "she did not want to sweat." So I punch in the GPS and of we go. Well, there was a small piece of Independence Avenue closed for repairs. All traffic had to detour. This small piece of Independence Avenue caused us to ride around for 1 1/2 hours. We could see where people were parking, but we couldn't get there. It was horrible because once you would get on a street you couldn't get off. I can't tell you how many time we went over the Arlington bridge. Well finally....we were determined to see Lincoln's Memorial.....we figured it out and found a parking spot. It was well worth the trouble. Although it near 100 degrees and hundreds of people were visiting, I got the chills when I walk in. First you are struck by the size of the monument. It is enormous. However, one side of the monument was the words of his first inaugural address and on the other side is the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln was years ahead of us all. Although I had read these words many times before, I was so moved by these words that I almost cried. Anyone visiting DC needs to visit this place. It is amazing!

 

 

Oh, I forgot.....After the Art Museums, we went the National Archives. We were not allowed to take any pictures in side the building, but we did get to see The United States Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and many other original paperwork including the Louisiana Purchase, and a English Charter allowing immigrants to start a colony in the new land. Major security at this building. In the Rotunda, there is one guard to give instructions to observers, one that walks around as people are viewing the documents, and 2 guards who stand near the documents. This is not counting the guards in the rest of the archives. Phew! I was not about to try to fool the feds in this place....ha ha! So all I have is the outside of the building.

Today, Wednesday, we mostly rested. We were all exhausted. My friend had a rough night. We decided to go to Fredicksburg to eat and my daughter and daughter in law wanted shop at a local mall. My friend and I found a Starbucks, so we let them shop while we let our food go down with a Frappacino. Tomorrow, we are planning to go to the Smithsonian so I will post again tomorrow if it is not too late. Nite!