Oh, The Places You'll Go - The Other Washington

I know I said that this was 'Cora Week' the other day. I really didn't mean my blog was going to focus exclusively on her. There will be plenty of that this weekend. :-)

So I though I'd return to the series that highlights the photos in my sidebar. I cheated, because that's the kind of guy I am, and recently added a whole bunch of pictures over there, just so I could feature them over here.

These pictures are from about a two and a half years ago. I was on a road trip with my parents out to visit my brother, who lives in the Shenandoah Valley. We took a day trip on a bus tour up to Washington, D.C. I hadn't been there since the Carter administration, so a lot had changed.

The Washington Monument from Arlington National Cemetery. I could have probably spent all day in Arlington. We were at the Iwo Jima Memorial, when some Secret Service agents showed up, and the tour guide hustled us onto the bus. She explained that if we didn't get moving then, we'd get caught up in security, and lose about an hour.

Looking up the Spiral Staircase @ U.S. Supreme Court building. Looks like one of those conch shells.

This little grotto like structure called "The Summer House" was a neat little quiet space on the Capital Building grounds.

And speaking of the Capital Building, out in front is the U.S. Grant Memorial. Classis Washington statues with the soldiers and horses, but a sense of chaos and energy that most can't muster.

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is one of the newer ones but also one of my favorites. The rocks and water are supposed to represent the turmoil of his 4 terms.

The Memorial was the last one went to that day, but the crowd had thinned out, and it was so peaceful and tranquil with the water features.

The Memorial is filled with great quotes like this one, that make you realize how far we've wandered from this path: "We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, and hatred is a wedge designed to attack our civilization." Even is we never lived up to those ideals, those are good words to read every one in a while.

These were amazing life sized bronzes of men waiting in a food line.

I've been fold that I rarely put recent pix of myself in the blog, so I thought I would include this one. (I think I was tagged to post a recent picture of me by someone. There ya' go.)

This is an important reminder from the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Most people are more familiar with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, but this statue of three servicemen is also part of the scene.

We are now back to a much more classical style with the National World War II Memorial. I don't know the guy, and I have been tempted to Photoshop him out more than once.

And we wrap up out tour with another shot of the Washington Monument. This one is across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Monument.

I hope you enjoyed the little trip. While I included a couple of the familiar sights, I hope that you also saw something new and interesting, too.