Washington D.C., Part 5 - Mt. Vernon & National Cathedral

Washington D.C., Part 4 - Smithosonian Museums

Washington D.C., Part 3 - Capitol Building, White House, & Washington Monument

Washington D.C., Part 2 - Vietnam, WWII, & Korean War Memorials, Arlington Cemetery

Washington D.C. - Part 1 - Lincoln, Jefferson, & Roosevelt Memorials

I could devote an entire blog to the time we spent in Washington D.C.  There was so much to do, so much to see.  Instead of trying to do it justice with scant words, my next few entries will be pictures only.  Hopefully they speak for themselves and capture a taste of the many flavors of our Nation's Capital.

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, only 26 miles south of Baltimore, 29 miles east of Washington D.C., and is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.  But with a population under 37,000, and a downtown that looks like time stood still 200 years ago, Annapolis is quaint, picturesque, and charming.  The city is rich with history that goes back to the birth of this country.  It was the temporary capital of the US from December 1783 through August 1784.  It was here, and in the capitol building that stands today, that General George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Today the State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use.

Nationals Park (Washington D.C.)

After leaving Richmond, Virginia we drove to Lothian, Maryland, a suburb outside Washington D.C., for a month long stay.  One of the very first things we did was attend a baseball game at Nationals Park, with the urgency being that the San Francisco Giants were in town!  There was no ambiguity over who we were rooting for that night, but unfortunately the Nationals prevailed with a final score of 2-0. Since the Washington Monument and the Capitol building are visible from certain areas of the stadium, we caught a preview of what we would be touring in the weeks ahead.  The team mascot is a bald eagle named Screech, and during the fourth inning of every home game, there is a Presidents Race, where George, Abe, Tom, and Teddy (those greats found on Mt. Rushmore) race along the field.  It's all things patriotic at a game at National's Park.

 

Richmond, Virginia

The State Capitol building in Richmond, Virginia, is over 223 years old, having been competed in 1788. Thomas Jefferson is credited with the design of the Capitol, which was modeled after the Maison Carrée at Nîmes in southern France, an ancient Roman temple. The building also served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861–65).

While Dan and I were walking around downtown Richmond, we couldn't help but notice a most magnificent building. It towered into the sky and had all the majesty of a great church. We discovered it is the Richmond Old City Hall. Wow! Can't imagine what the new one might look like!

Botanical Garden, Richmond Virginia

The next leg of our journey took us to Richmond, Virginia.  In addition to the Capitol tour, we took the opportunity to visit a botanical garden, one of the most lovely I've seen.  Here is a sampling of what was growing when we made our visit.