WASHINGTON, D. C.: THE HEART OF OUR NATION

 Map courtesy of World Atlas

Wide-Eyed Hick from California

I could barely contain my excitement as Chuck, Paula and I drove into Washington, D. C.  The beauty of the splendid tree-lined avenues fronted by palatial shrines of government made me feel like I was fresh off the farm. Years ago, when my youngest daughter was in middle school, I scraped together the money to send her on a tour here with some of her classmates. She is in her 40’s now and I asked her recently if she still remembered that trip. “Oh, yes!” she said, “I’ll never forget it. It made a huge impression on me.”

Well, it made a huge impression on me as well, as it is designed to do. The immense expanses of green space, accentuated with noble monuments to the great men and women in our history, reminded me of the Roman forum. Like the mighty monuments of Rome, D. C. has been intentionally crafted to impress the nation and the world that America is a strong and powerful country. I felt what I was supposed to feel: awed, inspired and proud, all at the same time. 

 A typical Washington, D. C. street

What IS the District of Columbia?

After nine attempts to find a home, the fledgling federal government realized it needed to create a new national capitol in order to provide for its own security, realizing after being attacked by a mob in Pennsylvania in 1783, that no state could properly protect it. James Madison proposed the creation of a capitol district in 1788, with the location to be selected by George Washington. Virginia and Maryland contributed land along the Potomac River and the district was named Columbia, a poetic name for the U.S. at the time. Founded in 1791, The City of Washington still serves as our nation’s capitol.

The Lincoln Memorial

Most of the monuments are grouped around an immense green space called the National Mall, and every one of them is an impressive architectural edifice. But, to me, the most impressive of all is the Lincoln Memorial. Housed in a Greek inspired marble temple is a somber likeness of Abraham Lincoln. At 19 feet tall, the seated statue of Lincoln is a moving tribute to the President as a man. The artist captures what Lincoln must have felt, the burden of the nation on his shoulders and yet at the same time, the strength and determination to keep our country from breaking apart. 

Overlooking a vast pool with views of the Washington Monument and the Capitol beyond, I couldn’t help but think of Martin Luther King and the famous speech he gave in this very spot. For the first time, I grasped how significant the moment must have been as he so eloquently spoke in front of this great symbol of freedom and wished I could have been there.

 The Lincoln Memorial as it overlooks the Washington Monument.

The Jefferson Memorial on the Banks of the Potomac River

 

 

Michelle! Is That You?

I really wanted to tour the White House, but it wasn’t open to the public when I was there. I had to be content with madly waving at the House, hoping that President Obama and Michelle would see me and wave back!

The National Archives Building, Home of the Declaration of Independence

Besides the iconic monuments, I really wanted to see the originals of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, which are housed in the National Archives building. Luckily, it was a small crowd that slowly filed by each of the faded, hand written documents; everyone quietly respectful, realizing the real and symbolic significance of them all.

I searched the large parchment pages for the signatures of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and all the others who risked their lives in order to create a new country free of authoritarian rule. In seeing their signatures written large on the worn pages, I understood their sacrifice and the incalculable importance these documents are to us and the rest of the world. And, I took the opportunity to give thanks.

 National Archives Building

Ladies Day at the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is the largest museum complex in the world, consisting of nineteen museums, nine research centers and a zoo.  Originally called the United States National Museum, it is the “nation's attic" housing 137 million items, according to Wikipedia. I’d heard that I could spend the rest of my life going through all of them, and I had to choose just one. It was easier than I thought when I heard about the display of dresses worn by past and present First Ladies at the National Museum of American History. “Oooooo, let's see that!” I declared, and off we went.

 Michelle Obama's first Inaugural gown.

Around the room, displayed on life sized mannequins are the dresses of the First Ladies gowns, many of which are Inaugural gowns. I admired Nancy Reagan’s petite red gown and Mamie Eisenhower’s fashionable fifties number, as well as gowns worn by Mary Todd Lincoln, Dolly Madison, and Martha Washington. And in the very center, as if she just walked away from it, is the dress that Michelle Obama wore on her husband’s first Inauguration.

 Left to right, Mamie Eisenhower's red dress, Edith Roosevelt's dress, Caroline Harrison' dress.

 Mary Todd Lincoln and her dress, Dolly Madison and her dresses.

In the same building is Julia Child’s entire kitchen from her cooking show. She changed what Americans ate, swapping out our franks and beans for cordon bleu. Bon appetite, Julia!

Julia Child's Kitchen in the Smithsonian

The Old Ebbitt Grill, Shades of “West Wing”

Exhausted after a very full day of hoofing it all over D.C., Chuck had one more thing he wanted me to experience: dinner at one of the most iconic restaurants in town, the Old Ebbitt Grill, the oldest saloon in Washington. Located just around the corner from the Oval Office, Presidents McKinley, Grant, Cleveland, Harding and Teddy Roosevelt used to belly up to the bar there. Little has changed over the years; men dressed in dark suits and highly polished shoes, women, impressive in their sophisticated dresses and suits still gather around the bar after a hard day of policy making. I was a little star struck to be in such close proximity to all that political power to be honest, feeling like a bit player in an episode of “West Wing”. Be sure to check it out when you visit D. C. Oh, and the food is delicious!

***Next Time: The Southern Plantations of Jefferson and Madison: Monticello and Montpelier.

FT. MCHENRY AND ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

 Map courtesy of  World Atlas Maps

Annapolis, A Capitol City in Every Way

What is it about some places? Sometimes I feel an instant connection but for others, I can’t get away from them fast enough. Whatever “it” is, Annapolis has it in spades for me. Charming with a capitol “C”, it has everything that makes me swoon: seaside cottages positively dripping in maritime romance plus an impressive resume of colonial history.

 

                                          The Governor's Home and St. John's College.

Former Capitol of the United States

Not only is Annapolis the Capitol of Maryland, it also served as Capitol of the United States for nine months, from November 1783 through August 1784. George Washington resigned his commission as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army and the Articles of Confederation were ratified, all in the Maryland State House.
 

I Didn't Know That!  

Pursued by the redcoats during the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress hung their official hats not only in Annapolis, but in seven other places as well. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, Pa., Princeton and Trenton, N.J., and New York City were all the Capitol of the United States for a time. Lancaster lasted only one day as the nation’s capitol because Congress, with British soldiers hot on their trail, had to run for their lives.

 Maryland State House, Capitol of the United States for nine months.
 

Impressive History and Seaside Charm

Near the Chesapeake Bay, the seductive sea breezes and lovely blue skies enticed me to fall totally in love with Annapolis. The quaint downtown, like most seaside villages, is alive with youthful energy and friendly people. Home to the famous Annapolis Naval Academy, the shops are filled with Academy and maritime souvenirs. We spent a relaxing afternoon wandering in and out of the boutiques where I found a necklace made out of a sailor’s knot that I just had to have. Even though I've yet to wear it, it will always remind me of a place that makes me smile. 

 Downtown Annapolis

 Great friends and "capitol" guides, Paula and Chuck

Paula, Chuck and I ended the day with a two hour late lunch on the wharf, savoring crab, clams and good conversation. Does it get any better?

FORT MCHENRY AND THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

My early American history lesson continued the next day as Paula and Chuck took me to see Ft. McHenry located about 31 miles north of Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay. Wondering out loud what the significance of the fort was, Chuck told me that it played a key role in the War of 1812. Well, that did little to shed any light on my question since I remembered practically nothing about that conflict, and I made a mental note to look it up after I got home. 

The War of 1812 in a Nutshell

Basically, the War of 1812 was an extension of the Revolutionary War. The British were stirring up trouble for us with the Native American Indians on our borders, kidnapping men to serve as British sailors, pirating our ships and restricting our trade. With those insults and injustices, it’s no wonder America had had enough and declared war.

Oh, Say Can You See By the Dawn’s Early Light…

Why the fort has become such an important symbol of our resolve and quest for sovereignty is due to a young American lawyer named Francis Scott Key. In September of 1814, British warships surrounded Ft. McHenry and anchored ominously in the Chesapeake harbor. Francis Scott Key boarded one of the British ships to try to broker the release of a captured friend. Granting his request, they allowed Key and his friend to return to their own ship but forced them to remain there under guard. A week later, on September 13, he stood on the deck of his ship and watched helplessly as the fort suffered horrendous bombardment by the British. Thrilled to see that the fort still stood and its flag still waved after 25 hours of relentless attack, he wrote the poem that became our National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”.

Upon arriving at the Visitor Center, tourists are required to sit through a short presentation before being allowed to go up to the Fort. Ushered into a small room lined with displays, we were invited to sit on the few curved benches provided. The benches faced toward a projection screen, which also served as a blind to a large window behind it. Impatient to see the Fort, I didn’t bother to sit; hoping whatever we had to watch didn’t last long. Slowly, the impelling story of the Fort and Francis Scott Key’s involvement unfolded on the screen, expertly recreating the emotions that inspired Key to write his poem. As the movie came to an end, and as the screen slowly lifted to reveal the Fort on a high knoll in the distance, we heard the soaring voice of Whitney Houston singing the "Star Spangled Banner". There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as she sang:

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Built as an earth embankment, the Fort was able to withstand the brutal bombardment.

Who could have guessed that a visit to an old fort would be so enjoyable and inspiring? About 40 miles outside of Washington, D.C., be sure to put it on your list of places to visit next time you are in the area.

Thanks, Chuck! Thanks, Paula! You know what I like

**Next time: Washington, D. C.

(Some images courtesy of Google)