Monumental!

I forgot to mention on the last post the detailed instruction we received from Phil and Laurie on how to ride the metro into DC. They kindly lent us a car to drive to the station and a metro card, so all we needed to do was buy a second card, load money onto each and go! Every metro system is a little different, but after a little trial and error we managed well enough. Thankfully it wasn't busy and we were under no time constraint. The funny thing was we didn't realize that the station we drove to was the end of the Yellow line, so instead of jumping on the waiting train we waited on the platform until we could determine which direction we needed to go. When we asked an employee, he said he wondered why we didn't get on the last one, since there was only one direction to go. LOL 

After two busy days, I was looking forward to a quiet Sunday. Our only plans were lunch with Chris  who we met on our Japan tour. When Ira texted we would be in town, within minutes, Chris had planned everything, LOL. He was super excited for us to see his trees. So we drove to his house near Old Town, Alexandria where we also met his Australian friend Tala and his puppy. She wasn't too happy to be crated, but when we gave Chris the go-ahead to let her out, it was nothing but puppy kisses. She couldn't sit still enough to get her photo taken, so the one below of her on the right is one Chris sent us.

The four of us walked to Chris' favorite spot lunch, Augie's. While the boys talked bonsai, I enjoyed chatting with Tala, who met Chris when they both worked at Facebook. She's lived and worked all over the world. We've met so many interesting people through bonsai.

On the way back, Chris wanted us to stop at favorite coffee shop. He said he goes there every single day for a coffee and a chocolate donut with sprinkles. Isn't that adorable? I ordered a London Fog, which I thought was a Virginia thing, but apparently they have it San Diego also, so I must have been living under a rock. It was delicious by the way, basically Earl Grey tea with vanilla syrup and a little milk. to me Earl Grey tastes like flowers and isn't my favorite, but with the syrup and milk, it was yummy. It was a good visit.

When we got back Uncle Phil had made adjustments to the Settlers of Cataan board and was anxious to try it out. We played back to back games until Aunt Laurie tapped out. Instead Uncle Phil and Aunt Laurie helped us strategize our last day of site seeing over Peruvian chicken takeout. There was so much that we wanted to see, that we realized a return visit would be necessary. 

We ended the evening with Inferno with Tom Hanks. Until recently we hadn't even known there were other books/movies in the Robert Logan series. The movie was true to its genre, action packed and  entertaining. I'd say a good choice to watch on a plane. 

We were up early the next day as Ira wanted to walk the monuments before meeting cousin Charlotte for lunch near her work. Then we were going to the People's House where Aunt Laurie had had a hand in constructing and making several of the elements on display. Finally, we were going to visit Julia Child's kitchen. Whew, my feet hurt already LOL.

Washington Monument

First stop was the Washington Monument. This obelisk was built out of granite and marble to honor George Washington, the first president of the United States. It is 555 feet tall and was completed in 1884. For me, I will always remember this scene from the movie Forrest Gump.

I didn't bother taking a photo from the same vantage point as Cousin Charlotte told us that the pool was currently drained. When we walked by, instead of water there were only workers cleaning it out. I later learned that the pool is called the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, it was designed to create a visual connection between the The Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, which is where we walked to next.

From the steps to the Lincoln Memorial

This 19-foot statue housed in a temple-like structure honors Abraham Lincoln. The 36 columns represent the states in the Union at the time of his death. Though not as iconic a movie as Forrest Gump, this clip from Night at the Museum 2 is one of many times this memorial has appeared in films.

Opening Scene

Inside the memorial are inscriptions of Lincoln's Gettysburg and Second Inaugural Addresses. Even I have heard of the Gettysburg address without having studied American History. It begins with "Four score and seven years", which I learned refers to the 87 years that had passed since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and when Lincoln gave the speech. The speech honored the sacrifice of the men who died while fighting in the Civil War and finishes by describing the War as a battle to preserve government "of the people, by the people, for the people."

Inscription of the Gettysburg Address

After the Lincoln Memorial we met cousin Charlotte near her office and then walked to one of her favorite lunch spots for a delicious Mediterranean meal. On our way she pointed out the Watergate Hotel, infamous for the Watergate scandal. 

With our bellies full, we walked  Charlotte back to her office and she pointed us in the direction of The People's House: A White House Experience. This was the exhibit that Aunt Laurie had been heavily involved with for months getting it ready for the public. If you don't already know, Aunt Laurie is somewhat of an expert in miniatures. As we talked to her more, we realized that Aunt Laurie's involvement stretched beyond the miniatures. 

Of course when we arrived, we took a quick spin around the gift shop before checking in at the desk. The gift shop was killer, but to be honest, we were still in the dark as to what we would be seeing. At the start they have you watch a welcome video in front of this 1:5 scale replica of the White House's South Facade. The video explained that the exhibit was created by The White House Historical Association (WHHA), founded by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961. WHHA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the White House through education, research and public access. The video goes on to briefly overview the history of the building itself and the various renovations it's undergone.

Since access to the White House is limited to nonexistent these days, the People's House exhibit gives the public virtual access and historical education.

When you walk around to the back there is a multi-media program that allows you to activate various  rooms and see historic and contemporary moments that occurred in the rooms. A closer look into each of these boxes reveals a miniature replica of the actual White House rooms. Aunt Laurie was in charge of sourcing and making several key pieces in each room.

As you continue your walk down the West Colonnade you experience the commander-in-chief's commute to the Oval Office as they pass the Cabinet Room and the Rose Garden. On the way you can  enter The Immersive Theater, where you can experience the rooms of the State Floor - the East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, and State Dining Room -- through 360° immersive projection. You can gesture towards an object to see more detail and stories about the people associated with each space.

Finally you arrive at a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, where you can sit behind the Resolute Desk. I took a photo of Ira sitting at the desk looking very presidential.

I will admit that the first time I ever heard of the Resolute Desk was in the movie National Treasure. Now you know, I love Nicolas Cage and these movies are my guilty pleasure.

Aunt Laurie said when the replica desk arrived it had a big hunk nicked out at the bottom of one corner, which she repaired. Both Ira and I checked but couldn't see the repair, nice job Aunt Laurie!

After the Oval Office we walked upstairs to the People's Voices Gallery. You can listen to digital "portraits" of White House staff. Tucked in the back right is a green screen/room, we almost missed it! You can take virtual photos of yourself in front of various spots around the White House. It was silly and fun, but we later realized, it was the only way you could get the photo, since access the White House itself is near impossible.

People's Voice Gallery

Next stop was the virtual State Dining Room where you can experience the grandeur of a State Dinner and explore important moments in history. Note the table cloth on the left, Aunt Laurie made it.

Virtual State Dining Room

We were pressed for time, so we opted to go down to the gift shop where they have available for purchase the official White House ornament for every year since they began making them. Ira has the one from his 2007 visit. They are so beautifully delicate. We picked a few of our favorites to add to our collection. It was hard to pick!

Somehow this post is already extremely long and we still have another museum to get to, so I'm making an editorial decision to stop for now with a photo I took through a chain link fence on maximum zoom. Not bad, if I do say so myself, but we were a long way away.

A dopo!