This is the first day of Exploring the Capitol
We will explore the Smithonian Institution
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This is the first day of Exploring the Capitol |
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| Places Visited Photos, and Notes |
| We took the Metro to the Smithsonian Stop and set out on foot. |
| One of our first photo-ops was walking
in front of the Smithsonian Institution Building, the Castle  |
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National Museum of the American Indian Coincidentally, there was a demonstration scheduled for today The American Indians of the planes are protested against the Keystone Pipeline. Interesting to see. 
 (editorial warning) I am for the pipeline. What people do not understand is that the oil from Canada is going to flow to the Gulf of Mexico regardless. Currently it is transported by huge trains of tanker cars which seem to be far more dangerous than a pipeline. Witness the few, very localized incidents that have happened on the Alaska pipeline vis-a-vis the Canadian town that was totally wiped out by the tanker train accident. (end of soap box spiel) |
We toured the
Air and Space Museum and it is, as always terrific.
 We took photos of the old and the newer 
 One disappointment, they used to have a nice cafeteria, Now, McDonald's is the cafeteria, big, bustling, efficient, not enough sitting area for the lunch crowd though. |
| There was an orchid show going on at
the
United States Botanic Garden Bartholdi Park It was really beautiful.  |
| Walked aroung
The U.S.Capitol Was going to go in, but the security would have arrested me because I had a pocket knife in my pocket. Funny that all the other locations only did purse checks, but the Capital did full body searches. I guess congress people are more important than the crowds of civilians at the other venues. 
 The part of the Capital that faces the mall is actually the back as evidenced by the statue of liberty on the dome. The front is away from the places that most of we tourists congregate. It might seem to one that Congress turns its back on liberty for the people? 
 There were two security folks on the stairs talking, one on a Harley I asked if I could take a photo of them. One replied that he would be glad to pose, but that the other might be timid. The second fellow immediately moved away. Made me wonder if he was a member of some covert kind of security force. |
The Supreme Court |
Library of Congress
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| Could not visit everything so took photos of The National Archives and Newseum, the National Newspaper Museum from afar. 
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 Enjoyed the day doing the normal tourist things 
 We are lucky. The tulips seemed to be at their absolute peak. |
National Gallery of Art
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In the
National Museum of Natural History we saw the elephant and the
bones. When we saw the Hope Diamond, it was, as always, mobbed. Could not get close enough for a photo 
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Asked a fellow named Dave at the front dest of the hotel for a place
for dinner within walking distance. He rcommended Ray`s to the Third. It had really good burgers. Our luck with the Holiday Inn Rosslyn @ Key Bridge has not been all that good. When we arrived last evening, there were no towels. This evening we noticed there was no regular coffee packets, only decaf and too few face cloths. |
| The Locations Today |