What I Learned about Thomas Jefferson

One hopes that the result of questions raised while touring would be a search for the answers later. Thus there are some facts I want to pass on regarding Thomas Jefferson. Did you know that though he held slaves himself, he believed slavery to be immoral? He tried, unsuccessfully, to pass a bill in Virginia to emancipate slaves there. In 1778, he proposed a ban that was passed to prevent further imporation of slaves into Virginia, and in 1784, drafted the Northwest Ordinance that prohibited slavery in any new states admitted to the Union from the Northwest Territory. This action effectively created the existance of a North and a South, and later increased the likelihood that a Civil War regarding slavery could happen, for it is easier for a region to fight against another with different views on the topic than for a group of dissenters to rise and organize from within a single entity. In 1807, he signed a bill abolishing the slave trade, helping to create further sentiment against the practice of slavery.
Now, lest we give the man too much credit, he never did free his own slaves, except a few favored ones very late in life, mainly for financial reasons, and he did regard them as a separate and inferior race. He didn't get it ALL right, you see! But he certainly set some things in motion that were on the right track.

Cameras (The Curse)

We dash up to the monument, snap a few picture, especially the one of our loved one standing next to it or on the steps, then we dash off to the next one. Why? To remember the occasion by? To remember what? The dashing around taking of pictures? How better we might remember it and what a better thing we might remember if we left the camera at home and spent a bit more time actually looking and seeing and thinking and wondering.
(Says the one who took a full memory card full each and every day.)

A Less Known Tribute

Formally titled "The Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II" but commonly known as the Japanese American Internment Memorial, I found this to be one of the most moving tributes at the capital. Granted, that may be due to its 'lessor known' status and the lack of crowds, but it is a quiet moving place, with a breif but effective story of the 127,000 Japanese AMERICANS that were imprisoned within their own country for nothing other than their ancestry. Some for up to 4 years, most with little prior warning, and most at a substantial loss of property as a result of the forced move. Imprisoned within their own country for no wrongdoing of their own. This trubute is rich in symbolism and just very very beautiful.

Nightime in D.C. with Sunshine

On the way back from shutting down the zoo where we had arrived very shortly after opening time, after walking the 4 blocks back to the Metra station, we noticed that the stop before the one where we planned to get off was called "Smithsonian". As we debated whether to get off there or our planned stop a block from our hotel, a fellow passenger volunteered that yes, this stop was right in the middle of the Capitol Mall. So we took a chance, and that is when Sunshine, my never-tiring travel companion, decided it was a lovely evening to see the Jefferson Memorial at the far end of the mall, since we had run out of steam the day we went to the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the War Memorials, the Lincoln Memorial, and White House. So west we headed, and enjoyed wonderful veiws of lighted destinations and the magnificent cherry trees in full bloom and fragrance.

Then on the way back to our hotel, at the point where we would have turned south to leave the Mall, Sunshine remarked that it was only a short 6 more blocks (and back) to see the Capitol lit up too. I do love the boy and his interest and energy!

Washington, D.C.

Things I wanted to See:
The Upside Down Airplane Postage Stamp – ever since I was a stamp collecting child: Check
The Capitol: Check
The Washington Memorial: Check
The Reflecting Pool where the people where for the big King speech: Check
The Lincoln Memorial that is on the penny: Check
The White House: Check
Arlington National Cemetery: Nope, just too far too walk and not enough days (saw a bit from the bus ride to the airport)
The Cherry Trees: Check
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - ever since I knew some guys who entered the contest and were mad that Maya Lin won: Check, and I think she deserved to win, sorry, guys.
The Korean War Memorial - since my dad-in-law is a vet: Nope, misread the map the first time we were in that area and never found it and got too tired and headed back – will find it next time!
The World War II Memorial - since my friend Dwight is a vet: Check
Famous Paintings - since art history classes and the Masterpeice game: Check
The Lunar Landing Module - since I was allowed to skip school to stay home and watch space news when I was a kid: Check
The Wright Flyer that the Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk: Nope, that gallery was closed to repair the fire safety system.
The Hope Diamond: Check
Fossils and Dinasour bones: Check
Pandas: Check
Metro subway: Check

Things I saw that I didn’t know I should want to:
Japanese-American Internment Memorial
Native American Museum
Smithsonian Castle
Lots of outdoor sculpture

Things I skipped because I didn’t want to deal with them:
The Holocaust Museum

Saw Pandas!

Saw Pandas: Confirm cuteness! On feet 12 hours today; too tired to tell more.

DC Details

"The whole week! That's too long; they'll be bored after four days!" a friend told us on hearing our vacation plans. No, I don't think so. The time is half up and already we are editing out what we must save for another time. This place is rich, in history, in ideas, in aesthetics. It is layered in meaning and in detail. We will never see it all, not in a hundred weeks.

Orchids!

The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, in addition to all its usual amazing wonder, was featuring an orchid show!

The National Greenhouse

I want credit. Even though my first actual view of our nation's capitol was over the glorious glass and iron curves and angles of a conservatory, I waited until day 3 to visit there, until after many of the major government and memorial sites had been visited. And I must say it was worth the wait. The walkway takes you up into the canopy that you can only see from the ground at most conservatories and the plant layering was so dense that on our third time around, we were still making new discoveries!

Finding Spring

Sometimes I get so tired of winter I say I am just going to drive south until I find it. This time, we flew east and found it! I am supposed to be at the capital getting smarter at the museums and more patriotic at the monuments but I am mainly just embarrassing my son by gushing about the plants. The cherries are in bloom, yeah, sure, and that is kind of a cliched thing to be delighted about (okay, I am) but there are trees here that are old and huge and it is a couple zones warmer than I am used to so there are things we try so hard to grow and they just look sad and here they flourish and it is just really truly spring here!

The pansies were planted in fall and return in the spring!

Huge urban trees!

Some historic and architectural wonder through a fog of magnolia blossoms!

Forsythia in full bloom!

Weeping cherry!

Camellia!