National Conservatory: Escaping the city

Taking a lunch break on Capitol Hill can easily take you on a mini-vacation--if you let it! The other day my colleagues and I took a break between meetings at the conservatory. Nearly every type of ecosystem is represented. In 45 minutes, I traveled to Arizona, Farms, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and a jungle.

Blue Moon in a museum?! I'll take it!

Delmarva!

Delmarva is the region where the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia state lines meet. My boss took us to his family's house out there last weekend for a retreat. Not only was it nice to get out of the city--we got to go to the beach! At Assateague Island (National Seashore), wild ponies are the main attraction. When my boss told us we'd see wild ponies, I expected were we going somewhere with an open pasture, hills and herd grazing. I guess I forgot we weren't in Montana (insert shout out to Carly here). Oh well, it was still a cool experience.

It was really cold on the beach, but the sun was shining and it felt amazing!

National Portrait Gallery

A couple weeks ago I visited the gallery. This is the same building where Lincoln held his second inaugural ball (I am quickly learning that anything worth it's tax dollars is somehow related to the late Lincoln). Since it is a gallery of photos and paintings, I didn't take many photos. But this photo (left) is a scene from the confederate side of the Civil War. J.E.B. (my 5 times grandfather) is sitting on the left. At the Gallery I learned that he was shot near Yellow Tavern, Virgina. In present-day, that's near Richmond. Next month on my road trip I plan to go visit that spot. There is a memorial built to him.

I also discovered that the man who painted the first five official presidential portraits (all on display at the gallery), were painted by a Stuart from a town not far from J.E.B.'s hometown...relation? Hmmmm.....

Two portraits made me chuckle, yes, chuckle. First, Juliet Gordon Low. She's the reason we sold hundreds of overpriced cookies, cooked in a cardboard box, and went to camp. Yet, her portrait displays her in pink gown that spared little opprtunity for ruffles and ornaments. What kind of skills did she teach her troop? The second painting that I found beautifully hilarious was titled "In the Sierra Nevadas." There are portuding mountain faces, waterfalls, deer--the whole bit. Gorgeous. But it was painted in Rome! Showcased in Berlin. By the time it got to the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, someone finally pointed out that the artist had infact never been to California. For humor's sake, it's worth noting that the painting is about six feet wide.

Washington Monument

Last weekend I went up the Washington Monument. By law, it will always be the tallest building in the city (just over 555 ft). I appreciate that law because no matter where I am, I know where I am! Living in the grid system is great too. Cardinal directions are a cynch around here. As long as you remember your alphabet, you can get around in no time!










View to the north. Can you even see the tiny-tiny White House? (Hint: 12 o'clcok)







Looking to the west at the Lincoln Memorial.






South at the Potomic River.








East, across the Mall to the Capitol.

Library of Congress

To be perfectly frank, I did not appreciate the Library of Congress when I walked through the door. Every inch is decorated--and at first glance--you have no idea what any of it represents. There are names on the ceiling, Roman looking figures, Lady Liberty, and babies sculpted into the stairwell.

But I happened upon a tour just before it started and now I can say thank you to the Library for proving that Europeans are not the only ones that can play up the symbolism. The babes on the stairwell, if you pay attention, are all doing different tasks. One is a farmer, another a vitner, and then a scholar. These babes contribute to several other pieces in the Library attempting to offer knowledge to those from all walks of life. The names on the wall and ceiling you think are random historical figures, are actually influential Americans organized by profession. Why is Franklin's bust in the center of the entrance? The first lending librarian of course!

I didn't take many photos here because I know I'll be going back. But the Library is also home to one of the last Gutenburg Bibles. It sits on display juxaposed to one of the last hand-written bibles known to exist. And like every other building in this city, the Library has a round room full of statues and paintings. These statues and paintings represent the different areas of knowledge (i.e. Mathematics, Philosohpy, History).

I will probably take that tour more than once!

The first Library of Congress was inside the Capitol when the British invaded in 1814. All the books served as little more than kindling. So the main building of the Library is appropriately named after Jefferson, who donated his private library to Congress. Congress gave him one dollar for a fat book, and fifty-cents for a skiny book. That first collection represented international knowledge, and the Library still makes a point of collecting the works of hundreds of languages.

The Capitol

Visiting the Capitol is a new adventure for those who have, and have not, been there before. The new visitor center, which is below the Rotunda, just opened about a month ago. Just as if I were riding in the singles line at Stevens Pass, I sneaked into a tour without a long wait or needing a reserved ticket. The tour starts with a 13 minute film about democracy, the process of building the Capitol (and rebuilding after the fire of 1814), and the city itself.

Next comes the famous Rotunda. There are so many details that I could not explain them all here--and of course--I could have stayed there for hours admiring each and every one. The painting on te ceiling shows Washington with 13 ladies all serving a different task, symbolic of the early union. The circular walls of the Rotunda have three levels of art work that in some way tell the story of our nation's history.

The picture above is a statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower, a gift from the state of Kansas. Each state is allowed to have two statues in the capitol at a time, plus there are a variety of busts and sculptures from organizations and historical societies. These statues are found in the crypt, Rotunda, visitor center, and of course, Statutory Hall.

Two things to mention here: The crypt was intended to hold the graves of George and Martha Washington, but per their request, they have stayed in Mount Vernon. Washington set so many precedents, we have taken many for granted. Secondly, Statutory Hall is the old House chamber. Quite small, the House members quickly out grew the room. Though on the floor you can still find plaques on the locations where members who later became president sat during their House terms. This is the famous room where you can whisper on one end, and be heard loud and clear on the other. Can you imagine trying to have a private, and better yet political, conversation in that room? The acoustics, to my understanding are a by-product of the many renovations the room has endured.

This picture to the left is something that took me back to a classroom on the second floor of South Kitsap High School. Specifically, junior year, when all I did with life was study for my AP U.S. History class. This is a picture of the old Supreme Court. Today, Federal laws supercede state laws because of the McChulloch v. Maryland opinion that Chief Justice John Marshall delivered in 1819. Also, Taney presided over this court room when the Dred Scott decision stated that slavery could not be outlawed. Perhaps the change in location helped to turn the tides of the courts afterall.


E Pluribus Unum.