D.C. in Photos: Finale (Odds and Ends)

/ April 17, 2015

The day has come to wrap up this D.C. in Photos series. My gosh, my dear wife Karen and I left for our Easter Weekend getaway to America’s capital two weeks ago today. The passionate picture-taking with my iPhone 6 graced me with 10 daily themes upon our return. I hope you’ve enjoyed the manner in which I’ve shared the sights and the way the time well spent in Washington, D.C., affected my life those days.

We’ll close with a grab-bag of photographs and thoughts that are poking my consciousness too much to leave out of the collection.

National Museum of American History.

National Museum of American History.

The National Museum of American History includes a Great American playground out front. I figure, from the colorful plastic slide, the age of my daughter Elisabeth and the one I put together for her in our backyard, it’s circa 1998 or so.

No water in the pool.

No water in the pool.

This family appeared as disappointed as I that the Reflecting Pool was dry for repairs. I wondered if the mom and dad still pictured Jenny wading through it to hug Forrest it in that famous movie scene just as I did.

Cherry Blossom Festival mascot.

Cherry Blossom Festival mascot.

I really had no idea why a costumed Beaver was feverishly greeting visitors to the Cherry Blossom Festival, but I waved back.

At the FDR Memorial.

At the FDR Memorial.

I more understood the sighting of a real horse with police rider at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial an hour later.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

At Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

And when she saw me taking pictures with my phone even later at the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, she stopped the horse next to me for a photo opp. I got the feeling that was part of her and the horse’s job description and said thank you.

Traditional.

Traditional.

I did get several shots of what I consider to be the traditional, castle-like building of the many that house the Smithsonian museums. The grounds, like so many this April in D.C., were under construction. I wasn’t thrilled with any of my pictures, but couldn’t leave it out.

Now for a few galleries.

The Newseum

On Saturday afternoon, everywhere we went a tour on Segways seemed to get in our way. I know they’re official and all that, but I had this conviction that the sidewalks were put in for walkers first. I finally lost a bit of my patience when the Segway tour gang stopped en masse to block my front-on shot at The Newseum, all standing tall on those slow-rolling Paul Blart contraptions right where I wanted to get a good photo of the Honest Abe poster on the building that holds the history of the profession on which I’ve built my life. I put one helmeted head in a picture in the collection below.

Freedom.
Still hot off the press.
From that day’s news.
Not Paul Blart.
From across the street.
Honoring Abe Lincoln coverage.

Indiana Ave.

MDW Karen and I encountered this scenic circle Saturday afternoon, and the closest street sign read Indiana Avenue. Lo and behold, my photo descriptions read several different things for pictures taken within several steps from each other. Thus is the set up of America’s capital city. So we give you the Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial and Penn Quarter.

Old Washington money.
The Stephenson Memorial.
The first bank of America. Really.
Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial behind Karen.
The buds were coming out.
One of the Dunkin’s was mine.

Chinatown mall

Two doors down from the Verizon Center arena was the start of Chinatown, and a crazy cool mall tucked into an alley. For those of you keeping score in Syracuse, it was part Galleries of downtown and part mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA out there off Hiawatha Boulevard.

Center not alley.
Alley advertising.
Regal view, too.
Regal view.
Looking up inside.
Looking back toward the street.
Alluring alley.
Looking up outside.

Click on any gallery photo for a description. Click on the bottom photo for an enlarged slide show.

If you’d like to back track to catch up with any themes you’ve missed or see any of the previous 10 parts for the first time, you can easily locate the lineup by clicking the category iPhone Photography or the links D.C. or Washington.

Thanks for sticking with me these two weeks. I hope you’ve had some fun thinking about Washington, D.C.

Which of the photos today was your favorite, and why? Which of the past 10 themes was your favorite, and why? Which photo from the series was your favorite, and why?

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51 thoughts on “D.C. in Photos: Finale (Odds and Ends)”

  1. You fit a lot in, Mark! I have been to D.C. three times, and each time for only one or two days: Rush, rush, rush! But it was wonderful each time. Great place to see. So glad you got to take your time and do it right. Thanks for sharing : )

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      • The first time gained me a file with the Feds, I’m sure. My friends and I took advantage of a free bus ride in order to demonstrate at a presidential inauguration. We planned to take in the sights after the demonstration. The free bus ride was offered by…the SDS.

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    • I thought my faraway police rider shot was the better of those two, Aud, sort like a surprise gift in an unexpected place. Thanks for voicing your support for the Cherry Blossom Day in the series, too! And sticking around through the many parts of our getaway. You are a dear friend, friend. 🙂

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  3. The newseum looked like a great place to visit, bet it was very interesting. I don’t think the cherry blossom mascot should somehow look like this, maybe a bumble bee or a flower with petals and legs being the stems? Random thoughts back to you, Mark!
    I will always like the photos of the cherry blossoms and Karen carrying coffee or a beverage was very nice! The montage was great, Mark!

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  4. well I love the way you shared your dc photos mark – and I love the mix of personal shots that are used with the classics (or traditional as you would say it). and even though things were under construction – you still picked the number time to visit DC (IMHO) – and we have missed the blooms too many times – so I think you nailed the timing down for this place – and those other things will be up and going, but to have seen the blooms of 2015 – priceless.
    oh – and I like the down view of the escalators and the up view of the words – we also encountered the segway tours – sometimes I would listen in to what the guide would say – but only a couple times – and I like the helmet you left in

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    • That was a good plan of yours, to listen in to the Segway tour guide, make a lemon pie out of the lemon juice, Y. I was too busy being bitter about their sense of entitlement of the sidewalk to consider that. Hey, you’re right, this was the perfect weekend, all-in-all, to visit D.C. Except I wish I had gotten hold of you beforehand. 🙂 We all could have met. Next time there and up here. 😉

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      • yes – next time let’s check in for sure – and the tours we crossed with had nice guides – but there is an energy to their entire group that does distract –

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  5. Is the Newseum new? I don’t recall ever seeing that one before. How sad that the Reflecting Pool was dry! 😦 That’s quite disappointing. The beaver was cute, but what does he have to do with cherry blossoms?

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    • I think the Newseum is a dozen years old at least, which is new in the scope of D.C., Rachel. Yeah, the dry Reflecting Pool bummed us out. And I like the Beaver as much as the next person, but, the tie-in escaped me, too. 😮

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  6. Hi Mark, I’ve enjoyed your DC series, perhaps especially because they are so close to home. I’m glad you had a wonderful time.

    Surprisingly (I guess), my husband has never wished to see the Vietnam memorial. He is a Vietnam vet who saw action. Perhaps too many painful memories. He is apt to welcome home a Vietnam vet if he sees one wearing a cap or learning the individual served in Vietnam, but that is as far as it goes.

    Thanks for all the great photos and commentary of your trip. They were great and I enjoyed them immensely!

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    • I can understand your husband’s reluctance, Kate. From what I recall from news shows … Yes, his reaction is one way you could have come home from that place.

      Thank you for your kind words, southern Pa. liver, Baltimore native, my friend Kate who knows D.C. I had great fun down there and sharing my thoughts and pictures.

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  9. Funny there was a bowling picture later on, because that’s the first thing I thought of when you went off about the gaggle of Segway riders that were in your way…. a perfect strike may have taken them all out.

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    • The bowling center in the mall was just like one we have here in Destiny USA. All lightting and effects and bar and restaurant, with bowling as an afterthought. Interesting place. And, Bill, yeah, your straight and hard shot would have taken all of the Segway riders out at once!

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  11. I’ve loved all of the tour of Washington DC. It’s been brilliant to see your capital city through your eyes rather than the movies.
    On a personal level its made me think of the days ahead when steve and I can go on weekends away on our own! 🙂

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  13. Gosh Mark, there are so many great ones here I can’t even begin. A couple of the faraway shots are framed really well and I like some of the mall shots too. You certainly got a lot of mileage out of your trip!

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  17. I’ve never been to DC that I haven’t felt a swell of pride at being an American!! It is a don’t-miss city for so many reasons. You’ve done a wonderful job capturing the city, Mark. The Newseum is one of my favorites. We’ve made it an all-day destination before and just were transfixed at some of the exhibits….the 9/11 and JFK assassination exhibits in particular. And the hunk of Berlin Wall. Than you, Mark.

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  18. Thanks for sharing your DC trip with us. Mark, it’s too hard to choose one favourite photo, they’re all lovely. Maybe the beaver is from Canada? (People joke it’s our national animal) ❤
    Diana xo

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  19. I enjoy all the architecture, but especially the older buildings. I am always in awe of historical places people I admire used and touched.

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  20. Ahha! I finally got your posts appearing in my e-mail again Mark – success! Anyway, great pictures. Thanks for the virtual tour.

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