Hi everyone! Sorry I left a big gap in the posts. Here is my second day in D.C.
We started at the Lincoln memorial. It had a huge-way-larger-than-life-sized statue of Lincoln. On one side of the wall there is the Gettysburg address, the other, the second inaugural address. If you climb up the stairs it is actually really high. Underneath the Monument there is a museum about Lincoln.
After Lincoln we walked into the Arlington Cemetery and saw a field of white, almost identical graves. There was some 250 graves. We kept walking. soon we got to the top, which had Lee's mansion. from there we must have seen 50,000 graves.
Lee's house was Fancy. there is no other word to describe it. it had pillars like Lincoln Memorial but with a more pleasant, sort of sandstone color. Inside they put Lee's old Union uniform and than His Civil War Confederate outfit. All and all that day was amazing.
Caleb,
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Did you by any chance walk from the Lincoln Memorial across the bridge to Arlington, following the route of President Kennedy's funeral procession? Did you think of Martin Luther King's speech while looking out from the Lincoln Memorial over the reflecting pond? Did you see the Vietnam Memorial and the World War II memorial? I haven't been to Washington since the built the later, and would like to hear about it.
The story behind General Lee's home, it's seizure, and the subsequent transformation of the property during the war into what is now Arlington National Cemetery is fascinating. From the porch you can see the capital, and I always try to imagine what it must have been like for Robert E. Lee to ponder and ultimately make the decision to join the Confederacy as a son of Virginia, given his advantageous life and the proximity of his estate to the Capital.
What's on tap for today? The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is one of my favorites (and if I understand correctly, the most visited museum in the world, or so they say). I also love the East Wing of the National Gallery, with the enormous Alexander Calder mobile in the entrance and the Matisse cut-outs from Nice.
Whatever you see and wherever you go, I'm sure it will be a full and rewarding day. It's windy and gray here with the sun peaking through a bit, but the forecast still calls for a dearth of monuments, so you're in the right place.
Have fun.
I agree that Lee's mansion was the color of sandstone. I think we saw more than 50,000 graves. I think more like 500,000 graves! Also we found out that Lee had 63 slaves at that mansion!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like such a great day and you describe it so well! You are awesome (anonymous blogosphere friend :)
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