ShonTron
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- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
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- Location
- Ward 13 - Toronto Centre
After Baltimore, I took a train and left the United States.
Here is part one of two sets of pics.
I took the Metro from Union Station (wonderful place, posted in the next set) to my hotel, located between the White House and Dupont Circle, a perfect location, and a great rate (thanks, Shatner!). My hotel was on K Street, infamous for all the lobbyists (the 4th branch of government).
I was immediately in awe of the European continental feel of the place.
The White House. It's heavily policed, but not entirely intimidating....
Until you discover all the security cameras around. However, the uniformed secret service agents are surprisingly friendly. I was listening to one describe how many fence-jumpers they get. And the fence-jumpers usually get off with a $75 misdemeanour fine, a record and often a psych evaluation.
I visted several of the museums on The Mall. All are free to get in, the line-ups only for bag checks (and in some cases, a metal-detector screening).
Smithsonian Castle
Old Art and Industries building
Hershorn Museum. Interesting architecture, but limited time made me skip the inside.
Air and Space museum was cool. Very crowded though.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Also on display were several artifacts from the under-renovation American History Museum.
Judy Garland's slippers and the scarecrow costume.
I thought putting C3PO and R2D2 in front of 5 panels of ENIAC was rather cute.
They even have Archie Bunker's chair, Seinfeld's puffy shirt and Mr. Rogers' sweater. Though the CBC museum here has Casey and Finnegan and Friendly Giant's castle. Tough call as to which is better.
Entire exhibit on the Wright Flyer (though seeing the original craft is impressive
The National Gallery of Art was amazing. Also free. Had special exhibitions of the work of JMW Turner and Edward Hopper. What I also found remarkable was the museum's policy on photography: permitted (even with flash) except otherwise noted, like the special exhibitions.
The Pei addition contains the more contemporary works.
Back on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Washington is loaded with faux Greek and Roman architecture, yet is usually done really well and seems to fit. Maybe because Washington, in many ways, the current incarnation of Rome around 200 AD.
FBI Brutalist HQ. It does and doesn't quite fit the building's namesake, a brutal bully who also liked to cross-dress.
The historical commercial centre of Washington.
Metro Center Station. All underground Metro stations look almost exactly the same. It's not a bad design though. And the system is busy and covers the city well. No wonder it's second to New York in the US by rapid transit ridership.
The stations can be very deep, with really, really long escalators.
Dupont Circle area. Note the national park sign for the green space in the circle. All of these are NPS parks, which I found interesting.
Embassy Row.
The Watergate. Actually, a really interesting multi-use complex, hotel, offices, apartments and a community shopping centre including a Safeway.
Kennedy Center is nicer at night.
And then to see the big guy.
Korean War memorial nearby.
Then the walk back to the hotel takes me by the White House.
Part II to come shortly (I hope).
Here is part one of two sets of pics.
I took the Metro from Union Station (wonderful place, posted in the next set) to my hotel, located between the White House and Dupont Circle, a perfect location, and a great rate (thanks, Shatner!). My hotel was on K Street, infamous for all the lobbyists (the 4th branch of government).
I was immediately in awe of the European continental feel of the place.
The White House. It's heavily policed, but not entirely intimidating....
Until you discover all the security cameras around. However, the uniformed secret service agents are surprisingly friendly. I was listening to one describe how many fence-jumpers they get. And the fence-jumpers usually get off with a $75 misdemeanour fine, a record and often a psych evaluation.
I visted several of the museums on The Mall. All are free to get in, the line-ups only for bag checks (and in some cases, a metal-detector screening).
Smithsonian Castle
Old Art and Industries building
Hershorn Museum. Interesting architecture, but limited time made me skip the inside.
Air and Space museum was cool. Very crowded though.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Also on display were several artifacts from the under-renovation American History Museum.
Judy Garland's slippers and the scarecrow costume.
I thought putting C3PO and R2D2 in front of 5 panels of ENIAC was rather cute.
They even have Archie Bunker's chair, Seinfeld's puffy shirt and Mr. Rogers' sweater. Though the CBC museum here has Casey and Finnegan and Friendly Giant's castle. Tough call as to which is better.
Entire exhibit on the Wright Flyer (though seeing the original craft is impressive
The National Gallery of Art was amazing. Also free. Had special exhibitions of the work of JMW Turner and Edward Hopper. What I also found remarkable was the museum's policy on photography: permitted (even with flash) except otherwise noted, like the special exhibitions.
The Pei addition contains the more contemporary works.
Back on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Washington is loaded with faux Greek and Roman architecture, yet is usually done really well and seems to fit. Maybe because Washington, in many ways, the current incarnation of Rome around 200 AD.
FBI Brutalist HQ. It does and doesn't quite fit the building's namesake, a brutal bully who also liked to cross-dress.
The historical commercial centre of Washington.
Metro Center Station. All underground Metro stations look almost exactly the same. It's not a bad design though. And the system is busy and covers the city well. No wonder it's second to New York in the US by rapid transit ridership.
The stations can be very deep, with really, really long escalators.
Dupont Circle area. Note the national park sign for the green space in the circle. All of these are NPS parks, which I found interesting.
Embassy Row.
The Watergate. Actually, a really interesting multi-use complex, hotel, offices, apartments and a community shopping centre including a Safeway.
Kennedy Center is nicer at night.
And then to see the big guy.
Korean War memorial nearby.
Then the walk back to the hotel takes me by the White House.
Part II to come shortly (I hope).