May 15th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today we started early with our own private bus and tour guide for our daytime tour of Washington DC. Our first stop was the relatively newly completed memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II and 34th US President. A life-size sculpture of Eisenhower as a young man begins the trajectory of his life as the quintessential American story. The sculpture’s inspiration comes from Eisenhower’s famous homecoming speech in Kansas on June 22, 1945, where he declared the proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.

It commemorates his military accomplishments, the memorial's core features heroic-size sculptures of General Eisenhower and paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division before the Battle of Normandy. Behind the sculptures is a bas relief depicting the beach landings on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The space is defined by eight 80-foot stone-clad columns. Six columns support an artistically-woven stainless steel tapestry depicting the Pointe du Hoc promontory of France’s Normandy coastline in peacetime.

We headed to the newest national memorial along Pennsylvania Avenue, the World War I Memorial in Pershing Park.

It still missing its defining feature: “A Soldier’s Journey,” a sculpture that will be the largest free-standing bronze relief in the Western Hemisphere. While there’s a canvas stand-in, the real thing will not be installed for another three years. In the plaza, though, there’s still plenty to see. There are a number of water features, both still and animated. Engraved quotes, maps, and a brief history of the war line marbled walls.

There’s an enlarged victory medallion embedded in the ground. If a visitor stands in the middle, sound reverbs back to them creating an echo effect. And there’s the statue of General John Pershing, a leftover remnant of the previous iteration of the park that stood in this space.

Before the new World War I Memorial, there was Pershing Park. Opened in 1981, the nearly two-acre park was built intentionally as a livable, modernist, landscaped space. It was constructed by the now-defunct Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, an organization chartered to improve the appearance of “America’s Main Street.” In 1996, Congress disbanded PADC and Pershing Park became a ward of the National Park Service.

We walked around the “back” of the White House, although there is no true front or back and we caught a glimpse of the balcony over the concrete barriers and high wrought iron fences. Our first president, George Washington, selected the site for the White House in 1791. The following year, the cornerstone was laid. After eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished residence. During the War of 1812, the British set fire to the President’s House. James Monroe moved into the building in 1817, and during his administration, the South Portico was constructed. In 1829, Andrew Jackson oversaw the addition of the North Portico. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt began a major renovation of the White House, including the relocation of the President’s offices from the Second Floor of the Residence to the newly constructed temporary Executive Office Building (now known as the West Wing). Roosevelt’s successor, President William Howard Taft, had the Oval Office constructed within an enlarged office wing. 

Less than fifty years after the Roosevelt renovation, the White House was already showing signs of serious structural weakness. President Harry S. Truman began a renovation of the building in which everything but the outer walls was dismantled. The Truman family moved back into the White House. Every president since John Adams has occupied the White House, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls. From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the State Floor rooms, where countless leaders and dignitaries have been entertained, the White House is both the home of the President of the United States and his or her family, and a living museum of American history. The White House remains a place where history continues to unfold. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. The White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000. The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface. At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.” President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has some of the most respectable real estate in Washington, D.C.  It also has one of the District’s most beloved statues, unveiled in 1979 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Albert Einstein. The statue is triple-sized, cast in bronze, and oh so inviting to sit on. Created by sculptor Robert Berks, the head is modeled on a bust that the artist sculpted at the scientist’s home in Princeton in the 1950s. The giant bronze genius is relaxed, holding a tablet that sketches out three of his most important scientific contributions: the photoelectric effect, the theory of general relativity, and the equivalence of energy and matter.

Einstein was elected to the NAS in 1922, a year after he won the Nobel Prize in physics. His citizenship at the time is a little complicated (he was naturalized Swiss but German-born, and also claimed by the Weimar Republic), and since only U.S. citizens can be elected as full members, he entered as a “Foreign Associate.” In 1940 he became a citizen of the United States, and two years later was elected as a full member, serving the NAS mission until his death in 1955.

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) building caught Patti’s and my eye. The exterior walls are formed of stone courses of white Dover marble, irregularly sized and recessed to form a battered, or inwardly-sloping, profile.  The battered profile was a hallmark of Egyptian architecture, and its appearance in the Academy building façade is consistent with the architect’s interest in Egyptian architecture.  One of the most notable Greek elements of the façade is the animal figures running along the frieze. 

We crossed into Arlington, VA, to see the United States Air Force Memorial. It is located on federal property adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking the Pentagon. It honors the service and heritage of the men and women of the United States Air Force. Three stainless steel spires soar into the sky from the promontory reaching a heights of 402 feet above sea-level. Granite walls contain inscriptions describing valor and values of aviation pioneers supporting the Air Force and its predecessor military organizations.

The Air Force Memorial is the last military service monument to be erected in the National Capital Region and is the last design project of American architect James Ingo Freed. The Air Force Memorial uses architectural design, inscriptions and sculpture to represent the Air Force heritage including those intrepid pioneers in early flight balloon reconnaissance and the advent of manned flight in air and space.

We drove a short distance to see the US Marine Corps War Memorial (more commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.) It is perhaps one of the most moving memorials in the DC region.

The US Marine Corps War Memorial's world-famous statue, which is based on the iconic photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, depicts the six Marines who raised of the second American flag at Iwo Jima in the Japanese Volcano Islands on February 23, 1945, signifying the conclusion of the American campaign in the Pacific during World War II.

The memorial is dedicated to “the Marine dead of all wars and their comrades of other services who fell fighting beside them.” The memorial was dedicated on November 10, 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the American flag has flown from the statue 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by presidential proclamation ever since.

The bronze statue was made by sculptor Felix W. de Weldon. He worked with the three surviving Marines from the battle, Rene A. Gagnon, Ira Hayes and John H. Bradley, to model their faces in clay. The base of the memorial is composed of rough Swedish granite and contains inscriptions of the location and dates of every major battle involving the Marine Corps since 1775.

Georgetown is home to some of the city’s top shops, tastiest restaurants and most luxurious hotels, and it's a favorite of tourists and locals alike. And it’s easy to see why: Though M Street may be best known for a wide-ranging retail scene that includes such mainstream crowd-pleasers as Anthropologie and H&M and exclusive high-end designers like Billy Reid and Rag & Bone, the neighborhood is also home to a solid selection of upscale home design stores, independent small businesses and many of the city’s best fine art galleries.

If shopping’s not your thing, there are plenty of other things to do, too. History buffs can tour stunning historic 18th and 19th century mansions or see the one-time homes of JFK and Julia Child. Foodies will find locally owned gems that appeal for a quick bite alongside world-class restaurants perfect for a leisurely dining experience.

Stained-glass windows, Gothic spires and flying buttresses make the Washington National Cathedral look ages old, but the grand church was actually constructed during the 20th century. Though overseen by the Episcopal Church, the house of worship welcomes people of all faiths to its impressive site on the highest point in DC.

Stonemasons and builders erected the cathedral beginning in 1907, completing it 83 years later in 1990. Carved from Indiana limestone, the structure boasts a 30-story-tall central tower, an interior nine-bay nave and 215 stained glass windows, including one embedded with a moon rock. Inside, you’ll find a crypt level where Helen Keller and President Woodrow Wilson are buried.

On the exterior, you can search out the 112 gargoyles (decorative rain spouts) and grotesques (carved stone creatures). Be on the lookout for the grotesque of Darth Vader and the hippie gargoyle. All of this on 59 acres of grounds around the National Cathedral. Enclosed by stone walls, the medieval-style Bishop’s Garden includes herb plantings, roses and a 13th-century Norman arch. Stone paths wind through Olmstead Woods, one of the only old-growth forests in DC.

The tour guide took us down "Embassy Row." There are more than 170 foreign embassies in Washington DC. As a rule, embassies are located in capitals, while other diplomatic facilities - consulates, trade missions, etc. - are found outside of Washington. Some countries have a sizable number of diplomatic offices in the U.S.; Mexico has more than 40 consulates throughout the country.

Each country's embassy in Washington is also usually a collection of several facilities, sometimes widely scattered in multiple locations. An embassy "residence" is the ambassador's official home, while the "chancery" is where diplomats' offices are located. Some countries' diplomatic presence in Washington is quite modest, with the minimal staff needed to maintain diplomatic relations. Others' can be quite extensive, with specialized offices for particular functions. Several embassies maintain educational offices to facilitate their countries' citizens at schools in America, and many embassies have offices for military staffs here as liaison to the U.S. Defense Department.

 Embassy Row, is the only place in the US where you can see Nelson Mandela waving to Winston Churchill, every day!

On the way home, we found more murals. The tiger is from the 2018 POW! WOW! event.

While at first glance the mural seems to honor Abraham Lincoln, “28 Blocks” is actually an homage to the people who built the Lincoln Memorial--to be specific, African-Americans and Italian immigrants. Black men quarried the white marble (28 blocks in total) and an Italian family carved it into the Lincoln Memorial that stands today. Artist Garin Baker said, “This statue and this work goes to the core of the actual men and women that built this country.” 

Stay tuned to enjoy more of our #TwoLaneAdventures.