Archive for the ‘United States’ Category

Washington DC: Jefferson Memorial

Posted in Photography, Travel, Travels, United States, Virginia, Washington DC, tagged , , , , , , on Wednesday, 27 August, 2014| 7 Comments »

Jefferson Monument from the top of the Washington Monument

A view of The Thomas Jefferson Memorial from the top of the Washington Monument in Washington DC.

The memorial is in the style of the Pantheon of Rome (neoclassical architecture). It’s located at the Tidal Basin and a walk to the monument is a must when the Cherry Blossoms are blooming (usually in early April). The construction of the memorial was approved by an Act of Congress in 1934 but the site and the style caused controversy which delayed the building for several years. Several of the Japanese flowering cherry trees were removed which caused considerable criticism from the public. Additional criticism came from The Commission of Fine Arts who deemed the pantheon design a direct competition to the Lincoln Memorial. President Roosevelt gave the final permission on the pantheon style and he laid the cornerstone of the Memorial on November 15, 1939.

As the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson was also a statesman, architect, drafter of the Declaration of Independence, adviser of the Constitution and founder of the University of Virginia. Speaking of UVA, it’s on the list of college visits with my daughter this fall ~ along with what seems like every high school student in Virginia.

The bronze, 19 ft tall statue of Jefferson looks toward the White House. My personal favorite part of the memorial are the five Jefferson quotations on the interior of the building illustrating the principles to which he dedicated his life.

If you visit The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, it is located on the south bank of the Tidal Basin. It’s open daily from 8:00 am until 11:45 pm every day except Christmas Day. No fees for visiting and the closest metro stop is Smithsonian.

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Washington DC Fireworks 2014

Posted in DC, Photography, Travels, United States, Virginia, Washington DC, tagged , , , , , , on Saturday, 5 July, 2014| 3 Comments »

It’d be YEARS since I’ve seen the DC fireworks in person. We braved the mobs of people and checked out the show. We didn’t go to the National Mall but watched from a lawn overlooking the city so we avoided the complete crush that I’m sure was at the Memorials. We couldn’t have picked a better view and, besides the main fireworks, we were afforded a glimpse of multiple firework displays in the distance and on the horizon.

The weather was perfect ~ cool but not cold, low humidity and clear skies.

Fort Myer WA monument capitol helicoptor
Looking out to the Washington Monument and Capitol Building (notice the helicopter flying low)

Fort Myer Fireworks III

Fort Myer Fireworks II

Fort Myer Fireworks
It was a spectacular display of fireworks. They even had one part which spelled out USA.

We’re already planning next year’s adventure ~ we might even brave the crowds and see the fireworks from the Lincoln Memorial!

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Washington DC: Arlington Cemetery

Posted in DC, Family, Photography, Travels, United States, Virginia, Washington DC, tagged , , , , , on Friday, 4 April, 2014| 9 Comments »

Arlington House and cemetery

Arlington House ~ The Robert E. Lee Memorial

Arlington House was built by George Washington Parke Custis and his slaves between 1802 and 1818. His daughter, Mary Custis, great-granddaughter of First Lady Martha Washington, married Robert E. Lee. The Lees inherited Arlington House when her father passed away. Arlington House has a long, interesting history ~ it’s been a home for the Lee Family and Custis Families, a plantation estate and home to 63 slaves, a monument honoring George Washington, a military headquarters, a community for emancipated slaves and is currently a National Cemetery.

Arlington Tomb sign

Alrington Single cross
Arlington Cemetery

Arlington Guard
Old Guard Soldier at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

We stayed for the changing of the guard ceremony which takes place on the hour (Oct-March) and every half hour (April -Sept). Note: the ceremony may seem “over” but don’t start talking until you leave the site of the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.” We were “shusshed” for whispering after the ceremony. I cringe at that as I would never want to be disrespectful in such a place of honor.

Arlington Eternal Flame
Eternal Flame at the John F. Kennedy gravesite

Arlington Amphitheater
Arlington Amphitheater

Arlington Women's Memorial
Quote at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington Cemetery

Arlington House Sideview

Gravestone of George W. George ~ I tried to find more information about him but there wasn’t much on the internet. One of the fascinating things about Arlington Cemetery is all the famous people buried there. It reminded me of when I went through the National Portrait Gallery in London. I wanted to look up the stories of all the names I saw. I’m sure there’s an interesting life story behind all of those graves.

Arlington L'Enfant site

Burial site of Pierre L’Enfant, a French-born American civil engineer who designed the streets of Washington DC in the late 1700s. His grave has sweeping views of Washington DC ~ including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol.

Arlington Cemetery
The family photo at Arlington Cemetery

If you visit Arlington Cemetery, check out their site here. The cemetery is open 7 Days a week, 365 days a year. The hours are 8am – 7pm (April – September) and 8am – 5pm (October – March). The parking garage closes 1 hour after cemetery. From the Arlington, it’s an easy walk over the Memorial Bridge to the Mall and the monuments.

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DC: Eastern Market

Posted in DC, Travels, United States, tagged , , , , , , on Sunday, 9 February, 2014| 8 Comments »

When my friend, Jayne, suggested an impromptu visit to Eastern Market, I jumped at the chance. It’s a seven-days-a-week market in the Capitol Hill area of Washington DC. On weekdays, the South Market (indoor) offers produce, meat, poultry, cheese, dairy products, vegan items and flowers.  On the weekends, local farmers and local artists/crafters come out to play.

We got there early (about 8:30am) and snagged a great parking spot just off the market area but many of the vendors were a little late setting up. Can’t blame them since it was freezing cold! We popped into Le Pain de Quotidien for tea and to warm up a bit. Great dog watching too ~ lots of folks out with their beautiful puppies.

Here are a couple of my “finds” for the day:
Vintage Purse Logan

Eastern Market Vintage Purse

A vintage purse with a painted shoe ~ got it for my daughter

Coffee Table

Coffee table close up

Coffee table and couch

A coffee table made of yardsticks ~ what’s not to love. It’s completely covered with the yardsticks, every inch. It’s very sturdy and the writings on the yardsticks are funny such as: “Report suspicious activity to Sherriff Larry R. Mincks, Sr.”

DC Scream

I love this painting inspired by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”. The artist, Zachary Sasim had several paintings I wanted to purchase but, in the end, I couldn’t resist this one. I relate to it ~ don’t we all feel the anxiety when I think of DC politics.

Mirror

Couldn’t resist this old window pane with mirrors ~ goes perfectly over the mantel.

I feel like my house décor will be going in a different direction and I’ll call it “local artist chic”

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DC: Washington Capitals Hockey Game

Posted in DC, Travels, United States, Virginia, tagged , , , , on Friday, 7 February, 2014| 4 Comments »

Went to my first professional Hockey Game last night and had a fabulous time. I can only imagine what fun the true die-hard hockey fans feel like, especially when the puck goes in the net which it did FOUR times! The Capitals beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-2!
Hockey Game III
View from the nosebleed section. We had plenty of company up there.

We hopped on Metro’s yellow line at Huntington in Northern Virginia and it took us about 20 minutes to get to Gallery Place/Verizon Center. Too easy! We went half a block down to Clyde’s for a quick bite. It was packed with Capital fans and we started to walk out thinking it was too busy when the maître de stopped us and said he’d check for a table for four. He led us to a booth in the bar area and we ended up having a great meal (burgers/Portobello sandwich/salmon ~ all good). The question is how much should we have tipped for such special attention. Haven’t had that happen to us before ~ usually they let us walk out the door. Service at Clyde’s was fantastic ~ our server was so efficient and I marveled at her friendly, unflappable attitude amongst the crush of people. I highly recommend Clyde’s if you’re going to a show/game at the Verizon center.

Game time was 7pm and it started off with beautiful renditions of “O, Canada” and “The Star Spangled Banner” ~ loved that the announcer encouraged the audience to sing along! As I looked around from our nosebleed seats, I could only see red ~ everyone (except us) seemed to be wearing a Capitals jersey. It was a relatively youthful crowd and I’m guessing more than a few were on “dates” ~ I love to people-watch especially people on first dates. So romantic.

Secretary of State John Kerry was there to drop the ceremonial puck and to honor eight players going to the Sochi Winter Olympics.  When the US team members, John Carlson (Capitals) and Blake Wheeler (Jets) were announced, the “U.S.A” chant began. Left me feeling rather patriotic. Other Washington Capital team members going to the Olympics are: Alex Ovechkin (crowd favorite) for  Russia, Nicklas Backstrom for Sweden and Martin Erat for the Czech Republic. From the Winnipeg Jets: Michael Frolik and Ondrej Pavelec will play for the Czech Republic, and Olli Jokinen for Finland.

Hockey Secretary on the ice
Not the best photo but that’s John Kerry and the Olympic-bound players.

The game was very exciting with non-stop, back and forth skating. I was exhausted just watching. The Capitals not only won last night but gained four new hockey fans!

If you want to attend a game, click here for tickets.

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New York City: Subway Sign

Posted in New York, Photography, United States, tagged , , , , on Thursday, 23 January, 2014| 2 Comments »

NYC Subway sign_edited-1

We took the subway everywhere we went while in NYC. Only ran into one dangerous looking character ~ kept my eyes on him the ENTIRE time.

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New York City: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Posted in New York, Photography, Travels, United States, tagged , , , , , , on Wednesday, 22 January, 2014| 10 Comments »

After living so close to NYC in the late 70’s and visiting over the years, I had never visited the Statue of Liberty or been to Ellis Island. Don’t know of any of my ancestors who traveled through Ellis Island but we did find John’s great-grandfather on a 1906 registry. I stood in the registry room reading some of the accounts from immigrants and tried to imagine their anxiety, anxiousness and most of all relief to be off the boat after what would have been a long, arduous journey across the seas. If you want to check your family members who may have come through Ellis Island, click here.

The Statue, a gift from the French, was completed in 1876 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of our Independence. The pedestal was erected with monies raised from US citizens.  What surprised me most about the statue is it’s so thin ~ only the width of about 2 pennies.

Despite the fact I thought I might get frostbite while waiting in line for the ferry (30 minutes in sub-zero temps), it was well worth the pain and shivers. We picked up our tickets at the suggested 30 minutes prior to the launch which was a good thing because we were in the front of a VERY long line and were able to get a seat on the boat. They fill the boat to capacity.

If you’re planning a visit to the Statue of Liberty, here are the details:

  • Book early ~ we booked our tickets for the tour of Liberty Island, Ellis Island and the Crown two months prior to our trip and there was only one time still available for visiting the Crown on Sunday ~ 9am. So much for sleeping in.  You won’t be able to buy tickets for the Crown once you’re on Liberty Island.
  • The boat departed from Battery Park and, since we were staying in Brooklyn, we took the R Train to Whitehall Station.
  • There are 354 very narrow steps up the spiral staircase to the Crown. You’ll be required to store your backpacks or large purses in a locker ~ it’s definitely necessary as it’s a tight fit. The crown itself is a small area with only 5-6 people allowed to squeeze in at a time.
  • Our cost for the tour (including the crown) was $108  for 4 people and can be booked through Statue Circle Line.

View of Statue and Liberty Tower
Manhattan Skyline, Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower

View of city from the Crown Statue of Liberty
View from the Statue of Liberty Crown

NYC Statue of Liberty hand
Statue of Liberty Hand

NYC sign at the statue of liberty
Corner Stone at the Statue of Liberty

NYC cast of the Statue of Liberty toes
Cast of Statue of Liberty Foot

NYC Spiral staircase inside the statue of liberty
Spiral Staircase up to the Crown

Original Torch replaced in 1986
Original Torch taken down in 1986

Ellis Island
Ellis Island

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New York City: A Weekend Holiday

Posted in New York, Photography, Travels, United States, tagged , , , , , , on Monday, 20 January, 2014| 7 Comments »

It’s been six years since our last visit to NYC so we took the 3.5 hour train from DC for a quick visit. The reason for making our journey was to celebrate Logan’s birthday and to show our Bangladeshi exchange student the city. We tried to cram as much as we could into our short 48 hour visit. Despite the cold freezing temperatures, we spent a lot of time outdoors enjoying Time Square, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, etc.

NYC Blog View of City
View from the ferry boat ~ looking back to Manhattan

NYC Blog View from the crown of Statue
View from the Crown of the Statue of Liberty

NYC Blog Times square
Times Square

NYC Blog Times Square at Night
Times Square at Dusk

NYC Blog Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty

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Cleveland, Ohio

Posted in Cleveland, Travels, United States, tagged , , , , , , , on Friday, 13 December, 2013| 2 Comments »

Cleveland is not at the top of my favorite places to visit but that’s where my husband’s family lives so over the years I’ve come to know the area more than I ever thought I would. Would I suggest it as a vacation destination, NO. But if you find yourself in the area, there’s lots to do and there are beautiful parts of the city/countryside.   You just have to dig a little…

Here are some photos of our recent trip to downtown Cleveland:

The Higbee Building
Town City Hall, Cleveland, Ohio

Looking up II
Looking up

Looking out
Looking Out

Cleveland Winter Festival
Winterfest in Cleveland. Notice the “Leg” in lights on the building. A nod to “A Christmas Story” no doubt.

Cleveland view

Cleveland Stadiums
“How ’bout them Browns” or whatever the saying is…

Cleveland Soldier and Sailor Memorial Statue (2)
Inside the Soldier and Sailors Civil War Memorial (Cleveland)

Cleveland Soldier and Sailor memorial statue
Another Statue inside the Civil War Memorial

Cleveland Soldier and Sailor Memorial stained glass window
Stained Glass in the Civil War Memorial

Cleveland Shadows
Shadows in Cleveland

Cleveland Science Museum and the R&R hall of fame
Science Museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Buildings

Cleveland Old Stone Church
Old Stone Church

Cleveland church
Old Stone Church from Above

Cleveland Key Building
The Key Building

Cleveland Christmas Festival
Scene from The Nutcracker at the Arcade

Cleveland Polka Festival
Lucky Us ~ we were just in time for the Polka Festival

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New York Marathon Musings: Runner’s Point of View

Posted in New York, Travels, United States, tagged , , on Thursday, 15 November, 2007| 2 Comments »

This is a post by my husband John who ran the New York City Marathon (2007):

I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to run two very different marathons this year. I think I ran the smallest marathon (Guam) and the largest marathon (New York City) in the same year. In Guam, only about 100 people started, 46 finished and I was so proud to be in 16th place.  There were no spectators along the course except for when I saw Patti and FG as they headed by car to the finish line. I did have my share of boonie dogs attacking me but thankfully didn’t get any dog bites.

By contrast, NYC marathon was huge. Over 38,000 finished the race and I placed an impressive 18,504. From start to finish, the roads through all five boroughs were lined with what seemed like millions of people and bands playing all along the route.

While the Guam run started at 4:00 am, NYC started at 10:10 am but I got up 4 am just to get to the start on time. I had to catch a bus from Grand Central Station at 4:30 am in order to get to the start on Staten Island. I arrived at the start at 6 am and, along with thousands of others, I was doing anything possible to keep warm including stuffing the Wall Street Journal in my shirt which helped fend off the cold. Some smart people brought cheap sleeping bags which they tossed at the start.

The organization of the race was exceptional and the woman who was tasked to do the job deserves a raise. Everything ran like a Swiss watch ~ very precise. When the gun sounded at 10:10 and the elite runners took off, they started moving the mortal runners up to the start line in groups of a thousand, then a pause, then another thousand. With my bib number of just over 25,000, I started 40 minutes after the gun sounded.

The view from the start over Verrazano-Narrows bridge and the fire-boat with sprouting water was fantastic. For the three miles or so, the road was lined with discarded clothes which were being shed by the runners as they warmed up. The girl scouts volunteered to pick up the clothes, wash them and distribute them to the poor.

The entire route was very crowded and it was very difficult to run freely through the course. I remember it wasn’t until mile 17 that I could run at my own pace and not have to dodge people. It was incredible the number of people who carried and used their cell phones ~ there was a mini people-jam at the Queensboro bridge when so many people stopped to make calls. This was the first marathon that I ever saw anyone with a cell phone. Ah, America…

Overall, it was a great experience and I recommend it to anyone on the marathon circuit. Don’t plan on setting personal records but enjoy the crowds and the city.

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