Our last day in Washington DC. So little time in a wonderful city.
In the morning we went to one of the many Smithsonian Museums on The Mall. We chose to go to the American History Museum. It is undergoing renovation so only about half of it is open – but what a half!
The thing I liked about it is that it tells the story of America through everyday objects. From the wagons used by people settling out West, through early steam locomotives and then cars.
There was an excellent section on US Presidents and on the First Ladies. Again told through everyday objects and clothes.
Finally, in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on 28th August 1963, a section looking at that day. Really well done.
A very good museum.
In the evening we headed back down to the Potomac to an area called the Wharf to a riverside bar and restaurant. It was a great place to spend our last evening – though it was slightly marred by a snotty waiter. We’d tipped him and just as we were leaving cousin Tom called the waiter over and politely asked if he would take a photo of us all. “After the tip you left I don’t think so!” We were shocked and Tom and I both complained to the manager. So the manager of Nick’s Bar & Grille I suggest you work on your staff’s people skills! (Needless to say comments have been placed on Tripadvisor.)
(By the way, before my editor tries to correct me it is Grille. There is a tendency for random “E” to be added to words we’ve noticed. Hence “Shoppes” and “Towne” both of which we’ve seen numerous times.)
After dinner, we took a taxi to see the Lincoln Memorial. By now it had gone 9pm and so it was dark and the Lincoln Memorial (and the distant Washington Memorial) were both beautifully lit.
We must have spent an hour at the Lincoln Memorial. It is such a famous landmark and we were captivated. If you don’t know, inside on either side of the statue are two of Lincoln’s speeches. The famous Gettysburg address is one. The other speech is his second inaugural speech given on 4th March 1865.
I was not familiar with the inaugural speech but it is very powerful. It was given as the Civil War was still being fought (though would soon end) and its tone is about reconciliation and forgiveness. This is the last paragraph:
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
Sadly within 6 weeks this great man would be dead.
We walked through the park up towards the Washington Monument and in doing so we passed the Memorials to the Vietnam, Korean and Second World Wars. The Vietnam Memorial I was familiar with (the wall of black granite containing the names of over 50,000 men Americans killed in Vietnam.) But I was not familiar with the other two.
Very impressive.
The Second World Monument is very large with obelisks representing each state and a fountain in the middle.
But the most moving was that for Korea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War_Veterans_Memorial This portrays a number of soldiers walking through scrubland. They all have a haunted, scared, look on their faces. And at night they looked ghostlike.
As we walked across The Mall for the final time we caught up with a couple (a black guy and a white woman). We got talking to them and the guy said “Are we OK to walk with you? I’ve seen a fox up ahead and I’m a bit frightened.” She laughed as did we but it was a fun way to end a great visit to the capital.
It has been so good to spend time with my cousin Tom. He’s a great guy. He has a lot on his plate at present and he needed this break. It’s been good to have him in the family.
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