Random Pics from Washington, DC

At the risk of giving you the digital equivalent of a "here's my vacation photos" episode, I wanted to share some of the more interesting or poignant photos from our trip to DC.  Most of these were not posted to my Facebook albums, so hopefully they will be new to you.  I'll try not to bore you. Be forewarned, though, this blog post contains a BUNCH of photos.  They are mostly in chronological order, though the Blogger uploader moved some around. Oh, well.

I actually didn't like this one at first because the focus was off.  But, the more I looked at it, I thought about what a statement it makes.  The iron bars keeping people at a distance from their leader's temporary place of residence:

When we turned around, this little fellow was frolicking in the nearby grass.  You can bet *he* gets to play on the White House lawn:

I snapped this one, not intending to get the officer coming out of the car, but she looks like she is staring straight at me as she gets out, keenly aware of my photographic "eye:"

Crossing signals seem to more prevalent than the monuments in this town:

Here, I tried to duplicate the shot I made of the St. Louis Arch, fitting the sun perfectly above the monument.  I came close:

The American and POW flags flying at the WWII Memorial.  The wind picked up just enough at just the right time:

I love this shot of the golden (brass?) stars reflecting in the water:

The Washington Monument stands tall, overlooking the WWII Memorial.  The flags flanking each side make for a very cooly symmetrical (well, almost) photo:

We paused here for a moment after walking all the way around the WWII Memorial to find Arkansas:

Like soldiers keeping guard:

Emily reads some of the names on the Vietnam Memorial.  Her reflection did not come out as well as I had hoped, but it still makes for a very solemn moment:

Walking along, I caught a glimpse of the Washington Monument between some trees:

One of my favorite shots of the White House.  We are far enough away to take in the full majesty of our President's living quarters:

Despite all the protest signs to the contrary, Road Work and Construction were everywhere!

In the Museum of American History, Tyler finds a long lost friend:

Emily couldn't wait to have her picture taken under the huge "PEACE" sign:

The kids pose for a cool candid shot. The man on the right is painted to look as though he is exiting the bus station:

I remember seeing these as a kid along the Penna Turnpike as we traveled to Cleveland to visit my grandparents:

Here, a character actress answers questions about the making of "Old Glory:"

Emily LOVED the "First Ladies" exhibits. Here, she is checking out shoes and handbags:

I love taking photos of architecture.  I have others, too, but somehow missed them while looking for pics to post. I'll do a separate post for that topic.

The visit to Arlington was somber and sobering.  Each white stone rests at the head of someone who served our country:

Some of the markers still have flags gently blowing in the afternoon breeze:

After the changing of the guard, we watched two families place wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknowns.  This is a very moving experience - standing alone among a throng of people:

I saw this and thought of my pastor, who serves by riding with police officers during his Chaplain duties:

I saw these seashells placed carefully and evenly on top of this marker.  I could not ignore them.  I don't know the meaning, but it is quite evident that they are significant in the hearts of this person's family:

At the Air and Space Museum, opportunities for great shots abound:

I actually saw one of the R2D2 mailboxes on the street (er, sidewalk) once.  It's a Star Wars fan's "geeked-out" moments for sure:

The life-sized model of the Space Shuttle Enterprise captures the wide-eyed spirit of American ingenuity and adventure:

This is now one of my all-time favorite photos:

In the mock control tower at the Air and Space Museum, the Museum itself expands into the horizon like a huge airplane hangar:

This is from Arlington.  It is the marker at the end of a row of markers. At the right angle, it appears to stand solitary among the grass and trees.  In actuality, though, it is among many, many others:

This is a photo of the Metro crowd AFTER the Nationals-Cardinals game.  This doesn't even come close to showing the number of people crowded in the tunnel:

When I saw "Flippin' Pizza," I had to snap a photo!

The Tribe were here in spirit! (or something like that)

The Nationals opening sequences during the National Anthem are like none other:

Shan tries to hide... but she doesn't try TOO hard:

How do you visit the nation's capital and not feel patriotic?  Thank you, servicemen and women:

It was a dark and stormy night.... No, really, it was: