Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial dedication

Today was the dedication ceremony of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial on the corner of Constitution Ave and 23rd St NW in Washington, DC.  I went to see it and took some photos.

There were a few thousand people there, more than I expected.  Most of them were in a field across the street from the memorial watching it on a huge video screen.  As you might expect, lots of veterans were in attendance.

Here's a shot of the crowd with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.  You know most of those people are going to want to walk through the memorial too.

It's not a party unless the bagpipes show up.  After the ceremony they played for people waiting in line.

I got in line for the memorial before the ceremony ended so was able to get in fairly quickly.  All these people were in front of me though.  When I left the line looked just as long as when I started.

The first thing we walked by when entering was this bas-relief sculpture. It depicted aircraft, soldiers, tanks, and more from the conflict.

The memorial is a plaza with a fountain in the center surrounded by curved walls.

 

Albino gray squirrel

 

Don't let the lack of gray fur fool you, this is an albino eastern gray squirrel,  Sciurus carolinensis, our friendly local tree rat.  Seen digging for nuts yesterday on Pennsylvania Avenue outside the FTC building in Washington, DC.

Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge

 

The Foundry Branch Trestle is how the Washington and Great Falls Electric Railway Company crossed Foundry Branch stream on it's way from Georgetown to Glen Echo.  It was built in 1896 and streetcars used the trestle until 1960. Since then it has stood alone in the woods, easily visible from Canal Road near Georgetown University.

The trees have grown up around  the Pratt truss bridge and vines work their way in from both sides, but you can still see most of it.

 

End of the trestle

WMATA (Metrobus/Metrorail) now owns the trestle and a determined it was unsafe. In 2016 the area was fenced off so you couldn't go under the trestle. Prior to that, the Glover-Archbold Trail ran under it.  Since then, WMATA has been trying to get permission to demolish it.

 Even though you can't walk right up to it (unless you crawl through a hole in the fence, which I did not do and don't recomend you do), you can get some pretty good views of it.  You can walk up a hill and see it from the top, if you are careful to avoid the plentiful poison ivy. Here's a view looking over one of the fences at the eastern end of the bridge.

Like a tree needs a bicycle

This is actually my favorite part. At the top of the east end of the trestle someone put a bike in the fork of a tree.  Over the years, the tree has swallowed the bike and only the seat and back of the frame can be seen, the rest is embedded in the tree.

Just last week, approval was given to demolish the Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge, the concrete trestle footers will remain, but the rest of it will be destroyed.

 

Tunnel under the canal

There are a few ways to get to the bridge which is right where Foxhall Road joins Canal Road. You can hike south on the Glover-Archbold trail, you could park in the neighborhoods nearby and walk down Foxhall Rd, or, what I think is the best way: you can access it from the C and O canal or Capital Crescent Trail.  There is a pedestrian underpass that goes under the canal and Canal Road, taking you right there.

 

 

 

 

Washington Monument, late afternoon

 

I was at the Washington Monument a few days ago just before sunset and got this shot of it framed by the trees.  Lots of people playing on the lawn too.

UFC Freedom 250 is Sunday

 

On Sunday there will be a UFC (mixed martial arts) event at the White House, the UFC Freedom 250. The arena is currently being constructed, it is large and largely blocks the view of the White House.

 This is from the Washington Monument grounds looking across Constitution Avenue towards the elipse and the White House.  The white stand you see, as well as the black stage behind it (you can only see the canopy of it) is on the ellipse. Behind it you can see a blue and black checkerboard pattern, that is a huge digital screen.  Then, behind that is the arched "claw" of the arena with white stars on a blue background.  You can't really see it in this picture, but the actual White House is directly behind that.

UFC Freedom 250 arena

 It is a bit easier to see things when you are at the top of the Washington Monument looking down.  Now you can see the area with the claw canopy and a bit more of the White House.  In front of the area are three digital screens with checkerboard patters, VL is the Vertical Left one, VR is the Virtual Reality one (just kidding, I'm sure it means Vertical Right), then in the center is ST with a total LED resolution of 3848x1248.

 

 

 

 

Refilling the reflecting pool

 

I heard that they had started refilling the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and on Friday I decided to check it out.

The water is slowly filling the pool, starting from the center, which is the deepest part. There were some people powerwashing to bottom and there were a number of trucks and trailers parked in the pool but out of the water.  There was a group of people in an ATV that seemed to like driving through the water and did it multiple times.  Even at this stage, the pool is reflecting the trees around it (and the Washington Monument if you are directly in line).

Painting the Reflecting Pool blue

 

Painting the Reflecting Pool blue

 

I decided to go down to the Lincoln Memorial today and see how the project to paint the reflecting pool blue is going.  It looks like they are over half done.  It is a very dark blue, almost black, much darker than I expected.

 

Trees removed at the Tidal Basin

 To the right of the inlet bridge they have cut down all the trees and piled them up.  The Jefferson Memorial is in the background.

he project to rebuild the seawalls at the Tidal Basin in DC has started.  I have been watching this closely all year and went to see the cherry blossoms a couple of times this spring since for the next 3 years there will be fewer trees and fewer walkways while the project progresses.

They started removing the trees on Friday and I went there on Sunday, hoping to pay my last respects to the fallen trees, to walk amongst the stumps and maybe lay my hands on the rough bark.

 It wasn't that easy though.  an eight foot tall fence surrounds the construction area, which runs from the Jefferson Memorial to the FDR memorial.  You can't get anywhere close to the trees. The fence is covered with black fabric so it is hard to see through as well.

I particularly wanted to see "Stumpy" the scraggly tree that was in the news so much this year.  I couldn't get within a hundred feet of it due to the fence. I couldn't even see the stump since a second privacy fence surrounded it.

The small portion of fence in the middle is where Stumpy grew. All you can see of it is fence around it's stump.  The tide was coming in while I was there and you can see part of the walkway has flooded. This is part of the area where the seawalls are being raised.

To the left of the inlet bridge they have also cut down trees.  You can see the white railings of the sidewalk that goes to the walkway around the tidal basin. To the right of them were a couple of beautiful trees that hung low over the walkway and necessitated warning signs about low branches. These trees have been removed.

In addition to the area around the tidal basin, one of the fields to the west of it has been fenced off any there is a giant crane and other construction equipment therer. Also, areas along the Potomac River that are also getting rehabilitated have been closed.

 

 

 

 

 

How crowded is the Tidal Basin during cherry blossom time?

 

The Tidal Basin during cherry blossom season is known for it's crowds. But, how crowded does it get?  Especially on a sunny Sunday during the Cherry Blossom Festival? here's your answer.

It is crowded, packed, sardines-in-a-can. Crowded enough that I generally stayed off the walkway along the Tidal Basin and went back through the trees, where there were still people, but it wasn't packed.

In the morning the crowds were there, but they were a bit clumpy.  One group of people would stop for pictures and people slow down to go around, so you'd get bunches, but then there would be a bit of breathing room. I was there from 7:30 am to 9 am and it was getting more crowded as time went on.

Jefferson Airplane

If you were willing to stand in one spot for 5 or 10 minutes you might even be able to get a photo without people.  I waited at least 5 minutes to get this one and it was just luck the airplane was overhead.  Not far away I stood for about 10 minutes before giving up.

Afternoon was a different story entirely.  It was packed everywhere.  Even moving pretty far away from the water you'd only get to where it was crowded

This was close to sunset, in a bit of an out-of-the-way place next to the Outlet Bridge, lots of people went here to relax a bit, so lots of standing and sitting folks.  I saw one young couple enjoying a charcuterie board with a bottle of wine in this area.

Slightly less packed because people here are walking to go over a bridge, not stopping to take photos.

If you can, you really want to go early in the morning.  Preferably a weekday morning.  Go before work and you can still make it on time or maybe an hour late.

 

Cherry blossoms over the weekend

Early morning at the Tidal Basin

 After Saturday's wind and rain I thought that the cherry blossoms would be gone.  That turned out not to be the case, they were still at their peak on Sunday so I went to see them. By 7:30 am there were already a lot of people at the tidal basin enjoying one last weekend of flowers. 

They were so good yesterday that I think today will be another great time to see them.  Expect crowds, though maybe not as bad as Sunday afternoon was.

Formal photos

There were a surprising number of people all dressed up and getting formal photographs. In this picture there are two couples getting photos, another that just got one taken, and a few more looking like they will.

Gnarled tree

With a bit of patience I could get a couple of shots without people in the foreground.

People on the wall of the Tidal Basin

he morning went so well that in the afternoon I came back.  Now the sun was shining on the east side of the tidal basin and the crowds were much heavier

Stumpy and people

Stumpy, they small cherry tree that is just barely hanging on is famous all over the country.  I had one person from Atlanta ask me where it was.  There was a crowd of people around it all day.

Evening light at the Tidal Basin

The evening light shines on the cherry trees on the east side of the Tidal Basin, the Washington Monument watches over the scene.

As soon as this cherry blossom season is over, they will be rebuilding a portion of the seawalls to prevent some of the tidal flooding that regularly occurs. As part of this construction Stumpy, and over a hundred other cherry trees will be cut down and removed.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is the Christmas tree at Union Station in Washington, DC
 

 

 

 

Mazza Gallerie is Gone

 

 For some reason, when I heard that they are keeping the retail pavilion at Mazza Gallerie, I assumed it was an above-ground portion of the mall, but apparently that isn't the case.  The whole building has been removed to ground level, only a swoopy canopy where an entrance was remains.

 

It gives the area an unusually open feel, you can see bloomingdales from over a block away.

 

Behind the site you can see Chevy Chase Pavillion and the Cheesecake Factory.

 

When they are done, the site at 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, right on the border of Maryland and D.C. will have a 7 story residental building with 325 apartments.

 

 

 

National Museum of African American History and Culture

 This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It was fairly crowded but well worth seeing.  Afterwards I took this late afternoon photo of the building with the leaves on the trees turning colors.

The Washington Monument at Dawn

 

The Washington Monument and the reflecting pool as seen from the Lincoln Memorial, about 10 minutes before sunrise.

 

One of the great things about living in the D.C. area is you can go see the monuments any time you want.  All too often, however, we forget about them. This morning I decided to take advantage of my location and go see the Washington Monument at sunrise.

The base of the Washington Monument at dawn

 

I got there early, which was a good thing since many of the roads were closed.  I didn't realize it at the time, but this morning was also the Army 10 miler.

The Washington Monument at dawn

You would think that going before sunrise there would be no one else around, but there were a few other people that had gotten there even earlier than me (it was also the day the full moon sets directly behind the Lincoln Memorial so I am sure there were some people there for that).  If you look closely you can see a couple of people leaning against the flag poles at the base of the monument.

The Washington Monument and the reflecting pool at sunrise

The Lincoln Memorial was even more crowded with people watching the sunrise from the steps. Finally, the sun rose, making it's way among the buildings to the right of me (that is south-east if you are curious).

Crowds at the Tidal Basin

Yesterday evening I went down to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC to check out the crowds, and maybe see a cherry blossom or two.  I wasn't disappointed, the crowds were there (though maybe there would have been more people if I had gone earlier in the day) and the cherry trees were in peak bloom.

Since I was there late, the sun was going down, while playing hide and seek with the clouds.  For a little while the clouds over the Jefferson Memorial were lit up.

As I was leaving, the sun was setting, lighting up the clouds with bright reds and oranges behind the Washington Monument.

Bikeshare and scooters were popular ways to get around, the Capital Bikeshare station near the Washington Monument had loads of extra bikes to handle the crowds.

Today is cooler than yesterday, so if you go, dress warmly.

 

Security fences around the U.S. Capitol

 

After the January 6th insurrection, security fences were put up around the U.S. Capitol building.  Last Saturday, I took advantage of a break in the rain to walk around the perimeter and take some photos.  In this first photo, fences and trucks block Pennsylvania Avenue.

There are several different types of fences in different areas.  This is one of the less common ones.  It is on the National Mall, directly in front of the Capitol.

Here's another view of the Mall and the Capitol.  People have adjusted to the fences and still come down to walk around and play on the Mall.

National Guard troops are monitoring the fences, there are a lot of them standing around and keeping an eye on things.

I find this juxtaposition of a high end restaurant and fences with barbed wire so close to each other.

I went down expecting the fences to be just around the United States Capitol building, but they were much more extensive. The closed off several parks, all the buildings related to the the legislature and a few more places. The fences go to Union Station, behind the Supreme Court, and even block off the Botanic Garden.  It took me an hour and a half to walk the perimeter.

Here's a reflection of the top of the Capitol dome in the windows of the Teamster's uniton.  The first floor of the building was still boarded up.