Washington Union Station

When we left Washington DC on Amtrak we traveled from Washington Union Station.  I've always enjoyed old train stations.  The first one I experienced was Union Station in  Los Angeles, which I visited many times while seeing historic Olvera Street.  After I moved to Northern Kentucky I experienced Union Terminal in Cincinnati where I worked for eleven years.  Washington DC's station is another beautiful old station that has had to adapt after the decline of rail travel.

Washington Union Station is one of the country’s first great union railroad terminals. Designed by renowned architect, Daniel Burnham, the station opened on October 27, 1907 and was completed in April 1908.

During its heyday in the early 1940’s, Union Station was a thriving transportation hub serving up to 42,000 passengers daily. After 1945, conditions deteriorated quickly. The demand on transportation during World War II wore greatly on the station, and repairs were often done inexpensively, diminishing the station’s elegance. Public trends shifted from rail to cars and planes for long-distance travel, which further diminished rail passenger revenues, station activity and the feeling of excitement that once percolated through the building.
--from Union Station website website

We took the Metro over to Union Station and crossed over from the metro area into the main body of the station.  After we found where our train would be leaving later we decided to explore and see what the station had to offer.  We first discovered an area with a number of different shops--I thought this was a rather good thing to add to a trafficked building.

We then headed into the Main Hall of the building.

The East Hall looks even more historic than the Main Hall, something about it really reminded me of the 1930s.

The ceiling of the Main Hall is particularly interesting.

In alcoves you can see a number of statues.

We next headed out the front doors.

When you look up you can see more statues on the outside.

Looking to the side you can see even the entryway is highly decorated.

In front is a replica of the Liberty Bell.

You can also see the US Capitol in the distance.

Turning around we could see the front of the building, which definitely had a grand stone edifice.

Before too long it was time to board our train and head back to Richmond.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about our time at Union Station, if you want to see more pictures of the building open this album.

~Matt

Martin Luther King Jr Memorial

Although we were heading out of town on the evening train we had one more memorial to see after we toured the FDR Memorial last may.  Continuing around the Tidal Basin we next came to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and spent a few minutes there before heading back to our hotel to pick up our bags.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is located in West Potomac Park at 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., referencing the year the Civil Rights Act Of 1964 became law. The memorial’s official dedication date is August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, though the ceremony was postponed until October 16 due to Hurricane Irene.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who became a notable figure during the U.S. civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until he was assassinated in 1968. He played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African American citizens in the U.S., influencing the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among other honors.

King's memorial is the first to honor an African American individual on the National Mall. The space is a place to contemplate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy: a non-violent philosophy striving for freedom, justice, and equality.

--from Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial website

The memorial is flanked on two sides by low walls covered with many different quotes from King's speeches and writings.

As you approach the center of the monument you can see something that looks different.

Alternately if you approach from the bookstore you'll first see what looks like a mountain with a slot cut out of it.

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

From the "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963. The quotation serves as the theme of the overall design of the memorial, which realizes the metaphorical mountain and stone.

--from Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial website

Once you walk through the "mountain" you can see the statue, separated from the rest of the stone.

On the side you can see the relevant quote that explains the structure of the monument.

As I mentioned above after a quick stop by the bookstore we left the area as we prepared to leave town.  You can view all of the pictures I took in this album.

~Matt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

After we left Eastern Market we headed back to the Mall and got off at the Smithsonian station.  We then headed west until we could turn south to go around the Tidal Basin.  The last time we'd toured the Mall we had not gone any further around the basin than stopping by the Jefferson Memorial and I wanted to see more.

After making a quick stop at Jefferson we kept going until we ran into the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.  Unfortunately coming from this direction we technically started at the end of the memorial, which is laid out in a chronological progression.  To learn more about the proper progression through the memorial check out this description.

Franklin Roosevelt remains intimately connected to the National Park Service. During a speech in 1936, President Roosevelt noted the special quality of national parks by stating that "there is nothing so American." He captured the essential truth of the agency by declaring, "the fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us."
--from Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial website

While we saw some signs they weren't very prominent.

Before too long we came to the memorial proper.

Roosevelt is famous for his dedication to what he believed were four fundamental freedoms: of speech, of worship, from want, and from fear.

As you walk through the memorial, which is rather extensive and not one structure like you'll find with Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln you will see many different FDR quotes such as this one.

This area is supposed to have water, however it was discovered that the design of the area was faulty as too much water ended up in the utility vault, so the fountain was drained so that the issue could be fixed.

Eleanor Roosevelt, who besides being First Lady also served as the First United States delegate to the United Nations is of course featured in the memorial alongside her husband.

Roosevelt's death in office (shortly after he'd started his unprecedented fourth term--after finishing his unprecedented third term was unexpected and he was given a state funeral, including the transport of his coffin on a caisson through Washington DC.

Fala, the Scottish Terrier, was quite possibly America’s favorite presidential pet. So popular, in fact, that his statue receives a prominent position next to the statue of his owner, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in the third room of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The bronze statue of Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, Fala’s full name, is the only presidential pet honored in such a way.

Franklin Roosevelt had several pets, but only Fala, named after a family ancestor, would quickly become the president’s favorite. So endeared was he that he remained at the president’s side and a common fixture at the White House until the Roosevelt’s death in 1945.
--from Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial website

"I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded...I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed...I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
--Franklin Delano Roosevelt August 14, 1936

A defining characteristic of Roosevelt's term before World War II was the Great Depression and things like bread lines.

He was also famous for his Fireside Chats, broadcast on radio to the entire nation, something fairly new for a president.

Finally when we got to the start of the normal path through the memorial we came upon the gift shop.

Next to the gift shop is the "prologue room" which contains this statue of Roosevelt, showing something that was not widely shared during his lifetime, at least not through the media, his reliance on a wheelchair due to polio, which he contracted at the age of 39 and which caused him to lose the use of his legs.

The statue was not part of the original memorial. It was added in 2001 following a campaign by the National Organization on Disability to demonstrate that after contracting polio at the age of 39, Roosevelt spent much of his life in a wheelchair and should be shown that way. Others asserted that FDR went to great effort to conceal his disability. Private funds were raised, and the statue was added. The chair in the statue depicts the one the president designed himself from a kitchen chair and tricycle wheels.
--from Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial website

If you'd like to see more photos from the site check out this album.

~Matt

Eastern Market Washington DC

A few years ago when we visited Washington DC we wanted to go someplace fun so we decided to drop by the Eastern Market.  We took the Metro over, walked from the stop towards the market, and discovered that it was closed.  It was a Monday and the market is only open six days a week.  Still, that visit put the spot on the map for us and was something we wanted to go back and experience.  We finally got the chance while we were staying in the city last May.

From Tuesday through Sunday, visitors flow through the South Hall Market, where merchants serve the finest meats, poultry, seafood, produce, pasta, baked goods and cheeses from around the world. On weekends, Eastern Market buzzes with excitement, live music, and local flair! Outside of the market, local farmers empty their trucks with recently harvested produce…direct from farms in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Beyond fruits, veggies, and fresh flowers, over 100 exhibitors of handmade arts, crafts, jewelry, and antiques offer something for everyone!
--from Eastern Market website

My wife had bought me the book Grand Avenues, about architect L'enfant's design of the city of Washington DC before our trip and it was fun to see different elements of his plan visible as we toured the city, from the sight-lines from the Capitol to Eastern Market.

Pierre L’Enfant’s 1791 plans for the city of Washington designated space for local markets. Eastern Market, completed in 1873, emerged from this original plan. It was designed by a German-born immigrant named Adolf Cluss. A renowned local architect of his time, Cluss also designed the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building, which to this day is a prominent building on The Mall.
--from Eastern Market website

Inside you'll find a large, well market-style building.  It is very similar to Cincinnati's Findlay Market or Charleston West Virginia's Capitol Market if you've been to either of those venues (as we have).  We browsed for a while looking at the different venues to see what was available.  This seafood booth had plenty of different options if we'd been wanting to cook.

This venue had already closed up for the day unfortunately.

Finding fun different produce items are a definite benefit of shopping at a market versus a grocery store.  I've found some items that were locally grown or unique and not what you'd find at a mainstream store.

Do you like meat?  If so then you have many different options to choose from!

And don't forget cheese.  I was tempted to buy a fun variety of cheese for lunch, but ultimately we went another direction.

Finally I stopped by the Fine Sweet Shoppe where I picked up a hot dog for myself and a milkshake for my wife (she really likes milkshakes).

How do these desserts look?  I found it very hard to pick the one that I wanted to go with my meal.

Ultimately I settled on one of the huge lemon bars and let me tell you it was incredibly delicious!

Amy was in the mood for something a little different so we browsed through Paik Produce and discovered that they had fried dumplings, so we bought her an order which she really enjoyed.

After eating, we headed back to the Metro and went to the Mall so that we could tour some memorials.

If you're touring Washington DC and want to find a place to eat that is off the beaten path then you could do much worse than stopping by Eastern Market.  If you want to see all the photos from our visit check out this album.

~Matt