W A S H I N G T O N   D . C .   -   D A Y   # 1

Monday, October 25, 2004

Two parallel temporary construction fences have been erected to keep the masses at bay. Apparently they're preparing for the 2005 Presidential Inauguration.

Nearby I encounter a prominent landmark, The Peace Monument. Erected in 1877-78 to commemorate Civil War era deaths at sea, this 44-foot high white marble monument captures my imagination with its figures representing Grief, History, Victory, and Peace. Additionally, near the base of the memorial, Mars, the God of War, and Neptune, the God of the Sea, are embodied in the form of pudgy cherubs.

Looking westward I see the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Over yonder is the United States Botanic Garden. Inspired by the likes of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, the garden is the oldest, continuously operating public garden in the United States.

Two U.S. Capitol Police pass me by. Hmmm, I wonder, is that a drinking fountain for horses?

Not far from the U.S. Capitol Building, I make my way to Union Station, the most visited site in all of Washington, D.C. Twenty five million people a year walk the marble floors of this grand train station.