The Washington, D.C. Photo Blog

Korean War Memorial (Photo 2)

2008-10-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

Visit the official site for the memorial by clicking here.

Korean War Memorial

2008-10-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours that was in the Korean War pointed out the soldiers' ponchos would be linked together to create tents once they had a point they could rest.

Arlington National Cemetary (Arlington, VA)

2008-10-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

Arlington National Cemetery; Arlington, VA

Changing of the Guard (Photo 2)

2008-10-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Changing of the Guard Ceremony; Arlington National Cemetery

Changing of the Guard

2008-10-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Changing of the Guard Ceremony; Arlington Cemetary

Arlington National Cemetary Auditorium (Arlington, VA) Photo 2

2008-10-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Find more photo's at the official site's photo gallery by clicking here.

Arlington National Cemetary Auditorium (Arlington, VA)

2008-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

You can visit the website for Arlington National Cemetery by clicking here.

Marine Corps War Memorial (Arlington, V.A.) Photo 2

2008-10-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

You can visit the official site for the memorial by clicking here.

Arlington National Cemetary; Arlington, VA (Photo 4)

2008-10-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Outside view of the auditorium.

Arlington National Cemetary; Arlington, VA (Photo 3)

2008-10-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Inside one of the display buildings of Arlington Cemetery.

WWII Memorial

2008-10-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of the inner walls of the WWII Memorial.

Arlington National Cemetary; Arlington, VA (Photo 2)

2008-10-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Auditorium of Arlington National Cemetery.

Arlington National Cemetary; Arlington, VA

2008-10-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

The architecture there was very beautiful.

Marine Corps War Memorial (Arlington, V.A.)

2008-10-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Prior to visiting, I though the soldiers would be life size--they're actually 32 feet tall. The flag pole is 60 feet.

Elephant (Center Room)

2008-10-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

You can see most of the other museum sections from this center room.

Washington, D.C. Civil War Statue

2008-10-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. Statue

2008-10-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Lincoln Memorial

2008-10-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

I would suggest at least two trips to the Lincoln Memorial on your visit if you have the time--once during the day and again at night. You can visit the official site of the monument for more information by clicking here.

Museum Lobby

2008-10-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

The ceiling style is very similar to what you see in Union Station. The museum is huge--we arrived about 30 minutes prior to closing, so had to do a quick run-through. You could easily spend several days looking at everything in detail.

T-Rex Fossil

2008-10-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

I kept thinking of Jurassic Park the whole time we were in this section.

National Museum of Natural History Fossil Room

2008-10-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

Notice on the top level there is a fossil of a shark's jaw that is wider than the T-Rex's mouth!

Stegosaurus Fossil

2008-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

You can find out more about the exhibits by clicking here.

T-Rex Head Fossil

2008-10-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

To give you an idea of size, the head was about 3 feet tall and almost 4 feet long.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Exterior

2008-10-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

You could spend days inside just one branch of the Smithsonian Museums. Find out more about the National Museum of Natural History by clicking here.

The Capitol Building 2

2008-10-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Construction of the U.S. Capitol Building began in 1793. You can find out more of it's history by clicking here.

The Capitol Building

2008-10-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

I definitely recommend a tour of the Capitol Building--you can get more information at their website by clicking here.

Statue

2008-10-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

I took this photo on our way to Union Station.

Union Station Exterior

2008-10-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Union Station was the largest station in the world during the time it was built--200 acres and 75 miles of tracks.

Union Station 3

2008-10-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

I love the way the sun reflected off the arches at this angle.

Union Station 2

2008-10-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Notice the row of statues on top of the row of columns.

Union Station 1

2008-10-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Union station opened in 1907 and was finished in 1908. The architecture inside is incredible.

Archway in Washington, D.C.

2008-10-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

The architecture of Washington, D.C. is incredible. I like the way this shot turned out--this was taken in color, but I took the saturation out using Adobe Photoshop.

The WWII Memorial

2008-10-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Each of the columns you see in the background is engraved with the name of a state. It is absolutely beautiful at night to the point it's almost unreal if you've never been before. We walked from here to the Lincoln Memorial and back again and then later took the subway back to our hotel in Arlington, V.A. This was on our first day, and the rest of the trip was spent inside of D.C.

Washington Monument and WWII Memorial

2008-10-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

This was absolutely one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen in my life. The photo came out wonderful, but I would definitely recommend going there to see it in person.

The following day after I took this, I got to speak with several WWII veterans who were in Washington for a reunion. All of them had really incredible stories of the things they had seen and experienced--it made me wish I had a digital recorder. That may be something you want to consider if you plan a trip and the people you speak with are fine with it.

Washington Monument 7

2008-10-14T22:18:00.001-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

The Washington Monument is exactly 555 ft. 5 1/8 inches high, with an observation point at the 500ft level.

Washington Monument 6

2008-10-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

Washington Monument 5

2008-10-14T22:15:00.001-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

Though surpassed by many steel buildings in height, the Washington Monument is still the tallest free-standing stone structure in the world.

Washington Monument 4

2008-10-14T22:14:00.001-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

The Washington Monument is still the tallest structure in Washington, D.C. It was the tallest structure in the world for about five years after its completion, after which it was surpassed by the Eiffel Tower.

Washington Monument 3

2008-10-14T22:13:00.001-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

To get tickets for the Washington Monument, you need to get to the kiosk (a small building near the monument) as early as possible the day you want to visit. It opens at 8:30 A.M., but I would suggest getting in line at least 30 minutes prior to that if you have a specific time you want to go up in it. Tickets are free this way. You can get more information about advanced reservations by clicking here.

Washington Monument 2

2008-10-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

A completely free-standing marble structure (the steel inside is for an elevator and staircase but not the monument itself, the Washington Monument weighs an amazing 90,854 tons!

Washington Monument 1

2008-10-14T22:09:00.001-07:00

Taken in September 2007.

The construction of the Washington Monument took place in two stages. The first was between 1848-56 and the second phase was from 1876-84. The Civil War interrupted the construction process in between. You can tell a distinct difference in the marble toward the bottom portion of the monument.