Washington DC

Washington DC has a distinct ‘New England’ feel to it. The autumn foliage, the beautiful mansions, the old style houses, and the parks help make downtown Washington DC feel smaller than it is. You certainly won’t find any skyscrapers here!

DC Insider Tours

Our first day in DC we took a 6 hour walking tour, which gave us a sense of the capital’s rich history and covered the main sightseeing spots.

We met our guide outside the north entrance to the Dupont Circle metro (after running around for 15 minutes, trying to find the right entrance because Google Maps had led us to the wrong one – thanks Google Maps). We managed to luck out once more; there were only 3 of us on tour.

Our guide, Kevin, spent the first 15 minutes giving us a rundown of DC’s history. It’s origin story is actually quite similar to Canberra’s funnily enough. The rivalry between the southern and northern states was so strong that Washington DC ended up being picked to be the capital city despite the fact that the city didn’t actually exist at the time and the site itself was covered in swampland. The fact that it was close to George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon was just an additional perk.

We walked down Massachusetts Ave, also called Embassy Row. The streets here are lined with the most beautiful mansions and are generally home to different embassies. How did a bunch of foreign embassies come to own these extravagant mansions you may ask? Well,  quite simply, they bought them off the rich. In the days before World War II, Washington DC’s wealthy citizens were reknowned for their extravagant lifestyles. They would wile away their days spending large amounts of money on the most ridiculous things (trips to Paris to get their hair done for example) and host large parties where they would complain about how tiring the life of a socialite was. They had enough savings to get through the Great Depression, but when World War II hit, they hit a brick wall. Unable to continue their spending sprees, they were forced to sell off their mansions for just a fraction of what they were worth. And who should buy them but a bunch of foreign embassies.

The tour moved into Georgetown, which is a beautiful, historic neighbourhood that has been around since DC was first established as the nation’s capital. The streets are narrow, the houses have that old style look, and trees line the footpath. Winter has only just begun so the colours of autumn are still going strong and leaves are everywhere you look.

As you might expect, it’s a very expensive neighbourhood; the houses are old fashioned and worth millions of dollars because of it. The ironic thing is that none of these houses come with attached garages. Some homes have ‘carriage houses’, but while they fit carriages quite comfortably, they’re too narrow for cars. So, pretty much people pay millions and millions dollars for these houses but are still forced to park their cars on the street wherever they can find a spot. Kevin’s seen all manner of fancy cars parked out on the street, even a ferrari, purely because the homeowners can’t park anywhere else.

As we approached the end of Georgetown, we sighted the Dumbarton Bridge, which is a historic masonry arch bridge built in 1915. The bridge’s design reflects a nostalgia for the American Frontier, which by then had disappeared. 2 bronze statues depicting bison sit at each entrance and the supporting arches of the bridge are decorated with a bust taken from a face cast of Kicking Bear, the Sioux Chief. It’s a beautiful bridge not often noticed because people tend to cross over it rather than walk past it.

My photos didn’t turn out so well so if you want to check it out: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6840/the-interesting-story-of-the-dumbarton-bridge/.

We continued walked through Foggy Bottom and checked out the State Building before heading down to the Potomac River  and walking along the wharf. We sighted the Watergate Complex as we headed to lunch and Kevin explained the story behind the complex and how it related to the Nixon Scandal. Needless to say this story reminded me why I dislike politicians so much.

After lunch (where I actually got to eat some fresh salad!!!), we continued on to the National Mall. This was my favourite part of the tour, purely because of the historical significance behind everything we saw.

Our first stop was the Lincoln Memorial, which was just amazing! It’s style is very Roman and Lincoln sits where, in Rome, a god or goddess would sit.

We were able to get some great views of the Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol Building before climbing the stairs of the memorial. We were lucky as the crowds were pretty light; Kevin mentioned that he took a tour group through on July 4 and the crowds were so thick they couldn’t even get up the steps! Travel in the low season folks.

The statue of Abraham Lincoln is uncanny in its detail and likeness. Looking up the majestic, solemn figure, I could see why Lincoln is so revered. The sad thing is he was revered in death only; as a president he wasn’t very popular, particularly among the southern states. It’s a pity because he was so passionate about the reunification of his country and was running for a second term as president when he was assassinated by a southerner.

There’s a lot of detail off to the sides of the memorial; there’s some artwork, stone carvings, and you can read through 2 of Lincoln’s most famous speeches.

Other sights we saw in the National Mall included the Vietnam and World War II Memorials, the Washington Monument, and of course the White House (from afar). We also got to see a squirrel party (I can’t think of any other way to describe what we saw); dozens and dozens of squirrels dashing throughout the grass and climbing trees, looking for and eating acorns. Kevin was initially amused at our fascination with the little creatures but eventually admitted he’d be the same if it was a mob of kangaroos and that even he hadn’t seen so many squirrels in the one place before. They were so cute and fat and fluffy!

We finished up the tour a little after 4 pm. My legs were aching, but I didn’t care one bit. The day I had was more than worth a few aches and pains!

The Smithsonian Museums

The great thing about the Smithsonian Museums is not that there are heaps of them (thought that is awesome), it’s that they’re free. The museums I attended in Seattle cost $25-30 USD to get into; the Neon Museum cost $19, but in DC, any museum with the name Smithsonian attached to it is completely free. As you can imagine, I took full advantage of this!

Natural History Museum

I really only went into this museum to check out the Hope Diamond, a supposedly ‘cursed’ deep blue diamond necklace. I ended up checking out the space and geology exhibits as well. I got to see a few moon rocks, lots of meteorites, the oldest known rock ever found on Earth, and a tube of liquid stardust dating back to when our solar system was first formed! The gemstones were pretty (my favourites were the blue topaz and green beryls. The Hope Diamond was sadly underwhelming. I was expecting a beautiful blue diamond, but it was actually quite an ugly shade of blue. I’m tipping that it’s allure lies in its ‘curse’ rather than its beauty or maybe I just don’t get the appeal of diamonds.

American History Museum

This museum was big, big, big! There are 14 exhibits all up and I didn’t even cover half of them. I saw most of America on the Move and bits of Food, American Stories, and First Ladies. The only exhibitions I was able to see in their entirety were Price of Freedom, American Presidency, and Star-Spangled Banner. Price of Freedom detailed the history of America’s various wars. Star-Spangled Banner displayed the flag that was flown during the bombing of Fort McHenry by the British in the War of 1812 and explained how America’s national anthem was inspired by the poem ‘Defence of Fort M’Henry’, which was written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key who witnessed the attack from Baltimore Harbour (he was a prisoner of the British at the time). Key was heartened when, at dawn, he saw the American flag was still flying and ended up writing a poem based on his experiences.

Highlights of the museum include the ‘star-spangled banner’ itself, which is looking very worn but is still mostly whole, George Washington’s uniform from when he was commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, the section on Abraham Lincoln, which includes his original top hat, and the restored steam locomotive Jupiter. You can also see Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz film, several of the Muppets from Sesame Street, dresses worn by the various first ladies, and a photographic reprint of the Constitution (the real Constitution is stored at the National Archives and is apparently so deteriorated it’s not even legible).

I also left this museum with a great sense of irony. You know that famous line in the US Declaration of Independence ‘all men are created equal’? Well it turns out at Thomas Jefferson, who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, didn’t even need to hide the fact that he was elitist, racist, and sexist. That ‘all men are created equal line’ ignores three groups of people: men who didn’t own property, African Americans, and women. So the line should really say, ‘all men are created equal except those men who are not created equal or women’.

The Capitol Building

This was just a quick photo stop but you can take a tour if you wish. I did have an American woman lean out the window of her car to ask me if it was the White House. Mind instantly boggled as I realised that some Americans don’t even know what their own White House looked like, I responded, “No, it’s the Capitol”. To be fair the American walking behind me was clearly equally boggled. “Did she seriously need you to tell her that’s the Capitol?” he asked, bewildered. Apparently yes.

American Indian Museum

This museum actually doesn’t have a lot of exhibits; a lot of space is taken up with cafes and gift shops. You can see examples of Native American tools, games, bead work, carving, and some weaponry/headgear outside the exhibits, but my favourite part of the museum was Nation to Nation: Treaties between the United States and the American Indian Nations. This exhibit really spoke to me as it highlighted the injustices done to the Native Americans by the US government but also finished on a hopeful note, explaining how things had changed since the dark times of forced resettlement and how everyone continued to hope for the future.

Some powerful quotes that really stuck out for me:

“Indians have been so often deceived by White people, that White Man is, among many of them, but another name for Liar. Really, Sir I am unwilling to be subjected to this infamy.”

Thomas Pickering in a letter to George Washington ca. 1792

According to the US Constitution, the Senate has to ratify any treaty before it can take effect. The eighteen California treaties were submitted to the Senate in 1852. None were ratified.

American Indian Museum

It is a mercy to the red devils to exterminate them, and a saving of many white lives. Treaties are played out – there is one kind of treaty that is effective – cold lead.

Chico Courant newspaper, 1866

It costs less to civilize than to kill.

The United States

Kill the Indian, save the man.

Richard Henry Pratt, late 1800s Indian educator 

They have neither the intelligence, the industry, the moral habits, nor the desire of improvements which are essential to any favorable change in their condition. Established in the midst of another and a superior race, and without appreciating the causes of their inferiority or seeking to control them, they must necessarily yield to the force of circumstances and ere long disappear.

President Andrew Johnson, 1833

Great nations, like great men, should keep their word.

US Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black 1960

Air and Space Museum

Another massive museum. If you read everything there was to read here you’d probably have to come back the next day. There are 2 floors and over 20 exhibits! You can learn about the history of telescopes and early flight, the Apollo missions, methods of navigation, planets, the Wright Brothers, aviation in both world wars, and more!

Highlights of this museum included being able to touch a moon rock, the model of the Starship Enterprise, the Wright Brothers’ original 1903 Flyer, and the original Spirit of St Louis Plane (in 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew ‘Spirit of St Louis’ from Paris to New York on the world’s first solo nonstop transatlantic flight).

Free Tours by Foot: Lincoln Assassination Tour

This tour was free to book and then at the end you paid (or tipped in this case) what you thought the tour was worth. It was 1.5 hour walking tour and the tour guide, Carolyn, went into great detail about the night of Lincoln’s assassination as well as why, how, and where it occurred.

I booked this tour months ago; I thought it would be interesting since I knew nothing about Lincoln’s assassination except the fact that he was assassinated. I’m really into history and the story is fascinating in its drama and tragedy.

Fact: Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in April 1865, an actor and a confederate sympathiser.

Fact: The assassination occurred at Ford’s Theatre during a showing of a comedic British play called Our American Cousin.

Fact: Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated. He had very little security, something which used to exasperate his wife and would even ride his horse through the streets of DC unaccompanied.

Fact: Lincoln was assassinated shortly after the Civil War ended. This infuriated everyone as they believed Lincoln was going to be the one who reunited the United States.

Fact: Booth’s plan was to assassinate the president, the vice president, and the secretary of state at the same time. He couldn’t be everywhere at once so he hired 2 other men to assassinate the vice president and secretary of state. George Atzerodt, an unscrupulous German smuggler, was meant to assassinate the vice president (Andrew Johnson) but lost his nerve (and was later executed anyway). Lewis Powell, a former Confederate prisoner of war, was recruited to kill the secretary the state (William Seward). He managed to seriously wound Seward and several others but was not able to actually kill him.

Fact: Lincoln was shot in the back of the head at 10:15 pm April 14, 1865. He died 7:22 am April 15, 1865. He left behind a fractured nation that to this day still mourns his loss.

Ford’s Theatre and the House Where Lincoln Died

Since coming to DC, I’ve become fascinated with Abraham Lincoln. Considering the fact he was born in 1809 and was president of the US between 1861-65, he was pretty forward thinking. He hated slavery and said so quite plainly to the masses, “I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel.”

Keep in mind that’s only one quote from Lincoln on the subject; there are heaps more to choose from. In fact one of the things that started the Civil War was the fact that the North AKA the Union wanted to abolish slavery and the South AKA the Confederacy wanted to keep it.

Ford’s Theatre, for those who don’t know, is where Lincoln was assassinated. There’s a small museum there where you can learn about Lincoln’s presidency, family, and life as well as the progression of the Civil War and how he reacted to it.

You need a ticket to enter Ford’s Theatre, which is free, though there is a small convenience fee if you pre-book online. The ticket includes entrance to the museum, a ranger’s talk in the actual theatre, a look through the House Where Lincoln Died (creatively named I know), and access to the exhibits in the Ford’s Theatre Centre for Education and Learning.

The Lincoln Museum was fantastic, but unfortunately you only get a limited time here before you have to move into the theatre for the ranger’s talk. I had about 40 minutes, but for such a small museum there’s actually a lot of information, plus you have to navigate through the crowds.

The best thing about the museum (and the ranger’s talk) in my opinion is that you get to learn a lot of information about Lincoln himself. He was a very competent president but also a kind man. He didn’t talk down to anyone, not to the men beneath his command, not to women, not even to African Americans. He enjoyed going to the theatre because it gave him a break from the stresses of real life. He had ‘office hours’, in which anyone who wanted to could come into the White House and speak to him. He was pretty much the start of the civil rights movement.

The museum had lots of photographs too, not only of Lincoln but also of his family. It was strange looking at those pictures; obviously they were taken over 150 years ago, but I’ve always found it sad to look at old photographs when I know the fate of the people in them. I want to speak to them, to warn them about the perils that are coming their way, but I can’t and that saddens me.

The ranger’s talk was very good. You get to go into the theatre and see the box where Lincoln was assassinated while listening to the tale of his last day of life. I think what really made the talk was the ranger’s passion; I’d heard most of the story the previous night, but the woman freely admitted how much she admired Lincoln and gave real life and emotion to the talk. It was a poignant moment when she told us that Lincoln actually had a pretty good day and that when Booth shot him in the back of the head, he was probably laughing (Booth chose to assassinate Lincoln right after the funniest line in the play Our American Cousin; the hope was that the audience would be so busy laughing they wouldn’t hear the gunshot). He was right there; very few people recall hearing a gunshot that night.

After the ranger’s talk, I went with everyone across to the House Where Lincoln died. They only allow a certain amount of people in at a time and you walk through three fully restored and furnished rooms, the last being the room that Lincoln died in. This walk through lasted maybe 5 minutes.

The last part of the ‘tour’ takes you down to the Lincoln Education and Learning Centre. On the fourth floor you learn about the manhunt that ensued for Booth and the other conspirators in the assassination/s plot. On the third and second floors there are exhibits on the legacy Lincoln left behind and how he inspired and continues to inspire people everywhere.

Considering what happened to Lincoln and how his death affected his family and friends, the exhibit ends on a bright note by discussing his achievements, his legacy, and what he means to different people (you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t love the guy).

The Postal Museum

My last stop in DC was the postal museum, which was surprisingly cool for a museum based on stamps and mail. There are several exhibits but the museum is small enough that you can see (and read) everything in about 3 hours.

The first level is mainly dedicated to stamps; you get to see a series of rare stamps, learn the history of these little pieces of paper, see examples of famous stamp collectors, and walk through an exhibit based on the stamps that have been inspired by the USA’s national parks. There’s even a Stamps Around the World exhibit, which includes a stamp from Tasmania! There’s a few interactive activities for kids and adults alike and information on famous mail carriers and how the postal service responds to crises.

The second floor explores the history of mail and the postal service much more thoroughly and how it helped communities and the nation as a whole grow. There are several models on display; carriages, wagons, planes, vans, and a train.

Highlights of this museum included the section on mail delivery during war (I found this very touching), the stamps themselves (there are so many and some of them are pretty much miniature works of art), and the story of Owney, a little dog adopted by the Albany Railway Mail Service in 1888 who went on to became their mascot.

Owney would ride along with the mailbags across the state, country, and even overseas. Workers considered him a good luck charm; in a time when train wrecks were all too common, no train Owney was on was ever wrecked. The railway mail clerks adored him and marked his travels by attaching medals and tags to his collar. The number of tags grew and grew until the postmaster general, noticing that Owney’s collar was becoming weighed down with tags, provided the little dog with a harness to display his trophies.

When Owney died in 1897, the mail clerks raised enough money to have him preserved (stuffed). He was donated to the Smithsonian in 1911 and now lives in the postal museum’s atrium, surrounded by his tags.

…He’s a bit creepy, isn’t he? I love dogs and Owney’s story made me smile as did the photographs and statue of him that are on display, but the actual preserved Owney, yeah, he weirded me out a little.

Oh well, I finished my day by buying a couple of Owney souvenirs and a packet full of Disney stamps, all made in the US. Money well spent!

Tomorrow I say goodbye to Washington DC and hello to New York. DC is my favourite city so I’m a little sad to be leaving, but still, NEW YORK!