Hi! I'm Snuggles, the West Highland White Terrier.  I'm the officially unofficial mascot of the 2008 Convention.  I belong to your convention chairman, Dee.  During this year I will be taking you on a tour of Old Town Alexandria and the DC area. So check back regularly! Woof!

Introduction

The city of Washington, DC did not exist when the American Revolution gave birth to the United States of America in 1776.  At that time it consisted of a dense forest and farmland.  This land, however, did have two things going for it.  It was located on the shores of the Potomac and it was very close to George Washington’s estate, Mt. Vernon.  When the 1790 Congress gave President George Washington the power to select a site for a new federal district, he chose this area, located at the junction of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and about 14 miles upstream from Mt. Vernon.  The ten-mile square which was to become Washington, DC, was made up of land ceded by the State of Maryland and farmland “donated” by landowners.  Apparently, President Washington was a hard man to say no to.

When it came time to plan the city, George Washington turned to a French Engineer, Pierre-Charles L’Enfant, whom he had met during the American Revolution.  When Pierre L’Enfant arrived in 1791, he termed his task as turning “a savage wilderness into a garden of Eden”.  One of L’Enfant’s first decisions was to place the “Congress House” (as the Capitol was referred to in those days) on a high ground called Jenkins Hill.  Extending along the foot of the Capitol was to be a 400-foot wide “Grand Avenue” where elegant foreign ministries and cultural institutions would be located (this area eventually became the National Mall).
L’Enfant’s plans for the new federal city were quite revolutionary for his time.  He made many enemies with his exacting

demands (including having a house torn down which interfered with the view from the Congress House).  President Washington had no choice but to fire his brilliant, but volatile, city planner and it was up to Andrew Ellicott, the original city surveyor, and Benjamin Banneker, a free black who was a self-taught mathematician and astronomer, to finish what L’Enfant had started.  Ellicott’s plan, which basically adhered to L’Enfant’s plan, is what the designers of the city have followed and it is the template for today’s capital city.

National Mall

Although the idea for the National Mall was originally conceived by L’Enfant in his plans for the city of Washington, DC, his plan was not brought into fruition until the early 20th century by the McMillan Commission plan.  Among other things, the McMillan plan called for the moving of the main railroad station from where it stood on the National Mall to its current location at Union Station closer to the Capitol.

Today the National Mall is a beautifully designed area which contains many of the most often visited monuments, museums, and historic buildings in our fair city.  It stretches from the grounds of the Washington Monument to the United States Capitol directly to the east and to the Lincoln Monument to the west.  Only 2 miles in length, it contains not only the aforementioned monuments but the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as well.  Many of the Smithsonian Museums are also located along its length, among which are the Museum of American History, the Museum of American History, the Air and Space Museum and the newest kid on the block, the National Museum of the American Indian.  The National Mall can be leisurely walked on a beautiful spring day.  So bring your comfy shoes and take a leisurely stroll along one of the most beautiful sections of our city.

Monuments

It has been said you can’t swing a cat in Washington, DC without hitting either a monument or a museum.  Nowhere is this maxim more true than the National Mall.  Whether you start from the Lincoln Memorial in the west or the Capitol in the East, you will be enthralled by this walk along our nation’s history.

1. The Washington Monument is a large, white-colored obelisk right smack in the center of the National Mall built to honor the memory of our first president, George Washington.  At 555 feet, it stands among the tallest masonry structures in the world. Although construction began in 1848, it was not completed until 1884 due to lack of funds and the eruption of the Civil War.  When you look at the monument, you will see a difference in the marble shading where the construction stopped and where it restarted in 1876.  This beautiful monument can be seen in the aptly named Reflecting Pool, a rectangular pool extending to the west, towards the Lincoln Memorial.

The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The Washington Monument is free, but does require a ticket to enter and ride the elevator to the top. The ticket kiosk for the monument, located at the base of the monument on 15th street opens at 8:30 am to distribute free tickets on a first come, first served basis. One person may pick up to six tickets maximum. All individuals (including children must have a ticket). During the spring and summer, tickets traditionally go very quickly for the entire day. The line for tickets has started as early as 7:30 am; therefore, please plan accordingly.
If you would like to reserve a ticket(s) in advance you may do so by either visiting the National Park Service ticketing website http://www.reservation.gov or by calling 1.877.444.6777.  For group reservations only call 1.877.559.6777. There is a $1.50 fee per order to reserve tickets ahead of time. These tickets may be picked up at the “will call” window of the monument ticket kiosk the day of your tour.

2. The Lincoln Memorial is a Presidential Memorial built to honor the memory of President Abraham Lincoln.  The memorial was built in the style of a Greek Doric temple.  It is ‘peripteral’, with 36 massive columns which represent the 36 states which existed at the time of Lincoln’s death.  The main influence on the style of the Lincoln Memorial was the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Greece.  The focus of the memorial is Daniel Chester French’s sculpture of Lincoln, seated.  An interesting tidbit to note is that Daniel French also designed the sculpture of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, first president of Gallaudet University, a college for the deaf located in Washington, DC.  It is said that Lincoln’s hands were sculpted to represent letters in the American Sign Language--the left hand represents the letter A and the right hand represents the letter L.  The National Park Service denies this theory but you be the judge.

The Lincoln Memorial is open 24 hours a day.  Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm daily   You do not need tickets to enter it.  If you can, make plans to see this beautiful monument in the late afternoon.  With the sun setting in the west, it should be easy to capture a gorgeous picture of the National Mall glowing in the golden light.

3. The National World War II Memorial is the most recent monument on the National Mall.  A National Memorial to Americans who served and died in World War II, it is located to the west of the Washington Monument and to the East of the Lincoln Memorial, close to the Reflecting Pool.

Construction started on 2001 and was dedicated on May 29, 2004.  The memorial consists of 56 pillars, arranged in a semicircle around a central plaza with two 43-foot arches on opposite sides.  Each pillar is inscribed with the names of the then 48 U.S. States, the District of Columbia and the other United States territories.  The Freedom Wall is located on the west side of the memorial, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial behind it.  The wall contains 4048 gold stars, each one representing approximately 100 American deaths incurred in the war.

The World War II Memorial is open 24 hours a day.  No tickets are needed to visit this memorial.  As with the Lincoln Memorial, park rangers are available from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. to answer questions.

4. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial that honors members of the U.S. armed forces who died in service or are unaccounted for during the Vietnam War. Its construction and related issues have been the source of numerous controversies, some of which have resulted in additions to the memorial complex. The designer, Maya Lin, felt that “the politics had eclipsed the veterans, their service and their lives.” She kept the design elegantly simple to “allow everyone to respond and remember.”  The Memorial currently consists of three separate parts: the Three Soldiers Statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is the most recognized part of the memorial.  The main part of the memorial was completed in 1982 and is located in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall, just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial.

5. The Korean War Veterans Memorial  is a national war memorial which honors those who served in the Korean War.  Here, one finds the expression of American gratitude to those who restored freedom to South Korea.  Nineteen stainless steel sculptures stand silently under the watchful eye of a sea of faces upon a granite wall which bears a simple inscription--“Freedom is not Free”—a reminder of the human cost of defending freedom.  This haunting memorial is located southwest of the Washington Monument and may be visited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Museums

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex.  It was founded by the British scientist, James Smithson.  In his will, Smithson stated that should his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, die without heirs, the Smithson estate would go to the United States for creating an “Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”  The nephew did indeed die without heirs and in 1835, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress of the bequest, which amounted to 104,960 gold sovereigns, or roughly half a million dollars.  Eight years later, Congress passed an act establishing the Smithsonian Institution.

Currently, the Smithsonian Institution is comprised of 19 museums, one National Zoo, and numerous research centres—most of which are located in Washington, DC.  Most of the Smithsoniam Museums are open to the public free of charge.  The most popular ones located along the National Mall are the Museums of Natural History, American History, the American Indian and the Air and Space Museum.  Most museums are open daily from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The easiest way to get to the Smithsonian is to take the Metro and get off at the Smithsonian (duh!) Metro stop.  We have highlighted a few of the Smithsonian museums below:

1. The Smithsonian Institution Building, 1000 Jefferson Drive, S.W.  You may want to start your visit to the Smithsonian in this building where the Smithsonian Information Center is located.  The crenellated architecture of the Smithsonian Institution Building has made it known informally as "The Castle".  You may have seen it in the Fox Network show, “Bones”. Here, you will find interactive touch screens with information about the Smithsonian and free brochures.

2. The Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Ave., N.W. is dedicated to the study of natural and cultural history.  Its collections include more than 126 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites and human artifacts—including the fossil bones of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and my favorite, the Hope Diamond.  This museum also includes an IMAX theatre (fee charge), a food court and two museum stores.  The gem store in particular is very handy when it comes to doing your holiday shopping.

Jazz Café at the Museum of Natural History On Friday nights from 6 -10 p.m. Cover charge $10. Live jazz, music, gourmet food and IMAX movies

3. The Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Ave., N.W., collects artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve for the American people an enduring record of their past. The Museum has more than three million artifacts in its collection.  Unfortunately, this museum is closed for renovation and will not reopen until Summer 2008.

4. The National Air and Space Museum, 6th Street at Independence Ave., S.W., is the most-visited museum in the world!  This building contains an impressive collection of aircraft that tells the story of flight from the earliest balloon flight, to the sands of Kitty Hawk, to our current explorations in space.  This museum also includes an IMAX theatre (fee charge), the Wright Place Food Court and two museum stores, all located on the first floor.

Museum highlights include the original 1903 Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, flown by Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic in 1927, and the Apollo 11 command module Columbia that carried home the astronauts from their visit to the Moon in 1969.  The closest Metro stop to this museum is the L’Enfant Plaza stop (located on the blue, orange, yellow and green lines).

5. The National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street and Independence Ave., S.W., is the newest kid on the block.  It is home to one of the largest and most diverse collections of American Indian art and cultural objects in the world and it showcases objects including beadwork, pottery, textiles, paintings, sculptures and more.  The museum grounds are surrounded by plants indigenous to the region—a forest, wetlands, meadowlands and croplands. With its Native-designed exhibitions, architecture and landscaping, the museum is the product of nearly 15 years of planning and collaboration with tribes and communities from across the hemisphere. It reflects the vast diversity of the Natives of the Americas told from their own perspective. This beautiful museum contains the Mitsitam Native Foods Café and two shops—the Chesapeake and the Roanoke Museum Stores where you may purchase silver and turquoise jewelry, books, toys, and more.  The closest Metro stop to this museum is the L’Enfant Plaza stop (located on the blue, orange, yellow and green lines) (use Maryland Avenue exit).

6. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue at 7th Street, SW., is committed to acquiring and showing art that is current and topical today, as well as works with historical significance. In the past century, artists have brought their works down from pedestals and out of frames to enter the viewers' space, using common objects, video, film, and other technology to bring the everyday into art.   The Hirshhorn Museum is housed in one of the more striking buildings along the National Mall.  It is an arresting, elevated hollow cylinder that is 82 feet high and 231 feet in diameter.  Within the hollow a spectacular fountain shoots water five stories into the air. The Sculpture Garden provides a contemplative haven for viewing over 60 works of art. These large-scale sculptures date from the 1880s to the 1960s and explore the same stylistic progression of ideas and styles as the small and mid-sized works in the Hirshhorn interior galleries.  The museum store is filled with intriguing art and posters and artis-designed jewelry.  The closest Metro stop to this museum is the L’Enfant Plaza stop (located on the blue, orange, yellow and green lines) (use Maryland Avenue exit).

7. The Freer Gallery of Art and the Sackler Gallery of Art, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW, hold one of the finest collections of Asian art and the greatest collection of work by the American artist, James McNeill Whistler, in the Western world.

One of the highlights of Freer Gallery which is not to be missed is The Peacock Room, once the dining room of Frederick R. Leyland, a wealthy shipowner from England. Leyland commissioned Whistler to “paint” the dining room. Between 1876 and 1877, Whistler brightened the room with golden peacocks, painting every inch of the ceiling and walls to create an elegant setting in which Leyland could display his blue-and-white porcelain as well as Whistler's painting, The Princess from the Land of Porcelain. Purchased by Charles Lang Freer in 1904 and installed in the Freer Gallery of Art after his death, the Peacock Room is on permanent display. The Gallery Shop includes art prints, jewelry and plenty of art kits for the budding artist in your family.

The Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave., S.W.,  is located in a striking building located underground and connected to the Freer Gallery.  Highlights include the Arts of China, Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires and Sculpture of South and Southeast Asia.
 

The United States Capitol

The United States Capitol is the capitol building which serves as the location for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government.  It is located on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall.  The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and two wings, one for each chamber of Congress.  Above these chambers are galleries where people can watch the Senate and the House of Representatives.

1. History
The site for the U.S. Capitol was chosen by Pierre Charles L’Enfant.  In 1792 a contest was held seeking designs for both the Congress House (later the U.S. Capitol) and the President’s House (later the White House).  Architect William Thornton’s designs were personally chosen by President George Washington who laid the U.S. Capitol’s cornerstone on September 18, 1793.  The Senate and the House wings were completed in 1800 and 1811, respectively.  The building was expanded dramatically in the 1850s when the wings were extended and the “wedding cake” iron-cast dome was erected. Underground tunnels connect the main Capitol building with each of the Congressional Office Buildings.  On June 20, 2000, ground was broken for the Capitol Visitor Center, which is due to open in Summer of 2008.

2. Visiting the Capitol
The following visitation policy is in effect at the Capitol as of July 3, 2003.
The Capitol is open to the public for guided tours only. Tours will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday (the Capitol is not available for tours on Sundays). The Capitol will be open on all federal holidays except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Visitors must obtain free tickets for tours on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk located along the curving sidewalk southwest of the Capitol (near the intersection of First Street, S.W., and Independence Avenue; see the map below). Ticket distribution begins at 9:00 a.m. daily. Ticketholders will be directed to the South Visitor Receiving Facility, which is located south of the Capitol; from there they will proceed to the Capitol to begin their tour. Maximum tour size is 40 people.
The Congressional Special Services Office provides information about tours for the disabled by telephone at 202-224-4048 (voice) or 202-224-4049 (TDD). Additional accessibility information is available.
As it well can be imagined, security is extremely tight in and around this building.  Therefore, you must have government issued ID in order to enter.  Be prepared for your bag to be searched.  A list of prohibited items is located at http://www.aoc.gov/cc/visit/prohibited-items.cfm.   Please contact the U.S. Capitol Guide Service if you have any questions before your visit. Recorded information is available at 202-225-6827.

See previous Spotlights on:   Alexandria, VA