Enjoy a traditional colonial plantation holiday dinner at Gunston Hall, the home of founding father, George Mason.

Dine tavern-style, by candlelight, on items such as traditional   turkey and dressing, Virginia ham, dressing, and of course, home made pie.

For more about Gunston Hall, check out my Oct. 12, 2007 post.

Plantation Christmas Yuletide Dinner at Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall Plantation
10709 Gunston Road 
Mason Neck, Virginia 22079  (map it)
703-550-9220

Dates and Times – Friday, December 12, 2008 at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 13  at 4:30, 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Tickets – Adults – $39.95 , children 10 and under – $19.95. Beer and wine is extra. Dinner includes admission to Plantation Christmas. Call 703-550-9220 for reservations. Parties of ten may reserve a private table.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Franconia-Springfield – Blue line, then a 12 mile cab ride.

Parking – Free parking is available.

Image – from personal collection   ©2008, Jon Rochetti  _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

The new 580,000 sq. ft. underground center will offer visitors two orientation theaters, showing a 13-minute video about the Capitol Building and American democracy.   Additionally, the building hosts several gifts shops and multiple (and much needed) restroom facilities.

A few of the notable artifacts provided by the Library of Congress and National Archives to be on display include, a letter to Congress written by General George Washington, and the original Franklin Roosevelt “Day of Infamy” speech, the President delivered on to a joint session of Congress on the day after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. installations, December 8th, 1941.

Visitors can get free Capitol Building tour tickets at the center.

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
East Capitol Street at East Capitol Circle
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

Dates and Times – Daily, except Sundays, 8:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Tickets – Capitol Building tours are offered daily, except Sundays.  The Center will be closed on Inauguration Day, and other major holidays.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Capitol South – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Limited metered street parking is available in the area. Parking is available at Union Station, about 6 blocks away. 

Images – courtesy of The Architect of the Capitol
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Post from: The DC Traveler

Originally called Armistice Day, November 11th, commemorates the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.  The “Great War” formally ended 90 years ago today, on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918.  Sadly, news of the wars end did not reach many non-European fighting fronts due to poor communications, notably across Africa, for up to two weeks.

After World War II, President Eisenhower signed a bill into law in 1954 to rename the day Veterans Day. 

So to every veteran who served America…We Thank You. 

Images – from personal collection   ©2008, Jon Rochetti  _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

Located on the western edge of the Pentagon’s grounds, just across the Potomac River from the National Mall in Washington, DC, the site is open 24 hours-a-day to the public, it is adjacent to the original impact spot.

The 184 victims of the tragedy (59 victims on the plane and 125 died inside the Pentagon) are commemorated by a "memorial unit" or steel bench, one  for each person killed. 

A gray concrete retaining wall around the memorial park ranges from 3 inches tall, representing the youngest victim, Dana Falkenberg, who was just three years old, to a height of 71 inches tall, for the oldest victim (71 years), John D. Yamnicky Sr., a former Navy pilot and veteran of two wars.

The direction of the bench, signifies if the victim was a passenger or in the Pentagon at the time of the crash.

At night, the benches are illuminated, as is the small water pool below each one.

The two-acre site was originally a grassy field, sued as a helicopter landing field.

The Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
The Pentagon
Arlington, VA 22202   (map it)

Dates and Times – Open daily, 24-hours,

Tickets – None required – FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Pentagon, Blue and Yellow lines, then a ¼ mile walk.

Parking – There is no public parking at the Pentagon. Paid parking is available at the public lot at Pentagon City Mall, a 10-minute walk.  There is no shuttle from the Mall.

Images – Flickr Pentagon 9/11 memorial benches, Single Bench

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Post from: The DC Traveler

George Washington laid the Capitol’s cornerstone in 1793 and since it opened in 1800, it’s been the center of American power and government. 

The building needed to be partially rebuild after the British burned parts of Washington, DC in 1814.  In the 1850s, the Capitol building was expanded, with the massive dome top statue, Freedom being put in place in 1863, after he dome rebuilding was complete.  Finally, the front of the Capitol (east end) was rebuilt in 1904 to balance the two sides. 

The most recent construction project, started in 2001, involved the same east end of the building, for the addition of the new underground visitors complex.  It’s due to open December 2, 2008, 145 years to the day after the Freedom statue was placed on the top of the  Capitol Building. 

The U.S. Capitol Historical Society offers 2-hour walking tours of the exterior of the building every Monday morning, through November.

Spectacular Tour to Remember – US Capitol Exterior Walk
U.S. Capitol Historical Society
200 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC

Meet point – Union Station, at the top of the Massachusetts Avenue exit escalator.  (map it)

Dates and Times – Mondays only, May 19, – November 24, 2008 10:00 a.m.

Tickets – No reservations required, $10.00 (cash only) collected by the tour guide. Contact tours@uschs.org or 202-543-8919, ext. 17, for additional information or to arrange a private walk.

Meet-up point is at Union Station, at the top of the Massachusetts Avenue exit escalator.  (map it)

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Union Station – Red line, meeting point is outside the station or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Paid parking is available at Union Station, as well as limited and time-restricted street parking in the area.

Images – from personal collection   ©2008, Jon Rochetti  ___________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

Labor leader Samuel Gompers was the president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), for 38 years, after he first founded the labor federation in 1886.

It consisted mostly of skilled labor craft unions. While active, the AFL fought for better pay, safer working conditions, and more worker or union control over jobs.

Early in its history, it help organize or fund new unions, including the United Brotherhood of Teamsters and American Federation of Musicians unions.

In 1955, the AFL merged with the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations), to form the AFL-CIO.

A total of 61 major unions are part of the AFL-CIO, including the unions that represent airline pilots, teachers, fire fighters, police, air traffic controllers, postal workers, and screen actors.

The Gompers memorial is located is a small park.

Samuel Gompers Memorial statue
L Street, NW, between 10th and 11 Street at Massachusetts Ave.
Washington, DC  (map it)

Dates and Times – Open to the public 24-hours daily.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Mt. Vernon Sq. 7th St-Convention Center – Green and Yellow line, then a 3-block walk.

Parking – Metered street parking is available in the area.

Images – from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti  ___________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial at the base of Capitol Hill sits between the Capitol Building and the Capitol Reflecting pool.  The memorial consists of three major statutes and is the largest equestrian statue in the country.

The first statue depicts General Grant calmly sitting on horseback, which was typical of him demeanor during the excitement of battle. He is surrounded by four oversized lions.   Bronze panels on the statute’s base depict infantry maneuvers.

The other two major statues are teams of mounted Union cavalry and artillery troops in full charge.

The cavalry group, shows seven riders charging into battle as one horse and rider has fallen and is being trampled under foot.

The artillery team depicts a three-horse team pulling a caisson and cannon into battle.

Created by sculptor Henry Merwin Shrady, the multiple pieces took over 20 years to complete and 12 years from the time the first piece was installed to be completed and finally dedicated in 1921.  The pieces were forged at the Roman Bronze Works, in Queens, New York.

The monument’s overall marble platform is over 250 feet (77 m) long and 70 feet (22 m) wide.

The monument does not house Grants tomb, as is commonly thought.  His tomb is located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.

This memorial was the first planned to be erected on the Ellipse, next to the White House, but thinking it would block the view of the Potomac River from the White House, President Teddy Roosevelt objected.   The view was eventually blocked by the construction of the Jefferson Memorial.

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
1st Street NW, between Pennsylvania and Maryland Ave.
Washington, DC  (map it)

Dates and Times – Open 24-hours daily.

Admission – Free.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Federal Center – Blue and Orange lines, then a 5-block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – metered parking is available in the area, but often tough during weekday business hours and when Congress is in session.

Images – from personal collection   ©2008, Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The Capitol’s 500+ rooms serve both the House of Representatives and the Senate, plus staff.

On the third floor, when Congress is in session, visitors with passes can watch a couple minutes the proceedings where lawmaking, speech making, voting and typical partisan posturing occurs.

Afterwards, visit the Rotunda, with frescoed paintings of major events in American history, the Crypt, and the National Statuary Hall (rub the the shoes of Will Rogers for good luck). And don’t miss the Old Supreme Court Chamber and Old Senate Chamber. 

For the most comprehensive tour, including the House visitor’s gallery, contact your local Senator or Congressman or woman in advance, and request a tour or gallery ticket, depending on what’s available.  Or take your chances and drop in at their office and see if any passes or tours have openings. Your best results in person will be to try early in the morning or request tickets for a time on another day. 

The Capitol Building has countless works of art, paintings, frescos and statues all over the building, and much is visible to tourists. In the Statuary Hall, each state is allowed to place two statues of people of prominence from each state.

READ MORE —>

If you can’t get tickets through your congressional representative or Senator,  you’ll need to get tickets at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk and wait in line (often for 3+ hours).

Yet if you can score a pass from your Rep, you might get on a tour led by a knowledgeable Congressional intern or staffer.  And if you’re extra lucky, your tour might include a ride on the Capitol’s rarely seen underground tram.  

U.S. Capitol Building 
E. Capitol and First Streets, NW
Washington, DC  (map it)
202-225-6827 (recorded info line)

Dates and Times – Daily except Sundays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Best to call ahead to avoid any tour cancellations due to heightened security issues or special events.

Tickets – FREE, but first-come, first-served tickets are required.  Tickets available at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk southwest of the Capitol (near the corner of First Street, S.W. and Independence Ave.)  Or contact your representative for passes.

Ticket distribution begins at 9:00 a.m. daily. Ticket holders then proceed to the South Visitor Receiving Facility, located on the south side of the Capitol, where their tour will begin. Maximum tour size is 40 people. Waits can be long during peak periods, especially on Saturdays. Best to arrive before the kiosk opens.

Restricted Items – There’s a long list of items that are not allowed on either the tour or in the Senate or House galleries, so check before going. Plan on passing though at least one, and up to four security checks.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Capitol South, Blue and Orange lines, then a 4-block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Very limited metered street parking is may be available, but watch for restricted parking signs on streets close to the Capitol.  Most near by residential neighborhoods limit parking to non-resident drivers to only two hours, so parking lots may be the safest (and lowest cost) option. Parking lots and garages can be found in the area, on Independence Ave, in Capitol Hill.  Parking can also be found at Union Station.

Images – Statue of Freedom, State of the Union address,  map – Architect of the Capitol, other from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The labor-intensive process was quickly adopted by traveling American portraits photographers who moved from town to town, selling people the opportunity to have an image of themselves without having to sit for a painter or incur the associated high cost. 

The technique was used to take the earliest photo of  Abraham Lincoln, when he was still a Congressman at 37 years old, 15 years before he was elected President. It is also thought that the first erotic photograph used the daguerreotype technique.

The technique is rarely used today and it’s estimated that just a few hundred photographers still use it.

For soem great photography tips, check out  Digital Photography School, another great b5 blog.

The Daguerre Moment
Reynolds Center – American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery
801 Pennsylvania Ave NW (8th and F Streets, NW)
Washington, D.C.  (map it)
202-633-1000

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Gallery Place-Chinatown, Red, Yellow and Green lines, the station is located below the museum, or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Metered street and garage parking is available in the area.

Images – Seamstrees – LOC public domain, Lincoln – Public domain

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Luckily, I was recently invited to a press conference hosted by Dr. James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, where the new Library of Congress Experience was being debuted.

The library’s new visitor experience located in the stunning Thomas Jefferson Building, take visitors on a tour of some of the library’s most treasured pieces, including a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the Gutenberg Bible, and Thomas Jefferson’s original book collection. 

Besides the collections, there’s the building itself, which should be on everyone’s Top 10 List of places to see while visiting Washington, DC. The architecture and ornate decorating make it one of the most impressive building interiors in Washington, DC.

The four main exhibits in the library’s new visitor’s experience include:

• The Art and Architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building – Starting in the ornate Great Hall, the tour guides visitors through the spectacular architectural details focusing on the of the Minerva mosaic and the lamps of knowledge. Embellished with art from 50 American painters and sculptors, the Great Hall also hosts a collection over a dozen Old World bibles, including two world-famous bibles, the Gutenberg Bible (1455), the first great book printed using moveable type, and the Giant Bible of Mainz (1453). The Mainz bible is one of the last  large-format handwritten bibles, which took 15 months to create by hand.
• Creating the United States – From a purely historical point of view, this was my favorite section of the experience. The National Archives holds the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, but the LOC has on display several other critical historical documents regarding the founding of our nation. Some of the documents that we might today call “working copies”, include a rough draft of the Declaration of independence, which show changes and contributions made by Benjamin Franklin and  John Adams. A second document, called the John Beckley’s Bill of Rights, which was ratified by Congress a full two years before the current Bill of Rights was approved. And another rare document, a copy of the draft Constitution, with George Washington’s annotations. Numerous other documents allow visitors to follow the road of America, from British colony to independent nation.

MORE –> 

• Exploring Early Americans – Using audiovisual presentations and interactive touch-screen stations, the visitor can tour artifacts and learn about Native American life and culture in the time before Europeans arrived in America and shortly thereafter.
• Thomas Jefferson’s Library – When the British army invaded Washington, DC in 1814 and burned the Capitol Building, the Library of Congress was also completely destroyed. Thomas Jefferson, who had retired from public life to his Monticello plantation, offered to sell his collection of 6,500 books to Congress. The collection doubled the original size of the Library of Congress and expanded it to include not just volumes on law, history and government, but everything from farming and philosophy to music and the arts. Many of the books have been digitally reproduced to allow visitors, using an interactive kiosk, to read, from cover to cover, each book in the collection (see example below).

Besides a new experience for people who have the opportunity to visit the library, the LOC also unveiled a new interactive web site that offers online visitors the ability to view ongoing exhibitions.  The online Passport to Knowledge also offers audio and video tours of some the library’s most popular exhibits and artifacts.

At www.myLOC.gov, and www.loc.gov, online visitors can tour over 13 million of the library’s 138 million item collection and enhance their learning and knowledge of American,world and literary history. Additionally, there are online educational learning activities for school children and teachers.

If you visit the LOC in person, don’t miss the often overlooked view of the famous circular Main Reading Room from the visitors gallery.  Surrounded by eight tall giant marble columns, each crowned with a 10-foot tall female statue, and representing a different aspect of life and learning (commerce, history, science, law, art, philosophy, poetry and religion), the room is one of the most ornate in the country.

Library of Congress
Jefferson Building Visitor’s Center
101 Independence Ave. SE, between East Capitol and Independence Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20540 (map it)
202-707-3399

Dates and Times – Daily, except Sundays and holidays, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Admission – Admission to the visitors center is free. Researches must have a current Reader Identification Card to enter the Main Reading or other library rooms. ID cards are free, but must be obtained in person.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Capitol South – Orange and Blue lines, then a 2-block walk, or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Limited metered street parking is available, especially during business hours. Try parking south of the Capitol in the residential neighborhood behind the Supreme Court or at Union Station.

Images – from personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler