Washington, DC July 1-9, 2026
Our Victorian townhouse where our friend, Ellen lives
6th Street....1 mile from The National Mall
Our view across the street
Wally, Ellen's cat
We took care of Wally while Ellen vacationed in Italy.
You have heard of kidnapping a child; I am considering catnapping Wally.
Wally is a very, very special cat.
Wally loves sitting in the window.
A little male bonding with Larry...
But he knows who feeds him.
July 3, 2026
We had an appointment to visit the African American Museum on Friday morning.
Although the museum is free, you need to obtain a timed ticket to enter.
We walked past the Washington Monument on the way.
The area was not crowded for being the day before the 4th.
The Reserves were in full force around DC.
African American Museum Model
Statue in the entrance of the AAM
One of our favorite parts of the museum was the instruments.
July 4, 2026 Fourth of July
At 10 am, it was sweltering hot.
Folks were dressed very patriotically.
The line going into the Natural Museum was so long and the temperature outside was so hot and the streets and metro were packed.
We made a quick decision to go back to the townhouse and relax in the cool air until the fireworks began.
The buildings at night were spectacular.
The fireworks were postponed from 11:00 to midnight until a storm passed, however,
lightning was still present.
The ferris wheel from the Great American State Fair.
The fireworks were SPECTACULAR!
To avoid the extreme heat, we biked DC in the evening.
Smithsonian's African American Museum
We enjoyed the last viewing of the historical story of the United States projected on the Washington Monument.
D C Chinatown
Wally was happy to see us come back.
July 6, 2026
Being a cloudy overcast day, we enjoyed biking the streets of DC.
We stopped in to see the National Art Gallery's outside sculpture exhibits.
The National Guard were very friendly.
The DC buildings are so stately looking.
My man took me to the National State Fair on the National Mall.
It was interesting how they converted the National Mall for the 250th Anniversary.
Most states had a display.
North Carolina
It was interesting to see folks visiting the fair were from all over the world.
Virginia had the LOVE slogan spelled with corn, an apple, eating utensils, and peanuts.
4H kids were showing pigs and sheep.
A ferris wheel was the only ride.
An archeological dig experience was available in the Montana exhibit.
Texas
Alamo
Houston Space Center
Arkansas
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Going to the next room, the QR code put you in a forest. You could even smell a pine scent. It was fascinating.
California
Nevada
Idaho
Guam
Massachusetts
New Hampshire had a replica of old man in the mountain. You can spot the silhouette above.
Now it is gone. We visited it when Kathy and Chad were working in New Hampshire.
Pennsylvania had some cool old flags.
It had gotten quite hot so Larry and I voted to go into the National Museum of Natural History to get some cool air.
We passed by the National Archives which holds the original Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
My man's favorite display in the Natural History Museum.
My favorite...the owls displayed.
Full size blue whale
The dinosaur skeletons
July 7, 2026
The Lincoln Memorial
Red, white, and blue blooms at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.
Bicycling to the memorial was a wonderful experience.
The Undercroft of the Lincoln Memorial opened in June. We felt fortunate to get tickets to visit it at the last minute.
A life size statue of the Lincoln Memorial that is situated above.
Daniel Chester French took four years to design this sculpture, a simple but symbolic representation of Abraham Lincoln.
Gusseppi Piccirilli and his six sons divided French's statue into 28 separate sections and then reproduced the larger statue that now is in the present memorial
The memorial is patterned after the Acropolis in Athens.
The Emancipation Proclamation
An original document of the Gettysburg Address
A memorial event
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Vietnam War Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Franklin Roosevelt Memorial
Eleanor Roosevelt is the only First Lady to have a Memorial.
Martin Luther King Memorial
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
These six sculptures were submitted for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Due to the shortage of metal during World War II, a plaster statue was painted to look like bronze when the memorial was first opened. In 1947 a permanent bronze piece was installed.
This corner stone was laid by Franklin D Roosevelt in 1939.
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Thomas Jefferson is on the two dollar bill.
In 1787, the United States doubled its size after independence adding the Northwest Territories.
In 1784, Jefferson proposed a law to organize these new lands. He wanted to ban slavery in the Northwest Territories. His fellow delegates outvoted him. Three years later, Congress passed a new ordinance that banned slavery and guaranteed individuals rights.
Women's rights were not considered.
Today,
Jefferson descendants gather together for family reunions.
The Memorial was dedicated in 1939 by Franklin Roosevelt.
Thomas Jefferson
Founding Father
Third President of the United States
1801-1809
Smithsonian National Museum of History
This boat is being studied by Smithsonian scientists after being sunk by a canon ball hole in the side.
Since it's establishment during the Civil War, the Medal of Honor has become the nation's highest award for valor in combat.
The medal recognizes individual gallantry at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty.
Established in 1861, it has been granted to fewer than 3,500 servicemen.
Vietnam War the first war to be televised.
George Washington's uniform
July 8, 2026
While riding bicycles to the National Cathedral we passed this bronze statue of General George Henry Thomas, union leader during the Civil War, displayed at Thomas Circle.
The National Cathedral was first started in 1907 with President Roosevelt laying the first corner stone.
It was completed in 1990.
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral or National Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church.
The structure is of Neo-Gothic design closely modeled on English Gothic style of the late fourteenth century. It is the second-largest church building in the United States, and the third-tallest building in Washington, D.C.
Intricate stained glass windows
Children's Church
The Mosaics were incredibly colorful
This cross was fashioned out of stone from the Pentagon 9-11 destruction.
Abraham Lincoln
The Vice President's home
Each state had its state seal in the floor of the entrance.
A mural of presidents on the side of Mama Ayeshas' Restaurant with Mama in the middle. Biden and Trump were not painted due to the mural being completed before they became president.
Larry and I went to the Crimson View Rooftop Bar to watch the sunset and see the DC lights come on during our final night.
Joaquin Oliver's portrait was painted on the side of a building. He was a student who died in a high school shooting.
It was fun to see the planes flying into Reagan National.
The Washington Memorial was stately looking lit up at night.
What a wonderful time we had in Washington, DC.
There is so much to see and do. We actually could come for another week and explore many more
areas like the National Zoo, Ford's Theater, Georgetown,etc....but we always save something for the next time.
