WASHINGTON DC 

Today I took a flight from London Heathrow to Philadelphia and then drove to Washington DC.

My first thought was safety, and I can honestly say, now that I have done this trip I had no worries.  Yes there were extra security measures, yes I was searched, and yes I did feel it was all necessary.

Now onto my trip.

Visiting Washington DC was amazing trip for me.  There is so much to see and so little time. I only spent 5 days in Washington but I packed so much into that trip. A lot of the government places were not open due to security reasons but that didn’t spoil my fun and my sense of adventure.

I toured most of the monuments and I have to say it is worth seeing the monuments twice, once during the day and once again at night.  I used the night tour as it was organised and very informative, we had a good guide.

Unfortunately for me the White House Tour was unavailable, but I managed to view it from the outside and that for me was an experience.

For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.

Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that it’s first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in.

The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President.

• There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence to accommodate the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 lifts/elevators.
• At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
• Presidential Firsts while in office... President John Tyler (1841-1845) was the first President to have his photograph taken... President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama... President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) was the first President to ride in an airplane.

This was one building I really wanted to see especially after the events of September 11^th. Security around this building is very high as one would expect, but the damage to the building was far greater than I ever thought.  Take a look …

The headquarters of the Department of Defence is one of the world's largest office buildings. The original site was nothing more than wasteland, swamps and dumps. 5.5 million cubic yards of earth, and 41,492 concrete piles contributed to the foundation of the building. Additionally, 680,000 tons of sand and gravel, dredged from the nearby Potomac River, were processed into 435,000 cubic yards of concrete and moulded into the Pentagon form. The building was constructed in the remarkably short time of 16 months and completed on January 15, 1943 at an approximate cost of $83 million. It consolidated 17 buildings of the War Department and returned its investment within seven years.

It has three times the floor space of the Empire State Building in New York. The National Capitol could fit into any one of the five wedge-shaped sections.

The Pentagon—a building, institution, and symbol—was conceived at the request of Brigadier General Brehon B. Sommervell, Chief of the Construction Division of the Office of the Quartermaster General, on a weekend in mid-July 1941. The purpose was to provide a temporary solution to the War Department’s critical shortage of space. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 11, 1941. The building was dedicated on January 15, 1943, nearly 16 months to the day after the groundbreaking.

Prime contract awarded 11 August 1941

Mechanical engineering contract awarded 3 September 1941

Construction began 11 September 1941

Grading contract awarded 24 September 1941

First occupants move in 29 April 1942

Construction completed 15 January 1943

Total Land Area (acres) 583

Government Owned (acres) 296

Purchased or condemned (acres) 287

Cost $2,245,000

 

The US Capitol

The United States Capitol has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for almost two centuries.

Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored. It's  design is recognizable throughout the world. The Capitol is one of the most widely recognized buildings in the world. It is a tourist attraction visited by millions every year.

This is one museum that will suit both young and old. I didn't have enough time to see all of this but what i did manage to fit in was absolutely brilliant, this one gets my vote. I spent a lot of time just staring at the ceiling and trying to absorb as much of the  history it was depicting as  possible. I also bought many souvenirs from the shops and for my nephews i bought some Space food ( freeze dried ice-cream) apparently it is meant to taste like the real thing, I will let you know if it does hahaha!

The National Air and Space Museum contains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. No one should miss the chance to view this museum.

Artefacts on display include the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the "Spirit of St. Louis," Apollo 11 command module, and a Lunar rock sample that visitors can touch.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) maintain the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital canter for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight.  

Here you can embark on an astronomical adventure. Learn about the nature of the universe, really sit back and watch the stars unravel before your eyes. In my opinion this was a wonderful show to go and see, and therefore I highly recommend it to both young and old.

The National Museum of American History offers three floors of exhibitions that explore the American history, from "After the Revolution: Everyday Life in America, 1780-1800" to the "Information Age: People, Information, and Technology."

This was the one I felt I had really missed out on, there is so much to see that I don't think even if I had given it a whole day I could have  viewed everything that was on show.

The Star- Spangled Banner

The flag that inspired the national anthem

George Armistead's grandson donated the Star-Spangled Banner to the Smithsonian Institution so that it could be displayed for the visiting public.

On Sept. 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key peered through clearing smoke to see an enormous flag flying proudly after a 25-hour British bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry. Key was inspired to write a poem, which was later set to music. Even before "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the national anthem, it helped transform the garrison flag with the same name into a major national symbol of patriotism and identity. Francis Scott Key first published his impressions of the Fort McHenry victory as a  poem, with a note that it should be sung to the popular British melody "To Anacreon in Heaven." Soon after, Thomas Carr's Baltimore music store published the words and music together under the title "The Star-Spangled Banner." The song gained steadily in popularity in the years before the Civil War. By 1861 it shared with "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail Columbia" the distinction of being played on most patriotic occasions. Nonetheless Congress did not make the song the national anthem until 1931.

Tune - Anacreon in Heaven.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the Rockets' red glare, the Bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our Flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave,
O'er the Land of the free, and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, shall leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

O! thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd home, and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land,
Praise the Power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our Trust;"
And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave,
O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

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