Washington DC

Our trip up the Blue Ridge wasn't going so well. Most of the campgrounds were closed and not many trees and plants were in bloom. So we decided to go to Washington, DC instead.

From Virginia to Washington, DC.

    

The Cherry Hill RV Park.

Marla enjoyed the playground.

Our site.

Metro into DC

The metro rail and bus system in DC is great. Very clean and easy to navigate. There is a bus stop at the campground which makes it very easy to go into the city from there.

Smithsonian
Visitors Center

The Smithsonian Castle

We needed some information.

The Smithsonian Crypt

    

Hirshhorn Gallery

Modern and contemporary art.
 

Marla liked the mobiles the best.

National Mall Carousel

Marla couldn't resist a ride on the carousel.

Library of Congress

This was tops on my list to go visit. I wanted a hat (to go with my NY Public Library hat), but they only had blue ones. Maybe I'll order one online.

The Library of Congress Jefferson Building.

This building is gorgeous.

 
  The library that Thomas Jefferson donated to the Library of Congress after theirs was destroyed in a fire is on display.

 

Supreme Court

This was Mark's favorite spot. We were actually able to see the Justices listening to arguments about the case below. Amazing.

Waiting in line.

The courtroom.

The current Justices.

Time for lunch in the Supreme Court cafeteria.

The spiral staircase.
   
06-7517 IRIZARRY V. UNITED STATES QUESTIONS PRESENTED: Whether Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(h), and the holding in Burns v. United States, 501 U.S. 129 (1991) requiring a court to provide reasonable notice to the parties that it is contemplating a departure from the applicable sentencing guideline range on a ground not identified for departure either in the presentence report or in a party’s prehearing submission, has any continuing application in light of United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005). LOWER COURT CASE NUMBER: 05-11718 Whether Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(h), and the holding in Burns v. United States, 501 U.S. 129 (1991) requiring a court to provide reasonable notice to the parties that it is contemplating a departure from the applicable sentencing guideline range on a ground not identified for departure either in the presentence report or in a party’s prehearing submission, has any continuing application in light of United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005). LOWER COURT CASE NUMBER: 05-11718

Lincoln
Memorial

The Gettysburg Address.

The speech that he made on his second inauguration.

The Washington Monument in the distance.
Walking along the Reflecting Pool in the National Mall

WWII Memorial

Washington Monument

       
Time out to cool off.

Museum of Natural History

Marla and I had a great time here.

T. Rex

A raptor.

Marla was very excited about the dinosaurs.

It's Manny the Mammoth!

The elephant in the front lobby.

The Hope Diamond

A 45.52-carat deep blue diamond. Supposedly there is a curse on it that will bring misfortune to anyone who touches of it.

This amethyst quartz was bigger than Marla.

The area around the Hope Diamond was devoted to gems and minerals.

This display had items in every color of the rainbow.

A very large piece of beryl.

Skeletons of swimming birds.

A cave in the insect museum. Really an arthropod museum because it has insects, crustaceans and arachnids, but "arthropod museum" doesn't sound very interesting.

Arlington

  
 

The visitor center.

The Eternal Flame at the grave of John F. Kennedy.

The grave of Robert Kennedy.

The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

A wreath laying ceremony.

This house belonged to Gen. Robert E. Lee before the Civil War.

The land was taken and made into a national cemetery.

The view from Arlington House is unbelievable.

The Tourmobile shuttles.

    
  Marla's turn to carry the backpack for a while.