Pentagon and Air Force Memorial

Yesterday morning, Diggory and I had the pleasure of touring the Pentagon with our friend Julie, who had kindly invited us to tag along with some extra passes she had.  We got up early and drove to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, where I've become accustomed to parking whenever I want to take the metro downtown.  The Pentagon metro station is only one stop away, so it's an easy commute.  Plus, the escalator out of the station shoots you out of the ground right in front of the visitor's entrance to the Pentagon.  You have to book tours in advance, and there's a whole list of things you can't bring with you (i.e. cameras, and hence, no pictures!), but the whole process seemed pretty straightforward.  And, always remember, if you follow the rules and are nice to the security personnel, they'll be nice to you, too.  It also helps to have a charming toddler with you!  I didn't take the stroller, and opted instead to wear Diggory in my backpack carrier.  It worked great and he was surprisingly well behaved on the hour long tour.  If you do take your stroller, the tour guides will gladly escort you via elevator.  

Once you get inside the Pentagon, you'll be directed to the tours waiting area before you check in at the tour window.  There are lots of chairs, restrooms (though no changing tables), and several displays (with interpretive panels!) about each of the military branches and the Department of Defense.  There's also a gift shop.  Yes, a gift shop.  Members of the military conduct the tours, and one of our tour guides was also a member of the Honor Guard, who conduct the ceremonies and funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, among other duties.  The tour route snakes through the five rings and the ten corridors of the Pentagon Building, a city in itself, with over 23,000 military and civilian personnel.  And it's very much an office building, but with a few perks...like its own floral shop, hair salon, Best Buy, food court, chocolate shop, jewelry store, luggage shop, toy store, etc.  Your tour guides will bombard you with random, though interesting, statistics, like...  Did you know that the Pentagon has six different zip codes?  And, did you know that the Pentagon has 691 drinking fountains?  

As you go along, you'll come upon display after display of historic photographs of foreign military campaigns, domestic assistance campaigns, like Hurricane Katrina, and military home life and families.  One of the more interesting installations were the historic reconstructions of the building and office space when the Pentagon was first constructed in the early 1940s and just before one of the more involved renovation projects in the early 1990s.  The most poignant moment, however, was definitely the brief visit to the memorial inside the building for the 184 people who lost their lives in the Pentagon and on board Flight 77 on September 11, 2001.  We did not visit the outdoor memorial, but I would very much like to see it one day.  Our last stop on the tour was in the main entrance lobby, where one of the three enormous and breathtaking September 11th Memorial Quilts and the Flag Quilt are displayed.  

After we completed the tour, we exited the building and got back on the metro.  Julie went off to work, and Diggory and I headed to the car.  Since we couldn't take pictures at the Pentagon, I knew just where to go to get a good photograph to document our trip.  The United States Air Force Memorial is just a short drive away, and up the hill on Columbia Pike overlooking the Pentagon.  There's onsite parking, bathrooms, and a small gift shop, but the best aspects of the memorial are, by far, the three stainless steel spires soaring skyward and the impressive views of the Washington, DC skyline, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Pentagon.  Our visit was short, but it was definitely worth it.

Diggory checking out the Washington, DC skyline from the Air Force Memorial.  Washington Monument on left, U.S. Capitol Building at center, Pentagon at right behind trees.

The three shining spires of the Air Force Memorial.  

  

Green Spring Gardens

Yesterday afternoon, Diggory and I joined our friend Christina at the manor house at Green Spring Gardens to view an oil painting and watercolor exhibition entitled Beauty in All Seasons.  One of the women from our painting class had many beautiful paintings in the show, and we wanted to see them!  I've got my eye on one or two if my husband needs some ideas for a Christmas gift.  The exhibition was presented in two rooms in the historic manor house, originally built by John Moss in 1784 and privately owned until 1970 when the current owners deeded the home to the Fairfax County Park Authority.  There are not formal tours on a daily basis, which is actually a good thing if you have a toddler, so you can browse the current exhibition and the first floor of the house at your own pace.  There's a gift shop too, and the attendant will gladly share her knowledge about the construction and history of the house.  There's a spacious restroom too (though no changing table). Pick up a calendar of events before you leave, as there is a variety of public programs and teas offered throughout the year.  

Diggory was pretty enthralled by the "open" sign, and I couldn't get him to look at the camera!

After we saw the exhibition, we walked through the gardens to the horticulture center.  There's a library, gift shop, exhibition space, public restrooms, and an information desk here, so make sure to pick up a map of the grounds.  The gardens fill 28-acres and there are paths that lead all over to more than twenty separate gardens including a children's garden, a greenhouse, a vegetable garden, a native plants garden, and two ponds filled with ducks and geese.  It's really lovely, and we'll definitely be back to explore more often...it literally took me three minutes to drive to Green Spring from my house, so I'm feeling extra guilty for not visiting until now. 

Diggory, what do ducks say? "Ack, ack, ack."

Christina checking out the photography exhibition in the horticulture center.

Quiet Respite

A few days ago, the day after the election, in fact, Diggory and I needed to get out of the house.  I was in a bit of a post-election funk and not in the mood to travel very far or battle for parking in downtown Washington, DC, so we got in the car and headed for Old Town Alexandria, hoping for some museum-going inspiration along the route.  If nothing else, I told myself I could just engage in some sort of retail therapy at Paper Source.  There could be absolutely nothing wrong with that, right?  Well, as it happened, I found an excellent parking space right next to the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and walked up the hill along King Street to the Alexandria Visitors Center at Ramsay House.  Located at the corner of King Street and North Fairfax Street, the Ramsay House is centrally located in the heart of lower Old Town Alexandria, and it is a worthwhile stop for even longtime Alexandria residents.  Though the current building is a reproduction of the original 1720s home built by Scottish merchant and city founder William Ramsay (the building burned down in the 1940s), it's still a nice resource for information and a quiet respite from the usual hustle and bustle.  Walk up the stone steps and approach the house from the garden...stop to take a few pictures of your adorable child, like I did.  

Once inside, pick up any number of brochures for area sights and attractions.  You might be surprised by what you didn't know or didn't remember was nearby.  For example, I picked up a brochure about the historic 1770s Christ Church, just a few blocks west of Ramsay House.  More on Christ Church below.  But, before we ventured out, we went downstairs to inspect the "facilities."  If you navigate the stairs or if you enter the building from the handicap accessible entrance off King Street, you'll find two large unisex restrooms.  Only the one to the left of the large flat screen television, and closest to the stairs, has a changing table.  Also, I supposed this is good information to have if you're just strolling down the street with your little one and need a restroom asap.  And speaking of restrooms, the parking ramp underneath city hall and Market Square (literally just across North Fairfax Street from Ramsay House) has men's and women's restrooms as well.  I am continually pleased with their cleanliness.  Just FYI.

So, off we went to Christ Church.  I needed a quiet and contemplative space anyway to lift my mood.  From Ramsay House, walk west on King Street and then turn right (north) onto Washington Street.  Walk one block, and then enter the Christ Church courtyard and cemetery through the archway in the brick wall.

Constructed between 1767 and 1773, the Georgian-style church has stood witness to countless important events in American history, from the American Revolution through the Civil War, and has hosted congregations including such notable persons as George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt.  It really is an amazing building, with an amazing history, and really worth the 20 minute (ish) tour, if you just open the door and step in.  The church still has an active congregation and three or four worship services every Sunday, but it's open for visitors and tours Monday through Saturday from 9:00am until 4:00pm, and on Sundays from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.  We were greeted by a very nice and knowledgeable older gentleman who showed us around the sanctuary and pointed out George Washington's pew and other highlights.  Afterward, we walked across the courtyard and into the modern administrative building to check out the gift shop.  Very cute, indeed, and I was almost tempted to purchase some watermelon rind pickles.  With my spirits lifted, we wandered back in the direction of the car...but I still stopped by Paper Source for some therapeutic and much-loved crafting goodies.