Our Nation's Capital - And Some Rain

After my late skyline drive on Monday, I slept in a little on Tuesday, then drove from the Shenandoah Valley into Arlington and Washington, DC.

The United States Marine Corps Memorial, the "Iwo Jima statue," is in Arlington, just across the street from Arlington National Cemetery and just across the Potomac River from the National Mall.  Bus after bus was dropping off school children to see the memorial, which is huge and inspiring.  Around the base is carved a list of the major battles in which the Marines have been engaged historically.




I recently read a biography of Theodore Roosevelt.  So, I was looking for Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River.  Roosevelt (like John Quincy Adams before him) is said to have skinny-dipped in the Potomac from time to time, so the island is an appropriate place for his monument.  It's not the easiest place to get to, but the impressive memorial in the center of the island's trees has a monumental statue of Roosevelt with four stone panels behind him.  These explain virtues that he thought were important in his personal life and the life of the nation as well.  I was glad I found this out-of-the-way site!

Just across the river in Washington, I stayed in the area of the National Mall and Tidal Basin.  I had never seen the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and I was so impressed!  I thought it was just one statue of him, but it is a progressing "story" which you see as you walk through a "maze" of walls and waterfalls.  The many bronze statues show scenes from the Depression, a young and older FDR (and the dog Fala), and Eleanor as well.  His quotes (and hers) are carved into the walls.  Wow!

Having just been to Monticello this week, the Jefferson Memorial was especially significant.  Jefferson's words are on the walls on four sides of him, and the walk up the steps from the Tidal Basin gives you a feeling of entering a temple.

After a long walk by the Washington Monument  [I don't go up into buildings damaged by earthquakes when I can help it] , I got my first look at the World War II Memorial.  This is a wonderful addition to the Mall, at the east end of the Reflecting Pool between the Washington and Lincoln memorials.  It has tributes to all fifty states, to soldiers in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and to casualties on a wall of gold stars.  The centerpiece is an elaborate series of fountains.

The memorial to soldiers from the Korean Conflict is at the other end of the Reflecting Pool, near the Lincoln Memorial.  I was there at the same time as a veterans group, many in wheelchairs with caregivers.  It definitely added to the experience!






This blog will have a lot of pictures of monuments to Abraham Lincoln, since the Lincoln Highway was supposed to be a "living monument" to him when it was laid out across America in the 19-teens.  Still, it's great to see the expressions on the faces of people in this beautiful structure.

Unfortunately, it began to rain at this point in the day, hard enough to send me running for the car.  I had to cut the visit short, but it will be one I'll always remember.  I hope to return in fair weather someday!!

What a day in the mountains!

I spent today in the mountains of central Virginia.  I'm not a great driver in the mountains, so this was a real test for me.  But I needed the practice because I have some REALLY BIG mountains coming up later in my journey.  In Virginia's mountains, there's lots of stuff to see and do.

I'm the one on the left...LOL

My first stop was at Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello.  A docent named Brandon gave us a whale of a tour of the 200+ year old home, which is a national historic site.  I saw Jefferson's Indian memorabilia, his library (he gave most of his books to start the Library of Congress), some of his inventions, and his beautifully decorated, totally functional home.

Some school kids get their picture made on the front steps

The next stop was the Walton's Mountain Museum in Scuyler.  The creator of The Waltons, Earl Hamner, was raised here.  The small schoolhouse where he graduated is basically across the street from his home; it has been transformed into a Waltons museum.  I saw a 30-minute film narrated by the actors from the series, then toured rooms set up like their TV kitchen, living room, John-Boy's bedroom, and Ike Godsey's store.  There was even a locally-confiscated still in the room devoted to the Baldwin Sisters!  The elderly lady who took up the money showed me some newspaper clippings on the walls that told about Hamner's life, the TV series, and the opening of the museum in 1992.  It was an off-the-beaten-path trip that I'm glad I took today.

Earl Hamner birthplace,
across the street from the school/museum

Copy of John-Boy's bedroom.  John-Boy was based on Earl Hamner himself, and Earl did the narration each episode.

I then visited Staunton, Virginia, home of the country music legends The Statler Brothers.  Though their museum has long closed, I was able to see the monument to them in the old downtown area.

There's a stool for each of the Statlers.
Since they weren't around, I took a break on one.  Not very comfortable.

After mailing a postcard to my niece at the Staunton post office, I drove to the Shenandoah National Park, where I took the Skyline Drive.  This is a 105-mile highway IN THE CLOUDS!  The speed limit is only 35, the overlooks pop up regularly, and the views are ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!!

The views along Skyline Drive range from 1900 to 3500 feet.
In places, you can see for 40-50 miles!

Lots of deer that aren't scared easily.  I even saw a baby BEAR scamper across the road!!

Richmond, Virginia

I passed through North Carolina and into Virginia today.  In Richmond, the state capital which also served as the capital of the Confederate States of America, I visited the Museum of the Confederacy.  There were a lot of neat exhibits, such as flags, uniforms, and a campsite that was set up with things that belonged to Robert E. Lee.  Next door to the Museum is the Confederate White House, the home of Jefferson Davis while he served as CSA President.








Virginia is the "Cradle of Presidents."  More United States Presidents were born there than any other state.  When I visited Hollywood Cemetery about a mile from the Museum, I saw the graves of two US Presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler.  Monroe's grave was a cage-looking mausoleum, and Tyler's obelisk and bust were only about 10 yards away.  Since Richmond was the heart of the Confederacy, there are a huge number of Confederate graves there, including those of Jefferson Davis and his family.  This cemetery, which is very hilly, has remarkable hillside views of the James River and downtown Richmond.