Photo: Veteran's Day Memorial

Today is a day to remember and give thanks to those who served in the military.

Here is a photo of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.

We were there in the fall and took a number of photos while the leaves were turning red.

I find this image very special as it has fall leaves, the yellow wreath, the tiny US flags placed at the bottom of the memorial wall, and the reflection is great.

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Washington Skyline at Sunrise

Today is the last photo from our trip to Washington DC.

Here is a sunrise photo with the silhouette of famous buildings with ducks swimming in the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

The buildings outlined against the golden sunrise are, from left to right, the Capitol Dome, the Washington Monument, the rotunda of the Library of Congress, and the "castle" of the headquarters of the Smithsonian Institution on the Mall.

My husband, who took these photos, has a special fondness for Washington, D.C. He was born there and he returned to Washington for his undergraduate and two post-graduate degrees, and he worked for several Members of Congress for 12 years, more than 25 years ago. I hope you agree that I had a good idea to "suggest" to him that he go out very early on a crisp, cold November morning to take sunrise photos during our recent trip to Washington.

Today is Sunday so that means new travel photos. Check out photos of the unique Mayan pyramid at Ek Balam in Yucatan, Mexico at Viva la Voyage!

Fall Colors at Arlington

After tomorrow I return to Arizona photos. I hope you enjoyed a taste of Washington DC that my husband (Dave of Costa Rica Daily Photo) and I shared with you from our trip to Washington earlier this month.

Today's photo is the view from the back of the Lincoln Memorial across Memorial Bridge to Arlington. At the top of the hill above a portion of Arlington National Cemetery is the Custis-Lee Mansion, also known as Arlington House. It was the home of Robert E. Lee for 30 years, prior to the Civil War. The house was built from 1802 - 1818 by George Washington Park Custis as a plantation house and as a memorial to his step-grandfather, George Washington. The house is now part of the National Park Service and is a museum to Robert E. Lee. How ironic that the top General of the Confederacy had a home with such a commanding view of Washington.

I really like the fall colors that that surround the home and the light of the sunrise on Arlington Memorial Bridge. The gilded statue at the end of the bridge is one of four, with a pair at each end of the bridge. The statues were a gift from Italy and were added to the bridge in 1951, about 20 years after the bridge was built.

This week we are showing nighttime photos of Budapest on Viva la Voyage.

Sunday we will have new travel photos posted!

Reflections in Vietnam Veterans Memorial

This unusual view of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial shows that one of its walls is aligned with the Washington Monument. The carved names of those who gave their life in this effort are visible in the texture of the wall at the left.

When my husband took his sunrise walk around the monuments of Washington during our recent visit, a group of volunteers had just finished washing the Vietnam Memorial with soap, water and scrub brushes. Their efforts gave the monument a reflective sheen that enhanced the photo. Most of the volunteers cleaning the memorial were young people who were not even alive during the time of the Vietnam War.

Although controversial when designed by a Yale student, Maya Lin, the wall is now ranked as one of the most popular architectural designs in the country. It is especially moving in the early morning when my husband visited without the crowds that gather each day.

This week we are showing nighttime photos of Budapest on Viva la Voyage.

The Colors of Sunrise at the Washington Monument

Happy Thanksgiving. Here is a patriotic photo for the holiday. The Washington Monoument is the tallest structure in Washington. It is the height of a 55 story building and is a copy of an Egyptian oblisk.

Washington D.C. has restrictions that limit the height of all other buildings to about 11 stories so that nothing will interfere with the skyline and detract from views of the Washington Monument and the Capitol Dome.

This week we are showing nighttime photos of Budapest on Viva la Voyage.

Lincoln Memorial

As my husband was leaving the Lincoln Memorial, he looked back for one last gaze and took this photo. You can see that the morning light was different than the golden sunrise lighting when he first arrived.

The Lincoln Memorial was copied after the Parthenon in Athens, of course. It is a classic.

Here is one of my husband's favorite stories/jokes about "Honest Abe" Lincoln. Lincoln was a very successful lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, and a much lesser lawyer had a case against him. The other lawyer went to Lincoln's office on the second floor of a building and said "Lincoln, you don't need to win this case, but it would be very important to me and my career. I will offer you $2,000 if you let me win this case."

Lincoln just stared at him. He continued, "They told me you would be difficult, Lincoln. I'll give you $5,000." Lincoln kept staring at him. He then said, "OK, Lincoln. $10,000. That's my final number and that is more than fair." Lincoln got up, grabbed the other lawyer, and tossed him out the window into the horse trough on the street below.

The lawyer looked up at Lincoln and shouted angrily, "Why did you do that?" Lincoln replied, "Because you were getting close to my price."

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Lincoln Saw the Light

As I mentioned yesterday, the light peeking into the Lincoln Memorial at sunrise during November does not hit the statue of Lincoln, but it still creates angles that add to the quiet morning atmosphere.

I was trying to think if Lincoln had any connection to Arizona. (Scottsdale did not exist during Lincoln's lifetime). Arizona was a part of the New Mexico territory governed by the federal government during Lincoln's presidency. Arizona became part of the U.S. following the Mexican War about 15 years before Lincoln became President.

There is a connection that comes to mind. Arizona is the location of the westernmost conflict of the Civil War. The "Battle of Picacho Peak" occurred between Phoenix and Tucson when a small band of confederates from Tucson encountered a few Union soldiers. A few shots were fired and a couple of people injured, but fortunately there were no fatalities. People actually to reenactments of this "battle" that involved about 20 people. People back East would certainly not call this a battle. (Picacho Peak, by the way, is a redundant name, since it means "peak peak.")

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Interior of Lincoln Memorial

This is a more distant view of the scene shown yesterday, with the sunlight on the columns

Because my husband and I were in Washington just a couple of weeks ago, the rising November sun was located in the southeast, so the rays of sun were cast on the pillars on the north side of the interior, rather than on the statue of Lincoln on the west wall.

This week we are showing nighttime photos of Budapest, Hungary on Viva la Voyage.

Sunrise on Columns

This is the interior of the Lincoln Memorial. The classic lines of the columns are illuminated by streaks of the dawn sunlight split into vertical shafts by the columns on the east front of the Memorial.

I think that the early morning is the best time to go to the Lincoln Memorial. It is a solemn place, and before it becomes crowded with other visitors it is more conducive to quiet reflection.

Tomorrow I will show the larger context of the scene where this photo was taken. The pillars of the Lincoln Memorial, as do much of the classical architecture of the government buildings in Washington, D.C., show how much our society admires the Greek development of democracy. We have copied Greek architecture as our founding fathers were inspired by Greek philosophy.

Today is Sunday, so we have posted new photos on Viva la Voyage. This week we are showing night time photos of Budapest, Hungary.

Sunrise Mist of Reflecting Pool

This is the capture of a magical moment. My husband took this photo with his zoom while focusing on capturing the glow of the sunrise streaming through the trees illuminating the mist on the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The bench and street light added to the atmosphere, and then a man walked by and blew a puff of smoke into a streak of sunlight.

This is my favorite photo that Dave took on his sunrise walk during our recent visit to Washington, D.C. He had to get back to our hotel by 8:00 a.m. for some professional meetings, but I wonder what was more productive, his photo walk or his meetings. I will show a few more days of photos from this little field trip to our nation's capitol.

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Duck Swimming in the Lincoln Memorial's Reflection

If you had not seen yesterday's photo, would you know where this photo was taken? In the early morning stillness of the reflecting pool, the glide of a duck penetrates the reflected facade of the Lincoln Memorial.

I read a little news item recently that the depiction of the Lincoln Memorial in the future will no longer be featured on the back of the penny coin. The penny will still have Abraham Lincoln on the front, but the back will be a shield design by a Santa Fe artist.

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The Lincoln Memorial Reflected at Dawn

The reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument shows why it deserves its name in this photo. The Lincoln Memorial catches the first rays of of the morning sun, which highlights the reflection.

It was on these steps, of course, that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech to a crowd that filled the area on both sides of the reflecting pool.

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The Washington Monument in the Mist of Constitution Gardens

Constitution Gardens is a park just north of the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

On the cold November morning, the warmer water temperature and colder air temperature combined to form a mist on the pond in Constitution Gardens. the stillness of the morning mirrors the Washington Monument.

The land where Constitution Gardens is now located used to be covered with temporary buildings build during World War II called the "Navy Annex," which were some of the ugliest government office building imaginable and which were not torn down until the 1970's. The park and gardens is a big improvement, wouldn't you agree?

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The Capitol at Dawn

I was in Washington, D.C. about 10 days ago and thought it would be worthwhile to get some photos of the monuments at sunrise.

It was 30 degrees outside, so I decided that the best way to get sunrise photos would be to send my husband, Dave of Costa Rica Daily Photo out to take some photos in the cold while I stayed warm and slept in our hotel room.

Here is a photo that he took of the U.S. Capitol building from the grounds or the Washington Monument. I like how you can see the glow from the sunrise through the windows in the dome. You can also see a plane.

I will show some more of his Washington photos during the next week. Although all of the monuments are familiar to everyone, Dave tried to get some special shots in the sweet light of dawn. The photos really turned out fabulous so I thought I would share them for the next week.

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Veteran's Day in America

Here is a photo of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC.

We are posting a photo of this special place to commemorate this day where we thank all of our veterans who have provided service to our country.

Dave of Costa Rica Daily Photo

took this photo last weekend while we were in D.C. He got up at 4 am and took various photos of DC at sunrise, and he captured some truly amazing images.

The two brilliant red trees stand out in the photo, along with the yellow wreath, the reflections in the black marble, and the many flags at the base of the memorial.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is a national war memorial honoring those who served in the United States armed forces. The wall has 58,159 names etched into the black marble identifying those who died in service or who are still unaccounted for in the Vietnam War.

The memorial is in Constitution Gardens, which is adjacent to the National Mall and is just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. The Wall was designed by Maya Lin and built in 1982. The Wall is 246 feet and 9 inches (75 meters) in length and 10.1 feet (3 meters) high.

Many people visit the Wall and some take rubbings off the names etched into the black marble. Many leave flowers, flags, or other tokens of remembrance. Please take a moment of silence for veterans today.

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