Washington DC

We love Washington, DC and stop there every chance we get going all the way back to 1969 when we visited there for our honeymoon. The great thing about the city is that most sights are free and new exhibits and monuments are being added all the time, so there are always new encounters.

We stayed just a couple blocks from Lafayette Square and the White House. The statue in the square is President Andrew Jackson. 

I always like the protesters in the square. This group has been there for as long as I can remember. The son of a former Washington teacher was there protesting for many years. I always tried to make sure the students would talk to him when we took the seventh graders to DC.

These words from the 1st Amendment; Congress shall make no law respecting....or abridging the freedom of speech......or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. So often in DC you can see people exercising their rights to engage in this part of the 1st Amendment.

Pershing Park was dedicated in 1981 to honor General John J, Pershing who lead the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during WWI.

While the park honored Pershing, there was never a monument honoring all the Americans who served during that war. This is a work in progress with panels telling to story of their role and showing where in Western Europe the Americans fought.

The monument includes the Peace Fountain with the sculpture behind it still being completed. It is called, A Soldier's Story and depicts a soldier leaving his family, fighting in Europe and then returning home. The design of the statue had to be changed because it showed Black soldiers fighting alongside Whites, which did not happen, as the military was segregated. The helmets of the Black troops were changed to French style helmets since many served with French units.

The Hotel Harrington where I stayed many times on the seventh grade trip. It was old but well located. Unfortunately, it was where the proud boys wanted to stay, so they closed on January 6th rather than allow them to stay. 

The Smithsonian Castle and carousel on the Mall. As you can see, no crowds. Even the traffic was not bad as many federal employees are still working from home. 

It seems that any time they do renovations on the monuments and museums they have a way of turning the work site into a work of art. This is a piece called Draw the Curtain by New York based Swiss artist Nicolas Party that covers the scaffolding during the renovation of the Hirshhorn Museum. There are several women looking through the curtain as you walk around the building.

One of the newest monuments in DC, the fifth honoring a president, is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. Ike was the commander of the WWII D-Day attack on Nazi-occupied France and later served two terms as President from 1953 to 1961. 

He was born in Denison, Texas, the third of seven boys. When he was two his family moved to Abilene, Kansas. He grew up a "simple country boy" on a dairy farm. He lacked the money for college so when he learned the military academies where free he applied to both West Point and the Naval Academy. He was too old for the Navy but was appointed to West Point in 1911.

Ike graduated from West Point in 1915 and was station in Fort Sam Houston where he met his future wife Mamie Geneva Doud. He was noted for his organization and team building skills while serving at many posts around the world rising slowly through the ranks becoming the General of the Army in 1944. 

His greatest military achievement was June 6, 1944 when he lead the troops on D-Day, the beginning of the attack to recapture Europe from Nazi Germany. The tapestry behind the monument represents the 100 foot high cliffs at Pointe du Hoc that American forces faced when the landed on the beaches of Normandy.

Following his successes in WWII he was hired by Columbia University as president. In 1952 he was elected President and served until 1961. As President, he enforced the integration of the military, signed the 1957 Civil Rights Act and sent troops to Little Rock to assure the integration of Central High School. He was aggressive in Cold War struggles between American democracy and Soviet Union communist influence.   

One of my favorite DC museums is the National Museum of the American Indian. Unfortunately, it was closed the day we were there.

This new monument outside the museum honors those Native Americans who served in the military.

We had never been to the US Botanical Garden so we checked it out. The building was closed but the gardens were open.

Patrick Dougherty's Stickwork Sculpture was installed in 2020 as part of the 200th anniversary of the garden. It is made of willow and some invasive species that were removed from two sites in the area. It was very neat and you could walk through it.

This is as close as we got to the capitol and, at least from a distance, there is no visible damage remaining from the January 6th insurrection. The capitol is always one of my favorite places and I have visited it many times.

Seeing friends when traveling is always high on our list. We met Daniel and Milena at Lexington Lakes where his parents have a condo. When we told them we were stopping in DC they told us to give them a call. We had a great meal and a fun time getting caught up with them.

Another place we had never visited is Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973). She was the heir to the Postum Cereal Company, later General Foods and was among the richest women of her time. Hillwood, which she purchased in 1955, was her spring and fall home. In the summer she went to Camp Topridge in the Adirondack Mountains. You may have heard of her winter home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach.

Hillwood, with its extensive collection of French and Russian art, was bequeathed to the city after her death. These three dimensional, life size dancing figures called Rich Soil are part of a special exhibit created by Kristine Mays. There are 29 wire sculptures throughout the gardens. 

Another special exhibit was Roaring Twenties; The Life and Style of Marjorie Merriweather Post. She and her new husband E.F. Hutton were trendsetters for the super rich during the roaring twenties. That lifestyle of excess and glamour was the basis for the novel The Great Gatsby. The exhibit includes many of her dresses and jewelry. 

The Japanese-Style Garden, one of several on the grounds. Another unique area is the dog cemetery with headstones for all her dogs.

The French Drawing Room was in the style of aristocrats' homes in the 1700's. The painted and gilt wood paneling and mantel are from Parisian homes built in that time.

The first floor library with pine paneling in the style of a 1700's British country home. On the table is a model of her yacht, Sea Cloud, which she leased to the US Navy during WWII.

The dining room where Marjorie would have elaborate gatherings using her French and Russian dinner service. For formal dinners each guest had a footman and there were different waiters for wine, meat, vegetables and bread. The table, which took 17 craftsmen in Florence, Italy a year to build, could seat up to 30 guests.

A replica of a Russian dacha. In the 1930's she accompanied her third husband, Joseph E. Davies, to the Soviet Union where he was ambassador. At that time, the Soviet government was selling the treasures it had seized from the church, the imperial family and the aristocracy. Marjorie started buying and collecting Russian art and craft works.

The Russian Sacred Arts Gallery displays many of the items she bought. These are icons from the Russian Orthodox Church.

This is the nuptial crown worn by Tsarina Alexandra in 1894 during her wedding to Nicholas II.  It was sold at Christie's London in 1927 and became part of the Post collection in 1966. It is considered the most significant imperial crown jewels outside Russia.

This gold chalice was commissioned by Catherine the Great in 1791 and was part of a communion set. 

Marjorie's bedroom is furnished with French furniture and fabric. The portrait is of two of her daughters, Adelaide and Eleanor. The case contains objects made of bloodstone, her birthstone. Of course there was a private bath, dressing room, a huge closet and safe for her jewelry. 

The rose garden is Marjorie's final resting place, her ashes are buried under the pink granite monument. Hillwood is a worthwhile visit with its many historic items and a look into how the super rich lived.

Another day, more friends. Valerie and Richard drove from their home in Charlottesville, VA for a visit. We met them our first year on the road and have met up many times over the years. 

We visited the Phillips which is celebrating 100 years with them. Unfortunately, several of the galleries were between exhibits so there was not much to see,

Part of the permanent collection is the The Migration of the Negro (now the Migration Series) done in 1940 by Jacob Lawrence. The paintings show the movement of the one million African Americans from the South to the North between 1914 and 1930.  

Lawrence was commissioned to paint 60 panels that show the change as people moved from the rural agricultural South to the urban industrial North. In 1942 the collection was sold with the odd numbered panels going to the Phillips and the even numbered to the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

No visit to the Phillips is complete for Nanc until she gets to see her favorite painting, Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party. We have a copy hanging by our dining table and Nanc often points out which of our friends she thinks each character is.

As part of the 100 years celebration, this display titled Digital Intersections was done by Daniel Canogar. He created Amalgama Phillips using 550 works from the permanent collection that liquefies in a seamless blend of melted imagery. Here is the link to the YouTube video of the work. While some of the galleries were not open, any visit to the Phillips is well worth your time.

This special display on the Mall is a field of white flags, one for every person who has died of Covid 19. Sadly, that number continues to increase with nearly 89,000 deaths since we were there in September. GET THE DAMN SHOT!!!!!!

It also shows how far behind I am with the blog. I have another post about DC, our visits to the Outer Banks and Myrtle Beach, our trip to Punta Cana and what we have been up to here in Stuart.

Stay safe and healthy during the upcoming holiday season.

It's a Burgh Thing - Pittsburgh

While we really enjoy seeing friends and family when we are in WashPA it has been a while since we did a day exploring the Burgh. Of all the cities we have visited, Pittsburgh is the only one that has a grand entrance if you are coming in from the west. While you may catch a glimpse of the tops of the skyscrapers, you only get to see the whole downtown when you exit the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Check here, it is a real surprise the first time you do it and something I enjoy every time.   

We decided we would make a day of it and visit some of our favorite parts of the city and explore some areas we have never been to. We left WashPA at 9:30 and our first stop was Pamela's in the Strip District. Because of Covid many restaurants now have outdoor seating, something that is rare in the colder parts of the country. Nanc staying warm on a cool, but sunny morning. 

Here is why I must go to Pamela's every time we are in the Burgh. The crepe "pancakes" are the best I have ever had. After having them, I rarely have pancakes anywhere else. They are so wonderful President Obama invited Pamela to cook breakfast for him on Inauguration Day.   

The Strip includes the old produce warehouses and wholesalers selling many different foods and wares. It is a treat just walking down the street with all the aromas coming out of the stores.

The mural gives you a real feel of what The Strip used to be like. While it is still very neat, the neighborhood is fast becoming gentrified.

One big change is the actual produce warehouse has been totally redone with plans for entertainment, food and shopping. Even though the project is pretty much complete, new businesses have been slow to move in the middle of the pandemic. 

As you can see there were almost no people there that day. I believe it will be successful because there are hundreds of new apartments going up within walking distance. 

One thing we realized we miss about our old home in Pennsylvania that we don't have in Florida is the hills. The longest view you get in Stuart is going over the bridges and looking out from them. It is flat as far as the eye can see. The only way to get a view like this in most cities is to go to the top of a tall building. 

In Pittsburgh you can take a quick ride to Mt. Washington for a great view on the 150 year old incline. Between 1870 and 1901 17 inclines were built in greater Pittsburgh. They were primarily for the workers to commute to their jobs in the mills. Automobiles reduced the need for them so today there are only two remaining, the Monongahela and the Duquesne, pictured here.  Here is a short video of the ride.

The station at the top has a neat exhibit of the history and workings of the inclines. 

A panoramic view of the city and The Point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River. Lost in most history books is the fact that this was the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Corp of Discovery. The boats they used where built in Pittsburgh.

This is a monument of George Washington and Seneca leader Guyasuta overlooking the river from Point of View Park. It depicts their meeting in 1770 when Washington traveled through the area. It sure has changed a lot since then.

We lived most of our lives in the Pittsburgh area but we have never been to the West End Overlook in the Elliott neighborhood. It gives you a different view of the city, rivers and more of the 28 bridges that cross the three rivers. They are just a few of the 446 bridges in the city.

From West End Overlook you can see the Gothic style Cathedral of Learning in the distance. The 535 foot building at the University of Pittsburgh is the tallest education building in the Western Hemisphere.

From the West End we traveled to the North Side to see the statue of another iconic Pittsburgher, Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was on PBS from 1960 to 2001. The show focused on emotional and physical concerns of young children such as death, sibling rivalry and divorce. 

It is comforting that Mr. Rogers is still looking out for Pittsburgh. The base he is sitting on is part of the pier of the old Manchester Bridge. 

Before the Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne Bridges were built in the 1960's there were two older ones, the Manchester and Point Bridges. This relief sculpture honoring native and early explorers was on the Manchester Bridge. 

By this time we were ready for a drink and snack so we stopped at my favorite Pittsburgh micro-brewery, The Church Brew Works. 

A perfect use for an old church and altar, brewing tanks and barrels. 

When we lived here, A Fair in the Park in Mellon Park was one of our go to events. They always had an excellent selection of artisans works. A potter, whose work Nanc really likes, was there and she could not pass up the chance to buy some new bowls. She also now has the contact to replace some of our pieces that were broken while in transport. 

We had one more stop to end our perfect day in the Burgh. Dan and Josh were playing at Truss Brewery in Pleasant Hills. We had not heard Josh at all and Dan only once on this visit. The beer and pizza were good and the music was great. 

The venue was outside so when the lights came on we got this unique picture. Live music is always high on our to do list, so it was great hearing a couple WashPA men playing our favorite tunes. It was 9:30 when we arrived back home, so it was a long but fun day in Pittsburgh.

We did one other trip to town with friends John and Patrice, where we toured a bit of the North Side. That day we visited Randyland. This outdoor art museum is the work of Randy Gilson, a local artist who was down and out before starting this unique display in 1995.  

In addition to his eclectic works of art, Randy was a community activist who planted over 800 street gardens and 50 vegetable gardens. His work has lead to the revitalization of local neighborhoods that had fallen into disrepair. If you are in the Burgh make sure you add Randyland to your to do list.

One last unique feature in Pittsburgh is Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park. There are two 30 inch and one 13 inch telescopes in the building. It was built by wealthy industrialists in the early 1900's and is now run by the University of Pittsburgh. It is temporary closed for renovation.

We ended that day at Penn Brewery, another great Pittsburgh stop. 

Hope you enjoyed our tour of the Burgh and now realize that Pittsburgh is no longer the smokey steel town that comes to mind for so many people when they hear the name.

We have a couple more blog posts about stops we made on our trip south to write about in the coming weeks. We've been back in Stuart for a couple weeks now and will be heading to Punta Cana next week to celebrate our anniversary. Just because we no longer have Opus does not mean we will not be traveling. 

Stay safe and healthy everyone.