Category Archives: The Mall

Interviews, People, The District, The Hill, The Mall
By

Tourists Love DC: Diane from NYC

Di from NYC

Have you ever wondered what might be going through the mind of a tourist to our fair area? We see them all around every day, from all corners of the globe – wandering museums, walking the Mall, riding transit. So what if we took a moment to find out what it is they’re thinking as they visit what we see every day?

This is the first in a periodic series of interviews of tourists to our area. Call us curious, but I’m sure all of us at one time or another want to know what these out-of-towners really think about Washington, DC.

So let’s introduce a recent visitor. Meet Diane, from New York City. She actually was in town for the Cherry Blossom Festival; I had enjoyed talking with her then and felt she’d be a great start to this unique series here on WeLoveDC.

Continue reading →

Monumental, The Mall
By

Monumental: DC War Memorial

dcwar.png
World War I Memorial by oberonindc

Hidden away from the Reflecting Pool stands a Doric-columned white marble dome, inscribed with the names of 499 men and women from the District of Columbia who never made it home from fields of Ypres and the end of The Great War. The monument, dedicated on Armistice Day, 1931, by President Hoover, was built to fit The President’s Own, and John Philip Sousa lead the band on the occasion. Playing The Stars and Strips Forever, the Band dedicated the memorial to those lost in combat abroad.

The memorial, granted by Act of Congress in 1924, was built with $200,000 in private donations, given by citizens of the District. Architect Frederick H. Brooke designed the edifice to be built using Vermont Marble from the Danby quarry, and the committee planted a grove of hardwood trees to surround the memorial.

Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Mall
By

Yes, I love the Mall too.

All over the mall
Less than two weeks after we launched We Love DC, I got an email message from a friend. Here is is in its entirety:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/146735?GT1=430012 – is it the dead ducks in the reflecting pool that makes you love DC so much? :)

I ground my teeth and opened the link, knowing pretty well what was going to be there – more kicking the Mall around and use of over-blown words like “disgrace.” I was not – well, yes, I was disapointed, but I wasn’t all surprised by what I found inside, though my friend got her geography a little wrong – the ducks in question were in what is a reflecting pool in front of Congress, but not what most of us would think of as the reflecting pool between Lincoln and the Washington Monument.

Be that as it may, I took it as a challenge and took an extended stroll around the Mall two weeks ago. It was sweaty work, but well worth it. Newsweek, WaPo, everyone else: you are correct, the Mall has problems and needs attention and it a bit threadbare in places. But you’re completely wrong.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, The Mall
By

Natural History Ocean Hall Time Lapse

Via DC Metrocentric, we find that the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has a Flickr stream, to which they have posted a a time lapse video of construction progress on their upcoming Ocean Hall:

The Ocean Hall opens in September 2008. Being an avid scuba diver and admirer of all forms of marine life (in beauty and taste), I look forward to this eagerly.

Adventures, The Mall
By

Newseum: Worth $22 per Ticket?

newseum
Photo by v1rotate

While Carl is bitching about the beer prices at Nationals Stadium, I’m wondering about prices at another DC attraction: The new Newseum.

In the land of free Smithsonian museums, the Newseum is charging $20 per adult ticket with Carl’s favorite – a $2 convenience fee for those that dare buy online.

So at $22 per ticket, is the Newseum worth it?

Like this story? Then subscribe to WeLoveDC today!

Life in the Capital, The District, The Mall, We Love Arts
By

Tourist in Your Own Town: Smithsonian Weekend

DC at dusk
DC at dusk by brianmka

I’d lived here easily a year before I ever ventured down to the Mall and saw something at the Smithsonian. As many of said in our entries on why we love this town, the free museums in Washington are replete with options for the local tourist. As “Staycations” become more popular with gas prices on the rise, go out and see some of your own city and enjoy it.

This first column will focus on a few of the open exhibitions that are happening in the Smithsonian Museums on the Mall. But, as we explore the District’s Tourist options, we’ll be heading far afield from the Mall. Feel free to drop us hints in the comments about where your favorite local spots are.

For now, though, let’s take a look at what’s going on at the Smithsonian this weekend!

Continue reading →

Adventures, Downtown, Featured Photo, The District, The Mall
By

Will They Ever Learn?


A watchful eye
Originally uploaded by afagen

I’m downtown DC this evening photographing some buildings as the sun sets. It’s a great night to shoot reflections on windows, something I enjoy in photographing buildings. And I’m making my way towards L’Enfant Plaza to begin heading home and there’s a perfect shot of the Dept. of Transportation building’s windows being intersected by its neighbor. A great mirroring image. So I stop, fiddle with my settings, set my stance, and begin photographing.

Well, it’s a long story but I’ll keep it short. Basically, one of the DoT security guys tells me in broken English that I cannot photograph the building unless I have a permit. I explain I’m on public property and can take pictures at will. I explained – repeatedly – that I’m an amateur photographer and take architectural photos. He says I can’t take the pictures. I ask to see where such a policy is written. He calls the supervisor.

Now, the supervisor was a nice guy. He seemed a bit confused as well, but I patiently explained that I didn’t need a permit to photograph. His counter? “Well, you know, terrorists walk around, taking pictures, plotting stuff. You could be one. So we can’t let you do that.”

Um, yeah, ok. Not. (I hardly look like a terrorist, people.) I explained the whole public property deal, told him I appreciated him doing his job – but that he was misinformed about photographing public buildings. There’s no permit required, nor do I need “permission.” Going inside? Different story. So we exchanged info – yeah, I cooperated because there’s no need to be a tool here – and then I went on my merry way after we shook hands. It certainly wasn’t a Union Station experience.

Unfortunately, the sun set and I lost the light. Oh well. At least someone got an education tonight.

Ain’t DC grand?

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Hill, The Mall
By

Hill Staffer Hate

Via DC Blogs, we have a WhatLizSaid rant on hill staffers: “This is what your Harvard education has gotten you. Rule your coffee getting domain with an iron fist! “ She’s nice enough to qualify that there are nice, normal staffers, and then there are those staffers, so puffed up by proximity to political power and prestige that they must try to vocally and bodily exert an imagined sense of superiority over DC’s lowly Capite Censi.

Honestly, I can’t recall any runs-in with such brutes, despite living right on the Hill, but then I don’t work in government or play softball/kickball on the Mall, nor do I frequent local bars much. Are the stories true? Is there really such a high population of boorish hill staffers?

Crime & Punishment, Entertainment, The District, The Great Outdoors, The Mall
By

The Cardboard Samurai are Coming

cardboard samurai.jpg

When the scroll arrived at my desk this morning, borne on the winds of change by a messenger falcon, I could not believe my eyes. The Cardboard Samurai were coming. Their likes have not been seen in Washington for some time, after they were driven back by the Army of the Paper Airplane back in ’99. I had feared that would one day return.

They fight without mercy, without cease, until their cardboard tubes lay in pulpy pieces upon the ground. The havoc…

On July the 26th, they shall return to Washington DC, their cardboard tubes at their side, their cardboard armor freshly carved and worn like the samurai of old. They will meet on the Mall, betwixt the Smithsonian and Natural History Museum at 3pm to display their ancient art.

The Washington War Dance. Upon us again. Perhaps, for the last time.

cardboard samurai2.png

Top photo: IMG_1075 by Hellathatguy
Bottom Illustration: Penny Arcade

Essential DC, Monumental, The Daily Feed, The Mall
By

Schmap Guides

Schmap makes interactive map/tour-book hybrid guides that you can reach on the web or download to your computer or iphone. You can click on map-points to see places of interest (with photos solicited from local Flickr photographers), directions, and information.

The D.C. edition seems like a great choice for those going out on “local tourism” adventures, but trying to keep touristy image to a minimum.

Many editions exist for cities around the world and all are available for free. An updated version of the Washington guide will be published mid-August.

Featured Photo, Life in the Capital, The District, The Mall
By

Featured Photo

Presidential Helicopter Passing the Washington Monument by realkevin

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. This perfectly framed shot of what could be Marine One flying in front of the Washington Monument makes me wonder what George was up to. Was he coming back from Andrews AFB? Was he on his way to Camp David? Was he giving some Saudis a tour of the city or just out for a joy ride? We’ll never know.

According to my trusty sources on The Google:

As a security measure, Marine One always flies in groups with identical helicopters, sometimes as many as five. One helicopter carries the president, while the others serve as decoys for would-be assassins on the ground. Upon take-off these helicopters begin to shift in formation (sometimes referred to as a Presidential shell game) regularly to keep the location of the President secure. Also, Marine One reportedly is equipped with standard military anti-missile countermeasures such as flares to counter heat-seaking missiles and chaff to counter radar-guided missiles. To add to the security of Marine One, every member of HMX-1 is required to pass a Yankee White background check before touching any of the helicopters used for presidential travel. Marine One is always transported (as is the president’s limousine) wherever the president travels, within the U.S. as well as overseas.

I find anything and everything to do with the presidency fascinating. For example, “Air Force One is the call sign for any fixed-wing aircraft that the President of the United States may happen to be in at any given time. Should the aircraft happen to be a rotary-wing aircraft, it is referred to as ‘Marine One’.” Also, “A Marine Corps aircraft carrying the Vice President is designated ‘Marine Two’.” Who came up with these call signs? Why not call them ‘Big Bird’ and ‘Little Bird’? Or ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’? I guess there’s a reason they didn’t consult with me on this decision.

I haven’t been lucky enough to be near the Mall or the White House with my camera when one of these choppers is flying around, but I know that no matter the occasion, one of our talented photographers will be on the scene.

Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Mall, We Love Arts
By

Opening Tomorrow: Jim Henson’s Fantastic World

Metro Ad for Jim Henson exhibit

Organized by SITES and The Jim Henson Legacy, the traveling exhibit Jim Henson’s Fantastic World opens tomorrow (Saturday July 12th) at the S. Dillon Ripley Center International Gallery, featuring artifacts of the much-missed imagination and visual thinking that brought us the muppets, Yoda, and The Dark Crystal. The Ripley Center can be a bit hard to find if you’ve never been there before, as it’s mostly underground; just look for the copper-domed kiosk sitting between the Castle and the Freer Gallery (map). I’m hoping to see one of my boyhood crushes there, Kira the Gelfling. Rawr.

Adventures, Downtown, Featured Photo, Monumental, The Daily Feed, The Mall
By

Shooting the Monuments


Abstract Jungle
Originally uploaded by Ghost_Bear

Coming up this Saturday, July 12, the Washington Photo Safari is having their next Monuments and Memorials event. Led by architectural photographer E. David Luria, it’s a great way to spend the morning shooting various landmarks in the city and learning some great photo tips and techniques along the way.

I’ve been on some of these and they’re fantastic. Mr. Luria is extremely personable and a great photo guide; he’s quite capable of enhancing your photography skills, regardless of whether you use a simple point-and-shoot or a complex SLR digital camera. It’s well worth the money spent. (Transportation for this one is provided and covered by the fee.)

There’s a lot of events by the WPS; check out their calendar for other possible ideas. And maybe I’ll see you there!

The Mall
By

Fireworks Timelapse

So the weather tricked me into staying in, but I did get to view tonight’s pyrotechnics from a friend’s apartment with windows facing towards the Mall. My camera sat on a tripod, set to do a time lapse video at one-second intervals. Here is the result, consisting of 1,271 frames taken over a course of 21 minutes:

Thanks to the Internet Archive for the 1913 Edison cylinder recording of Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. Sped-up video plus tinny Sousa makes for a whimsical little piece.