A Walk Through Washington DC in HDR

The US Capitol Building is by far the most impressive structure in all of Washington DC. Every last surface of the building features an artistic touch with a level of detail found in few other places. As you approach from afar the building continues to grow until it dominates your view and you find yourself struggling to see the peak of the massive dome.

Of course what DC trip would be complete without the obligatory stop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  This image of the White House had to be taken from the rear of the building because the front was swarming with a group of Tamil Protesters chanting “President Obama, President Obama, you’re our only hope!”

The Lincoln Memorial is far more personal than Capitol Hill or the White House.  When you stand at the feet of the larger than life Abraham Lincoln you’ll swear he’s looking right at you.  Look over to the left and you’ll find a 40 ft tall engraving of his famous Gettysburg Address.

Turn around, and with Lincoln at your back your overwhelmed by a view of several DC landmarks including Capitol Hill, the World War II Pacific Memorial, and the Smithsonian.  However,  the view is easily dominated by the Washington Monument. For a few weeks the monument was the largest man made structure in the world before the French built the Eiffel Tower.  About 100 ft up the obelisk, you’ll notice a color change. That marks the onset of the American Civil War. The monument remained incomplete for several years during the war when funds were scarce and national pride was in even shorter supply.  After the monument was completed, the differential left by aging of the stone became a little known reminder of a dark period in US history.

The Jefferson Memorial is a seldom celebrated monument. Much like his good friend and political nemesis John Adams, Jefferson is rarely afforded his due credit for the founding of the US.  He held the line against big government for years and was the champion of states rights during our nations infancy.

By far the most somber of the sites in Washington DC is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The wall seems to go on for days as you walk by struggling to take in every name in a futile attempt to honor the thousands engraved.  Small tokens left by friends and family of the fallen lie every few feet at the base of the wall. The most profound of all of these gifts I found were three cigarettes lined up end to end beneath the wall.  One of the countless untold stories of the war, I sat there wondering was it a debt that could not be repaid to a fallen comrade, or perhaps a forgotten wager honored some fifty years later. There are thousands of these stories all over the reflective black wall that will never be told.

~Man Overboard