Photographing Our Nations Capital! Part 5

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved

The last day of my trip was spent at Great Falls, and Falls Church, Virginia. 

Great Falls is a beautiful National Park that has 3 over looks to the Falls of the Potomac River.  With it’s jagged rocks, and gushing water that flows into the narrow Mather gorge; this park has a lot of natural history.  At only 15 miles from the capital, this is a must see if you’re in the area.  This is definitely not a swimming hole; it’s more about the beauty of nature, and the history of a trading site, or a lover’s stroll.  There used to be a trolley to the falls, and an Inn where people would gather to enjoy dinner before viewing the falls at night.  Imagine how many people fell in love at Great Falls.  In the early 1900’s Great Falls even had an amusement park with a carousel, which sadly did not survive Mother Nature.  As far up as the 1700’s Great Falls was a meeting place for the Paleo Indians, and was eventually claimed as a National historic landmark in 1983.  This park is home to birds, wild life, and rare species of plant life.  The park also features a junior ranger two-day camp for children at certain times of the year.  So if you’re in the area, make time to check out Great Falls and this awesome piece of history!

Next stop… the city of Falls Church.  As with everything I’ve seen so far, this is another historic place close to DC.  One of the 2 smallest cities in Virginia, at 2.2 miles, this village community was beautiful, with it’s red brick architecture, and fall foliage.  Falls Church had the best color of my entire trip.  I even stopped to gather a few leaves to bring home to my kids, since they have never actually enjoyed the Autumn season.  Florida has its benefits, but also its downfalls… not having the change of seasons is one of them.  My partner and friend stumbled upon “The Falls Church” (identified as the one near the falls) in the city of Falls Church before I arrived, and thought it worthy of photographing.  He was right!  It was beautiful, and historic all at the same time.  Falls Church is of the Anglican Communion, and for which the city was named.  Previously an Episcopalian Church, President George Washington, and William Fairfax were both appointed church wardens in 1763, and it was their responsibility to contract for a new building.  This church survived the Revolutionary war and the civil war; it is in its original condition with the exception of the brick below the windows, the bottom of the brick doorway and the chancel addition.  The pipe organ was added in 1967 built by the Schantz Organ Company.  The churchyard holds grave markers from as early as 1805 but earlier burials occurred here.  Records show payments from 1778 to the sexton for mending graves.  Indentations from bullets, and broken headstones are the result of fired bullets during the Civil War.  Union troops used Falls Church as a hospital, and later as a stable during the Civil War… afterwards it was repaired and again actively used as a place for worship.

I wouldn’t limit yourself to just seeing DC… as you can see here, there is also a lot of history and beauty in it’s surrounding area.

I’ve enjoyed sharing my journey with you… I hope you have found a bit of the past interesting enough to take your own excursion.  Don’t forget your camera!!

Love, Laughs, & Photographs,

Wendy

 

Photographing Our Nations Capital! Part 4

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved

"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.'"

President John F. Kennedy

The fourth day of our journey was spent seeing the things that we had missed and tried to visit on the day’s prior, but we either ran out of time, or they were closed.  

First stop… The Navy Memorial.  This one was important to me, and nostalgic, since I have several family members who did serve in the US Navy.  Most Importantly my Dad, who served in WWII, aboard the USS West Virginia.  I grew up with the most patriotic man that ever lived, and can’t help but reflect on the things he taught me throughout my life. 

While browsing the Memorial I searched the Presidents room for JFK’s painting and the PT109.  If you’ve never seen the movie “PT109”… it’s a good watch for anyone with interest in our former president, and/or the United States Navy.  I tried to search the log for my dad, but alas their internet was down.  While walking down the stairs from the entrance to the museum (located on the basement level), the glass wall was filled with etchings of Naval vessels… battle ships, destroyers, and submarines… simply beautiful with a plaque to describe each one.  We waited to watch the 30 minute movie in the theater, and browsed the wall of plaques donated by Navy personnel and loved ones. I found the USS West Virginia plaque donated by the Reunion Organization.  The plaza outside of the museum is just as awesome with a world “sea map” made of granite, towering masts with signal flags, fountains and waterfalls, and a statue of the Lone Sailor.  I captured this shot of the National Archive building with the plaza in the foreground and a beautiful sky above.

  Our next point of interest was Fords Theater where President Lincoln was shot.  Again the lower level was a museum with a lot of information about Lincoln as president, and of course upstairs was the awesome theater.  The light was low, which made it hard for a hand held shot, but I didn’t take my tri-pod along on this day.  The whole building was creepy, yet cool, with a lot of energy. 

We rode the yellow line on the “open top” bus this day, and it took us through the Arlington Cemetery parking lot, through George Town, and around the Pentagon.  The leaves in Arlington have started to change but still weren’t as vibrant as I had hoped for.  The sky over the Pentagon was still amazing!

We finally made our way to the Lincoln Memorial, which is a good walk if you’re on foot.  Thankfully it was one of the buses drop off points and we only had to make our way back to the metro at the end of the evening.  The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most visited memorials in DC, and rightly so… it is probably the most appealing pieces of architecture and sculpture combination in the city.

There you have it!  Day four in a nutshell!  And you didn’t even have to do all the walking! :)

Stay tuned for my last day…

Love, Laughs, & Photographs,

Wendy

Photographing Our Nations Capital! Part 3

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved

We caught the metro into DC the next morning… we took the elevator to the main floor that opened our eyes to an amazing treat!  Union Station, the center of anyone who’s going anywhere, is another awe-inspiring architectural delight!  Although not complete until 1908, Union Station officially opened on October 27^th, 1907 when the Baltimore, and the Ohio Pittsburgh Express rolled into the station.  With the triumphal arch of Rome symbolizing a main gateway, solid mahogany woodwork, 10-ton marble planters, egg and dart molding, and 70 pounds of gold leafing on the coffers, all we could say was WOW!  If you enjoy a great piece of architecture this building will literally take your breath away inside and out!

Everywhere I looked the flowers were vibrant, and I was really amazed at how many gardens were still in bloom.  I couldn’t help but grab a shot of the roses outside of Union Station, but I noticed all the roses in the yards throughout Arlington and DC.

We rode every available “open top” tour bus in and around DC.  DC stands for District of Columbia; according to the tour bus audio, DC was given the name because of Christopher Columbus.  After doing some research, I’m not sure this is true, but here is the statue of Columbus standing on the bow of his ship looking towards the Capital building, outside of Union Station.

Speaking of the Capital, another inspiring work of architecture, with its neoclassical design, is the center of attention in Washington.  I got to visit the inside of the Capital Building when I was a little girl, but because of time restraints, we only got to view it from the outside on this trip.  With it’s huge rotunda (there is actually another in the senate wing), colonnades, vaulted ceilings, and government style pediments, the Capital Building is a must see whether you’re inside or out. I would love to go back when those cherry trees are in bloom!

Being the tallest monument in DC, the Washington Monument can be seen from everywhere.  It’s an in your face reminder of this grand city!

The Smithsonian Castle is not only a beautiful work of art, it is the center of 16 museums, and holds millions of artifacts, paintings, and other items, as well as the Hope Diamond.  Built in the late Romanesque and early Gothic style, this is the first Smithsonian, built in 1855.

After our bus tour we decided to explore on foot, and stayed in DC until well after dark.  Our feet and legs were screaming stop, but my camera was saying don't!  I captured the Treasury Building, the White House, and the Jefferson Memorial after dark.  I love to do night shooting, and take the opportunity whenever I can.

That’s it for part 3

Until next time

Love, Laughs, & Photographs,

Wendy

Photographing Our Nations Capital! Part 2

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. ~Frank Lloyd Wright~

Shenandoah National Park was in our initial plans while visiting Virginia; it came sooner than we had planned.  Since our bodies ached from the prior days jaunt around downtown DC, we decided a nice drive might give us time to recover from sore muscles.  While that turned out to me a mistake, the mountains were turned out to be breathtaking!

There wasn’t as much color as I had hoped for in mid October, but just being in the mountains among all the natural wonders, and beautiful scenery made it worth the trip!  We stayed late into the night, and walked away with some awesome shots!

I love to drag the shutter when I photograph moving water… it gives it that misty surreal look… and who doesn’t like the dream world?  I found a few very interesting little brooks in Shenandoah National Park, some where off the beaten trail, but I’m glad we searched them out.  I also found it fascinating that some of the mountain rocks cried, nature is a wondrous thing, and should always be looked upon with an open heart and compassionate soul.  I get back to myself when I wander through nature; it’s so much more peaceful than the hustle and bustle of daily life… which makes me appreciate it even more.

I’m going to keep this post short, and let you enjoy one of the amazing pieces of earth left to take pleasure in.

Love, Laughs, & Photographs,

Wendy

Photographing Our Nations Capital! Part 1

Washington DC is a small place packed with a lot of history!  I just spent five days strolling the streets of downtown DC, hiking the mountains of Shenandoah, and observing the wonders of Great Falls.  There is no way you can see everything in 5 days!  Hopefully I can return in the spring and see some of the things I didn’t get to see this time around.

Since it was a five-day trip, and I squeezed as much in as I could, this blog will probably be in several parts.  I’ll start my trip off with DC… I have friends that live in Arlington, so it was a short metro ride to downtown where as I said, there is more history than anyone can take in, in one trip.  Why the metro?  Because you don’t really want to drive around downtown!  It’s confusing and congested!  There are streets you can drive on at certain times of the day, and cant at other times.  The parking is absolutely crazy, and the tour busses and cab drivers are aggressive and ridiculous. 

First stop… the Holocaust Museum.  When you enter the museum you are told to take an ID card and get in the elevator that will take you to the top floor.  I read my ID card as we rode up to the main museum.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but everyone gets a different ID card… that puts you in the shoes of someone who survived the Holocaust and tells his/her story.  As it turned out I wore the shoes of a gay man.  This museum is not for the weak… in fact when I first entered, I thought about turning around, because it was already playing with my emotions.  In the crowd was a group of high school children listening, reading, and taking notes. I’m sure a report would be due in the future.  This museum is grotesque, heartbreaking, and moving… and something I think everyone should experience at least once.

The second stop on my bucket list was the National Museum of Art.  This place is huge, and a beautiful piece of architecture.  Outside it resembles a large neoclassical building, including a rotunda, colonnades, and the government style pediment.  The stairs where a bit much, and the start of some aches and pains for the remainder of the trip.  The interior was filled with statuary, fountains, and of course an oculus in the rotunda.  I chose the Italian art as my first experience since that has been the majority of my studies in art history thus far.  Getting to view the art up close and personal was a great treat!  Viewing it in a book just does not do it justice.  I even got to be a bit of a tour guide, explaining the mediums, the artists, and the era’s.  I’m told we spent about 3 hours just looking at the Italian art (it didn’t seem that long to me), but we needed a break and headed outside where the cloudy skies had turn to sunshine!  I figured I could go back another day… but as it turns out, that didn’t happen.

As a child my father took us to DC (he always took us to cool places), and at that time we actually got to go into the White House, and the Capital.  This time… I only photographed them from the outside.  We walked up to the Capital building as close as we could to get a decent shot.  I didn’t take my Olympus along since it started out as a rainy nasty day, so the point and shoot had to do.  I did get some good shots in the days ahead from the top of a tour bus.  Which saved on the legs I might add.

We ended the day with a nice dinner, and wandered around downtown planning our next day of sight seeing, what exactly we felt like we couldn’t live without before the whole trip was over.  :)  I knew I wanted to include some night shots of Washington in my portfolio so we also planned on either staying late one day, or heading back after all the traffic died down.  As it turned out we stayed late and added more stress to the already achy body.  It was well worth it though… and I will share more in my next post.

Love, Laughs, and Photographs,

Wendy