Washington D. C.
March 31 to April 2, 2008

One thing I wanted to be sure to be able to do was to go up inside the Washington Monument.  Even though I got started later in the day than I wanted, since it was raining this morning, I was able to get a ticket for eleven o'clock, giving me two hours to wander the Mall.

I walked alongside the Reflecting Pond to the Lincoln Memorial.  As I walked, the rain increased.  I had considered bringing my hat and my umbrella, but when I left the house, it didn't seem that bad.  oh, well, live and learn.

I got some very nice photographs of the Lincoln Memorial with no one in them, a rare feat, and one for which I had to wait considerable time.   People seem to have a tendency to stand right in the middle of what I wanted to photograph.  But I was sufficiently patient and got the shots I wanted.

Then I walked the short distance to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  Because of the rain, the surface was reflective, and I got a few sweet shots of the memorial with various things reflecting in it.

When I was in high school and the Vietnam War was proceeding, I wore a P.O.W. bracelet with the name of Lt. David Zook.  I found his name on the wall.  I later researched the internet to see that he never did return home, that his body was never found.  His wife commented to one person that she had received letters from two people with a bracelet.  I am pleased to admit that I wrote to David's family twice and received an answer from his son.  I still have those letters today.  May God bless his family.

I walked back up the north side of the Mall to the White House and only then discovered that you can't get anywhere near it.  I walked back to the Washington Monument and got up to the top for a view that is well worth the wait.

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