Washington, D.C. on the 4th of July

Celebrating our nation's B'day, the 4th of July,  in Washington, D.C., is a 'bucket list' event!  The excitement is almost too much to bear!  But, as we approach Smallwood State Park, it is with anxiety and trepidation...huge trees uprooted, downed power lines as well as rows and rows of utility trucks with linemen repairing them.  The staff at Smallwood gives us the bad news.  A severe windstorm a couple of nights ago, has resulted in 5 million people being without power.

The park rangers suggest we relocate to nearby Cedarville State Forest in Brandywine, Maryland.  Thank goodness, they have power!  It is a CCC camp which always makes me smile since my dad was in the CCC in Gilmer, Texas, in the 30's.  It is a lovely campsite!

Branch Avenue Metro stop is less than 20 miles away, so we grab our 'smart cards', head for the station, find a parking spot, load up the cards, and we are off to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was widely distributed throughout the colonies and read to the public. The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the wording of the Declaration was approved on July 4, the date of its signing was August 2. The original July 4 United States Declaration of Independence manuscript was lost while all other copies have been derived from this original document.

The National Gallery is nearby, so we spend an hour in the French Impressionist galleries, of course!

On Tuesday, we head to the Library of Congress, which was closed for ten years, 1987-1997, for extensive renovations.  The Greek revival building, the largest library in the world, had fallen into disrepair and had been especially abused by tobacco use: cigars, cigarettes, snuff, chewing tobacco...all had left their ugly mark on this beautiful edifice.

The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States of America, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in four buildings in Washington, D.C., as well as the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and number of books, with an estimated 838 miles of bookshelves.  

The Main Reading Room - Library of Congress

July 4 dawns clear and hot!  Mid-afternoon, we take off for the Mall!  The crowds are already gathering, so we are delighted to find a shaded park bench near the Washington Monument! 

 

We people watch and try to stay cool until the fireworks display begins around 9:15 p.m. It is spectacularly beautiful and worth the wait!  

After the grand finale, we discover that accessing the Metro is a madhouse, with huge crowds surrounding the escalators.  So, we decide to hang out at the Navy Memorial fountains for a while.  Finally, we head for the escalators, still crowded, but doable. I am very impressed with the politeness of the crowd, no shoving, no rudeness...I then realize, hey, I am no longer in SoFlo!  Young folks are giving up their seats for older people...nice!  As for those who are fearful of riding subways with the 'riff raff'...so much for that stereotype!

As we search for a Target to purchase a few items, we are delighted to stumble upon a Costco!  Sigh....We love this area and will be returning in the future for a longer stay.  Its convenience to the Metro is perfect for exploring DC.