Theodore Roosevelt Island

Debby (a detailee from Washington State and in the picture to the right) and I went to Theodore Roosevelt Island.  It is a beautiful sanctuary and a fitting tribute to the President who had enough foresight to preserve our national forests.  There is a 17 foot statute of  Teddy Roosevelt in the middle of the Island with four large tablets listing several of his quotes.  There is a mote that surrounds the area with reflecting pools and fountains with no water!  I tried to find something online about that, but I was unsuccessful.  (If you know anything about me, you will know that means two searches and only what is listed on the first page.  I will call the National Parks Service and ask them before I spend more time being sucked into the black hole of the Internet.)  I am certain it would be much more beautiful if the fountains were flowing and the reflecting pools were full.  There are no shops on the Island and no brochures to leave scattered among the beautiful trails and trees that encompass the island.  Only a lot of green plants and trees as well as butterflies.  It was a very nice walk and in a very peaceful place.  Once again, I was able to find green space for a mini retreat from the concrete jungle!  

Castle, Portrait Gallery & National Archives

August 20th
One of the advantages of having every other Friday off, is the luxury of going to some of the Smithsonians when it is not so crowded.  I went to the Castle, which does not have all that much to offer, but they do have information on all of the other Smithsonians and they have Madeleine Albright's pins on display from her book "Read My Pins"until the middle of October.  I knew I did not want to miss that so I walked over to the Castle.  Yes, it really is that close.  It is hard to believe she has soooo many pins and most are not that expensive.  She is a very interesting woman and I One of the most enjoyable aspects about D.C. is that I always get more than I bargained for when I go off exploring.  The Enid A. Haupt Gardens surrounding the Castle were equally enjoyable as the Castle.  My favorite area is the Moongate Garden.  I was designed after the Temple of Heaven, a 15th-century religious complex in Beijing.  It has circles within squares with water filling the gaps to symbolize heaven and earth.  I can only tell you, it was incredibly peaceful.  If I had a book I could have sat there all day and read.  It made me feel like I was somewhere else and no longer in the middle of D.C.  

I also visited one of my favorite museums, the National Portrait Gallery.  It is one of those museums I will visit at least every other month and if you come visit, it will be one I highly recommend.  I love that place.  This time I saw the TIME covers of the Presidents since Reagan and a Norman Rockwell collection from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.  There was a small Elvis exhibit but a much larger one is schedule to come in late October. 

On Saturday, August 21, Debby (another detaillee) and I went to the National Archives.  First time I have ever seen the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.  Super cool!  They also have a theater where they played one of Debby's favorite movies Shenandoah with Jimmy Stewart.  I asked Sakne another detailee if she wanted to go with us and she asked who Jimmy Stewart was.  She is only 28 and makes me feel very old sometimes.  However, there are many times when I think age will do her good.  I often wonder if anyone ever thought that about me, besides my mother.   

Sunday brought shopping at Giant (grocery store) where they had chicken feet and only the feet in a package and smoked turkey necks in yet another package.  No idea what they do with those and I do not want to know.  Ran to Target for my MN connection fix and the usual laundry duty.  Another eventful weekend done and gone.

Monticello Home of Thomas Jefferson & the D.C. Zoo

I am sure a lot of you are aware of this, but following the Forum, Michael, my counter-part in St. Paul, stayed with me Friday and Saturday night before heading back home.  He was on his own on Friday as I was working with one of my teams all day and when I got home I was exhausted from all the work and fun I had during the week.  On Saturday we drove down to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.  It is absolutely incredible and well worth the drive.  Little did Michael and I know it would take five hours to get there because traffic (not construction) would cause us a two hour delay.  I will never complain about traffic delays in MN again!  It is a cake walk compared to D.C.   The house is built on top of a mountain and the grounds that surround it are stunning.  We had one of the best tour guides who showed us the house, new everything about Jefferson and then some, talked about the grounds and the surrounding area.  Michael and I walked around the grounds and the cemetery, which is still being used by family members today, before walking back to the museum/parking area about a half mile down the mountain. 

On Sunday, we went to the Zoo,  it was a cloudy semi-rainy day.  Not a lot of people at the zoo and the animals were not all that active but it was still a great zoo. Like the Smithsonian's, it was free!  That has to be one of the best parts about D.C.  The zoo has a little bit of everything, from zebras, monkeys, giraffes, amphibians, big cats, large lily pads, a huge tortoise and cows!  Michael and I ended up in the Columbia Heights neighborhood for a late brunch at the Heights restaurant, which we both agreed was very good and we would return to some day.  We went back to my place and Michael took off for the airport.  I cleaned up, did laundry and called it a weekend.