Washington DC, Part Two

Still in catch up mode.....Here is Part Two in DC

One of the places that Hailey wanted to see was the Holocaust Museum.

She studied World History last year so she wanted to visit the Museum.  We headed there first thing in the morning and were issued entrance tickets to enter during the second hour.  The tickets were free but they manage the crowds by limiting the numbers that can enter each hour.  It actually works well so that I did not feel overpowered with crowds of people.  (Waiting in line was another matter.)

It is unbelievable that there are people who deny the authenticity of the Holocaust and believe it is a hoax.  The Holocaust Memorial Museum  stands as a testament to the atrocities committed in Western Europe in World War II, and the resiliency of those who survived.  On the day that we attended a women who survived a death camp as a child spoke of her experiences and ultimate survival.     


Trapped within rail cars carrying Millions to a horrible end.

Yet, within the walls of this Museum there is also tributes to the people who saw what was happening and did all that they could to help.  A wall stands with stories of those hero's .


 We streamed and watched the movie
    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
                          and
              The Book Thief 

Both good period movies that explore aspects of the realities of those times without mirroring war scenes and battles. 

There are also several walls of ceramic tiles painted by children to remember the 1.5 million children who lost their lives as a result of the Holocaust.








There are also a number of Permanent Displays marking the events of other sites of Genocide since the Holocaust,  Rwanda in 1994, Bosnia-Herzegovina (1995), and in the Darfur region of Sudan (2003 to its peak in 2005).  Visitors are encouraged to leave a pledge of personal action against genocide.

The Final Display was, Genocide: The Threat Continues, which brings attention to the people and places at risk today for genocide and other mass atrocities.  The exhibit currently focuses on the deadly conflict in Syria, which has created n of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. 

I was haunted by a sign we saw before leaving.

                    Never Again

           What you do....Matters

Clearly the Holocaust Museum is a sobering experience.

After leaving the museum and eating a quick lunch we headed out on a Trolley Tour of DC.

We had some trouble getting on the trolley at the first stop....The Museum was after the Smithsonian stops and every trolley that came by was full.  It probably was not a good choice for the cost and the time that we ended up needing.

 We were headed to the Washington National Cathedral.  It is a distance from the main part of the National Mall.

 We were able to sit back and enjoy the sights on the trolley.

I have been to the Cathedral several times.  This visit there was a charge for admission to enter the Cathedral. That was a surprise.  $11.00 per adult. (No charge on Sunday)   

Construction began on September 29, 1907, and ended 83 years later when the "final finial" was placed 1990.
An earthquake caused damage to the Cathedral in 2011 and repairs are still being completed.

After the intensity of the Museum, the Cathedral was a welcome respite.

  It is a spectacular, peaceful place of reflection. 

Washington is about history, a city of tributes but most of all it is a city of the work of our country.
No visit to Washington can be complete without standing in the presence of each of the three branches of our government.

The Capitol is the Legislative Branch of the Government

 The Dome is currently under renovation.

Judicial Branch is represented by Supreme Court

Washington is about History, a city of Tribute but most of all it is a city of the work of our country.
No visit to Washington  can be complete without standing in the presence of each of the three branches of our government.

 The White House (President) is the Executive Branch of Government

Most of our visit in DC is dedicated to visiting places.  But often my best memories are the people that I meet.  Their stories, and learning about their passions.  And so it was in DC. 

  Outside of the gates of the White House was a woman sitting on the grass.  People seem to come here and bring their causes. 

She brought 10,000 peace cranes that she had folded and put on strings.  She folded them in memory of the Bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and her wish that it never be repeated.

While we visited for a while, words were not needed to express her heart.



 Her cranes said it all.

~ Happy Trails ~