Visiting Washington, D.C.: White House, Capitol and Monuments

I have been announcing my travel images from the United States for a while now, so I guess it's time to finally deliver them. This was back in 2005, in a time where film photography was still at large, the idea of a fast internet connection a dream and mobile phones had a couple of years before becoming smart. It's interesting how things can change over the years. Revisiting these images was very strange for me. Somehow it seems unbelievable that 10 years have passed since then.

The whole trip was organized by Legacy International which is seated in West Virginia. They hosted us and payed for our whole visit. I had to pass an exam in order to get into the Legacy International program, and eventually 15 of us were invited by the organization. I spent three weeks in the USA, two in various cities in West Virginia and one of them in Washington D.C., the later of which I will be showing you today.

click on the images for a bigger view

United States Capitol

The United States Capitol, atop Capitol Hill is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government, completed in the year 1800. During our visit we had a chance to go inside and get a private tour. Like the principal buildings of the executive and judicial branches, the Capitol is built in a distinctive neoclassical style and has a white exterior. Though both its east and west elevations are formally referred to as fronts, only the east front was intended for the reception of visitors and dignitaries.

The whole travel group in front of the White House

The White House

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. I had often seen it on TV and in books, but coming up to the iron fence that surrounds the premise of the White House, had a surreal effect. I took this image with my camera and kept standing there, gazing onto the light dusting of snow that covered the grounds. The complex is protected by the United States Secret Service and the United States Park Police.

Behind the City

The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, which included the pre-existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria. Named in honor of president George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital.

The Washington National Mall

The National Mall is home to ten of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution offering a variety of exhibits ranging from art to space exploration. Other major attractions include the national monuments and memorials, the U.S. Capitol Building, the National Gallery of Art and the U.S. Botanic Garden. The Mall is a national park with landscaped gardens and expansive open spaces that are often used for public events.

The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the early Continental Army and the first American president.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in Washington. It is a long and large rectangular pool located on the National Mall, directly east of the Lincoln Memorial. What I like about Washington D.C. is that all the major visiting spots are fairly close by, and you can take (as I did) a walk from the Capitol Building all the way to the reflecting pool and monuments. The pool is lined by walking paths and shade trees on both sides.

I hope you enjoyed this trip to Washington D.C. as much as I loved visiting it. The whole journey to the United States was a life changing experience for me, and I hope to bring you more images from it next time.

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