Martin Luther King Memorial Not the Only Misquote on the Mall

Washington and the nation still await the formal dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, but that hasn’t stopped many of us from visiting the newest addition to the Mall. While critiquing new Memorials is a team sport in DC, reaction has been largely positive, and most of us find that the Memorial rounds out our nation’s civic space quite nicely.

However, one element has not been as well received. On my first visit, I was struck by the quote “ “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness” on the side of the high relief statue of Martin Luther King. It was the only discordant note on an otherwise well done Memorial, and struck me as odd for a man who was as well spoken and filled with humility as Dr. King.

Click to read more ...

A Local Lens - October

A monthly series by E. David Luria, Founder & Director of the Washington Photo Safari

The Cherry Blossoms aren’t the only time to visit the Tidal Basin.  Consider a walk (or jog!) to the Jefferson Memorial and capture the warm vibrant colors of fall.  You will find this spot at the base of the steps leading from the FDR Memorial down to the Tidal Basin (Ohio Drive and Basin Drive SW), look left and you will see this graceful bower of trees. The best time to shoot it is in the morning sun.

Click to read more ...

Weekly Washington: Jon Stewart Cometh (and he cleans up after himself)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity Location
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

All of DC is excitedly awaiting the dueling Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert Rallies. It looks like the Rally to Restore Sanity will be on the Mall between 3rd and 7th Sts (between the National Gallery of Art on the north and Air and Space and Museum of the American Indian on the south). And all of us who visit the Mall frequently owe Jon Stewart a big thank you for calling for donations to the Trust for the National Mall. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a rally (of any political bent) take the time to recognize that the "people's place" is not a communal dumping ground for the people's trash. (We Love DC)

While we wait for the restoration of sanity and fear, Transformers 3 kicks off filiming in DC next weekend. Michael Bay and company will blow some stuff up from October 11th through the 15th on the National Mall. I cought part of the filming in Chicago this summer and was truly disappointed at the lack of actual destruction. Lots of folks in tight t-shirts acting self important, crowds waiting in a festive-like mass, and then a weak little squib.  (DCist)

Philadelphia is set to resume Duck Boat tours in March following a fatal accident this year. Family members of the two victims urge them not to, citing unresolved safety concerns from a 2002 National Transportation Safety Board report. (CNN)

It's about time, but it's still going to be a pain in the rear. The Park Service is set to shut down access between the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial later this month as they embark on a $31 million restroration project. Key among this: providing a water filtration system to improve the water quality of the Reflecting Pool, which contains more than the recommended levels of stank come August. (DCist)

The National Capitol Planning Commission examines the three security options for the Jefferson Memorial. All involve cutting down the famous cherry trees to some extent. Hey, maybe we could desiginate the trees as worthy of protection and create and even more giant wall surrounding them! (GGW)

New cracks were found in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, but don't bother to try to find them yourself. It took a team of geophysicists to find this batch. As they continue to study the problem, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial fund will buy several more blank panels to have on hand if they ever need to be replaced.

Oh, and Cultural Toursim DC aparently has no standards when they ask for insiders to pick their top five sites.

2010 Peak Bloom Dates Announced

I have no doubt that Spring means well, with the first of our tulips starting to poke their heads up and the Post's annual peeps contest is in full swing. But I'm not buying it, Winter will not let us go quietly. Old Man Winter has been relentless this year, putting us on the ropes and working us over systematically as we try to stagger up. So I'm not going to let my guard down, no matter how many more beautiful, 60 degree days we get. That bag of salt and snow shovel are staying on my front porch until someone brings me the head of Winter for my inspection. I'm taking no chances.

My curmudgeonly ranting aside, at some point Spring will push through, and wind-swept piles of snow will be replaced by even larger mounds of tourists. I'm talking, of course, of the Cherry Blossom Festival, which is scheduled for March 27th to April 11th. But wait, there's more! Last week, the Park Service announced their best guess as to the peak bloom date, when 70% of the Yoshino trees will be in bloom. Despite speculation that our heavy snowfall would push the date back, they are estimating peak bloom will fall somewhere between April 3-8, or right about on the average date of April 4. Update you calendars accordingly.

Now, I harrumph over the blossoms every year, and yet I end up going and enjoying myself immensely. They are worth visiting DC for, with the understanding that their is no guarantee, especially for a zen-like experience such as watching the blossoms fall. But if you're looking to make this year your once in a lifetime visit, you might want to hold off a year or two. The best viewing areas, around the Tidal Basin, will be somewhat disrupted by two fairly intense construction projects. The first is the ongoing construction of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the second is the long overdue repair of the seawall near the Jefferson Memorial. But if you don't mind a couple of cranes in your shot, come on down.

Knocking out the Monuments: Jefferson Memorial

As we continue along our tour, we loop around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. If you are making this walk in early spring, you might get a great shot of the Memorial nicely framed by the famous cherry trees of Washington, like the one above. Of course, you better be quick on the draw, because if you are here during peak cherry blossom season, you're likely to be trampled by hordes of other photographers trying for the same shot if you stop too long.

Those cherry trees for the basis for the story of the initial controversy surrounding the location of the Memorial. In order to build it, fifty or so of the trees would have to be bulldozed. The publisher of the Washington Times-Herald, Cissy Paterson, combined her love of the trees with her raw disgust at the administration of Franklin Roosevelt and organized a protest of several of the high society ladies of Washington, DC. As told by David Brinkley in Washington Goes to War:

Some of them tried to stop the construction by chaining themselves to the trees and defying the bulldozers. Michael Strauss, assistant secretary of the interior, countered by serving them lunch, with cup after cup of coffee until the women had to unlock their chains and leave for the rest rooms. When they did, the bulldozers moved in, and Jefferson was duly memorialized.

So, as you can see, the story of bathrooms IS the story of Washington. Or at least of the Jefferson Memorial.

Of all the Presidential Memorials, I think Jefferson falls the flattest. For the incredible complexity of the man, it captures little of it. It's simply a statue of him, inside a knock off of a Roman temple. Really, the highlight for me is the view from the front steps of the Memorial towards the White House. But if you're walking by, stop in and say hi to Tom.

The Memorial is open 24 hours a day, with Rangers available to yell at your kids from 9:30 am until 11:30 pm. Seriously though, Park Service Rangers, while occasionally ill-tempered, are almost uniformly knowledgeable about these sites. If you can get a conversation going with one of them, it can be quite rewarding. Many of them genuinely love being there and are happy to share it with you. And if you get a surly one, let it go, and let's move on to the FDR Memorial.

photo by cliff1066™'s