Virginia Road Trip 2/4 - Week 1 - First DC Trip

 And so the The National Mall adventure begins...

The Smithsonian Castle

The Capital Building with the dome restoration ongoing

Football playing on The National Mall with the Washington Monument

The National Gallery of Art  is where we spent 5 ½ hours in one wing.  This was the main objective of our visit.  Keith and I were so excited to be in so many rooms full of our favorite Impressionist artists!  So much to see in one day that we didn't rush and just enjoyed thoroughly our favorites.

It was so great to be able to be so close to these masters' work.  So close in fact that there were museum guards placed in every room carefully watching to be sure no one harms the paintings which were open and without glass coverings.  I got scolded several times for being too close but I couldn't help myself as it was so wondrous to see the masters' strokes.  I was also amazed that photography was allowed in all but one gallery which was one that was on loan and was well posted not to take pictures.  I have included some of my favorites here but I apologize for the flash spots occasionally as I got so excited when a shot opened up, that I snapped when I could.  Please look on the website for much better quality photographs, if you are interested.  It is so worthwhile to study and enjoy each on its own instead of rushing to do it all!  For free, the museum provides a device you can plug in some numbers by the painting and listen to the interesting story of each.  I love that! 

The Japanese Footbridge by Claude Monet 1899

The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil by Claude Monet 1890

Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son by Claude Monet 1875

Girl with a Watering Can by Auguste Renoir 1876

The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissaro 1898

At the Water's Edge by Paul Cezanne 1890

Keith with 3 Cezanne's

Roses by Vincent Van Gogh 1890

Green Wheat Fields by Vincent Van Gogh 1890

Beti with 2 Monet's and a Renoir

Beti with Self Portrait by Vincent Van Gogh 1889

The Riders by Edger Degas 1885

Odalisque by Auguste Renoir 1870

Augustus Saint - Gaudens,  Shaw Memorial 1900

So many doorways to so many art worlds…

It was late in the day by the time we left the National Gallery of Art but we wanted to at least breeze through the US Botanical Garden not a far walking distance before it got dark which was early this time of year.  We could tell this was a place that would truly be awesome during regular growing season as the grounds appeared to be end-of-season like everywhere else in late November.  We spent less than an hour here and got a taste of what will bring us back for more another time.  There were many rooms of different climates and plants from around the world.  I took several photos of the  monument reproductions made of natural materials that were in the process of decorating for Christmas.  Here are just a few...

United States Botanical Garden - outside entrance

United State Botanical Garden made of natural materials - inside the building

The Capital building made of natural materials inside the US Botanical Garden

The White House made of natural materials inside the US Botanical Garden

The Smithsonian Castle made of natural materials inside the US Botanical Garden
(see the first photo in this post for comparison to the real thing)

We had vowed that we would leave Washington, DC before it was too dark and we made it safely back to my brother's house in Ashburn before 8 p.m.  It was an awesome day!  There would be two more day trips into Washington, DC but with my son and his wife to celebrate my son's birthday weekend.  That will be in another blog post.