Brent and Billie go to Washington

This summer I taught an Introduction to Sociology class in which some of the students were in Albright's Summer Start program. Summer Start is a program for students who would not normally be admitted but who are given an opportunity to work their way in by going through a pretty intense five week program in which they take a regular class (either mine or a history class) in addition to a study skills class and a life skills class that focuses mostly on reading and math remediation. On the weekends, the students in this program also participate in various social activities. On July 30, the students were going to Washington, D.C. and, because we have only been there for a few hours during the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear last fall, Billie and I decided to go with them.

Our first stop was the Smithsonian National Zoo (as always, click on the pictures for bigger versions):

This is a map of the zoo that also proves we were there.

This gorilla did not look too excited to be there, even with a baby gorilla playing underneath it.

This young gorilla was hanging out in the shade, probably plotting an escape strategy.

Can you spot the tiger?

Some lions lyin' around.

An elephant. I couldn't understand why it wasn't in the water (it was hot outside).

Zebras doing whatever zebras do.

After leaving the zoo we went to lunch at Union Station.

Billie standing in front of the (empty) fountain in front of Union Station.

Billie and Brent in front of the fountain.

The view along the front of Union Station.

Inside, Billie looks for a train (I'm not sure about the history but Union Station is currently part mall and part train station).

Another view of the main lobby.

A view of the "mall" area. We ate at an Asian restaurant to the left of this picture.

After leaving Union Station we went to the Washington Mall. We had been here before for the rally but we didn't get to do much sightseeing at the time. While the students went into some of the museums we decided to walk down to the Lincoln Memorial and then to the Capitol. This map gives you a sense of the distance we traveled.

I can't imagine a better picture of the Washington Monument.

Down by the Washington Monument we could see what looked like a big white house off to the side but we didn't have time to go see what it was.

Billie with the World War II Memorial.

Some words at the WWII Memorial (you can see the Lincoln Memorial in the background).

The Washington Monument from the WWII Memorial fountain.

The WWII Memorial fountain.

The reflecting pool was not doing much reflection on the day of our visit. It is apparently being rebuilt.

The Lincoln Memorial.

Abe Lincoln (not life sized - they were apparently going to make him smaller until they realized that if he was any smaller nobody would be able to see him on the back of a penny).

Billie and Brent at the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument and reflecting dirt in the background.

After a lengthy walk we arrived at the Capitol at the other end of the mall. At this time, congresspeople and senators were inside trying to look up the word "negotiate" in the dictionary so that they could raise the debt ceiling.

This is the front of the Capitol, which faces away from the mall (you can tell it is the front because the statue on the top of the building faces this way). We tried to go inside and solve the country's problems but apparently only congresspeople and senators are allowed to go through the chain across the steps.

Here we are, left outside.

Next time we go to Washington we'd like to go for a weekend so that we have more time to go inside of some of the buildings.