A Little Bit of Mall
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Day 4: October 6, 2014 A Little Bit of Mall Comment via blog |
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Lincoln's
Waffle Shop caught my eye yesterday and, being almost directly across
the street from Ford's Theater, was a natural choice for breakfast when I
returned to the theater. Inside, tables and counters are arranged for
maximum occupancy and, although very busy, it was a half-notch below
packed. Quick friendly service and decent food at decent priced. Given the
chance, Mr. Lincoln probably would have eaten here.
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Visiting Ford's Theater is
free but a ticket is required for timed entry. The "tour" starts
in the basement. museum. I was here yesterday but it was easy to find
things I'd missed. There's the knife with which Booth stabbed Major
Rathbone in his struggle to escape and Doctor Mudd's medical kit. The
quilt was made as a fundraiser for the 1864 Sanitation Fair and contains
the signatures of prominent individuals.
Lincoln is in the center with
Grant and Sherman
immediately above. In the theater itself, I made a visit to the balcony
before taking a seat near the front for the ranger presentation. The
excellent presentation provided a picture of the assassination along with
the events that preceded and followed. One thing I learned is that, with
the exception of the exterior brick walls, the theater is a reproduction
of what was here a century and a half ago.
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Entry to the house where Lincoln died comes with the ticket. I roamed the
streets while most of the long line worked its way through the door then
joined a short line to see something I had not seen yesterday. Much like
the theater, the exterior walls are original but the furnishings are not.
The house also contains its own museum. Almost anything can become a
memento and it should be no surprise that things like the soldering irons
used to seal Lincoln's coffin were saved and marked. The museum connects
to the four story
Center for Education and Leadership with displays on
Lincoln's legacy and more. Descent fro the top floor is on a spiral
stairway wrapped around a 34 foot
tower of books.
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From the theater, I walked south to visit a couple of sites for the first
time. Until a former coworker remarked on how much he enjoyed the
National Portrait
Gallery I had never thought of visiting there and may not have even
known it existed. I assumed that photography was not allowed in the
gallery and I did none although I've since learned that it isn't entirely
prohibited. The middle picture is of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
associated with the Gallery's Courtyard Café. I thought it just about
the most serene spot I've seen in the city. The third picture is of the
National Archives
where the photography policy is very clear: Not no way! Not no how!
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I doubt I'm the only one who feels the need to snap pictures of the
capitol and Washington Monument when walking across the mall at any spot
even remotely near midpoint. I think I might even be a little suspicious
of anyone who didn't.
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Another thing on my "first time" list was the remote portion of
the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport. Recalling that
there was a free shuttle from the museum on the mall, that's where I
headed. My memory was correct but very out of date. The friendly attendant
explained that now that a Metro connection was available, that was the way
to get there. She also did some quick math and estimated that I might be
able to get there about fifteen minutes before closing. Tomorrow would
definitely be the better choice.
I checked to make sure the 1903 Wright Flyer was still there and being taken care of and I looked over a Lunar Lander that I may or may not have seen before. Then, after snapping a shot of the Spirit of St. Louis, I headed back to the hotel. |
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Once I was "home", I didn't feel like going very far for dinner
so decided this was the time to try out this restaurant associated with
the hotel. Ollie's Trolley is a place known for its decor and its
'burgers, fries, and shakes and I agree with all of that.
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