Love Letter to Washington, D.C. 4th of July. Page 1

‘Perhaps it’s fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... We are fighting for our right to live, to exist…” Why did I think about this Hollywood flick and its fictional American president? Maybe, because Lincoln once tied the 4th of July and fate in his 1863 speech, and I was on a visit to the Capital City during Honest Abe’s bi-centennial celebration. Just a train of thoughts… I stood in front of his 19 foot-tall marble statue surrounded by 32 columns, each for one state in the Union at the time this Greek temple-style memorial was built. Hot mid-Atlantic air cooled down here, and people were sitting on the steps, looking at the Reflecting Pool underneath, and the World War II Memorial at the far end of the pool. “We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!” Propaganda or not, one can’t help but feeling overwhelmed with patriotism while walking the National Mall. Like gazillions of tourists from near and far, we headed westward from the Washington Monument, a 550 feet-high Egyptian obelisk that grants the view from the top of the entire city. Vietnam War Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial… We made our winding path among the emerald lawns and chirping birds splashing in the fountains. It’s a relaxing park zone around Tidal Basin, a peaceful retreat for the city dwellers, recognizable by their baby strollers and various dogs on promenade after working hours. The city was established by the Constitution to serve as the nation’s capital, and became one of the most coveted places to live. Founded on July 16, 1790, the site was chosen by George Washington and named after him, and designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who modeled it after his native Paris. Wide tree-lined boulevards and graceful circles with radiating avenues never anticipated future automotive developments and maddening traffic jams. Good that the city is so compact and walkable, and the public transportation system with Metro, buses, and especially the DC Circulator bus, rocks. The first official government office built in Washington, D.C. was the White House. Burnt by the Brits in the war of 1812 (along with almost the entire city), in retaliation for the burning of York (now Toronto) by the Americans, it was rebuilt where it stands now, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Protesters, school groups, and tourists equipped with professional cameras crash against its spiky fence in tidal waves, always moving, always swirling around, trying to catch a glimpse of the First Family, or at least the First Dog. U.S. Capitol, a giant sugar head on “the Hill.” The original signed Declaration of Independence at The National Archives Building. The Library of Congress, established in 1800, used the archives of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence. His strong push for democracy and civil rights made him one of the founding fathers of the American Nation, as we know it today, and one of the most accomplished presidents of the United States. Nine out of the 16 Smithsonian museums of the City Beautiful are also in the National Mall - the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History are among them. The National Gallery of Art boasts a tremendous collection of painting, sculpture, decorative and graphic arts spanning from the 13th to the 20th century. Designed by John Russel Pope, the original West building of the gallery has the same dome design feature as in the Jefferson Memorial, the National Archives and other landmarks. The latest addition, a tunnel between East and West buildings, is decorated with 40 thousand LED lights, constantly flickering in a never-repeating pattern. The National Cathedral on the day of our visit was hosting an event of the St. Andrew’s Society, and the sounds of windpipes were floating over the orchids and magnolias surrounded by hedges of boxwood in The Bishop’s Garden. The longest cab ride in Washington will cost you merely $19, but the city is densely packed with history, and all its sights and memorials can hardly be seen in one visit. Before returning to our hotel, we dined at Acadiana, “a contemporary interpretation of a Louisiana Fish House,” as chef owner Jeff Tunks put it. The roux, the rémoulades, the bisques, and the étouffées are served in a spacious dining room with an elegant décor, on the ground floor of a new glass and steel wedge-shaped building on a triangular plot across from the new convention center. Radisson Hotel Reagan National Airport (a short drive away, and not at the airport) was our hospitable host for the night. Comfy beds and plentiful amenities, like laundry on premises, and a fridge and a microwave in the room is all a weary traveler can ask for away from home... For more information visit www.washington.org. Acadiana Restaurant is located at 901 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. Call 202.408.8848 for reservations. Radisson Hotel Reagan International Airport is located at 2020 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. Call 703.920.8600 or visit www.radisson.com. Photography by Yuri Krasov. 1. Lincoln Memorial. 2. Washington Monument. 3. National Cathedral. 4. Cathedral window. 5. By the LED tunnel in National Gallery of Art.