Capitol Christmas Tree

Yesterday we took a ride over to the Tidal Basin so we could take a morning walk to see the White House/National Christmas Tree. It felt like we just did this! A few days ago we went to a program at the Library of Congress. I was hoping to see the Christmas tree there, but we weren’t allowed in to the Great Hall because the building was technically closed - except for the program. And before that we took a morning walk to see the Christmas trains and US Botanic Garden conservatory. It is always a delight. Afterwards we walked over to the US Capitol to see the tree there on the west lawn. The tree came from West Virginia. Of course all of these Christmas trees always look so much prettier in the evening when all of the lights are on. But we don’t go in to town except for morning walks and afternoon programs at the Library. We have been visiting these places since before we moved to DC seventeen years ago, including the trees and trains at Union Station and the Smithsonian Castle. Since moving to northern Virginia we still like to make it a habit to visit them every year as long as we can. We both miss living on Capitol Hill for these sorts of things and are glad we left for other reasons. The nice thing is that we know our way around so it makes driving there a whole lot easier - though we do miss having our parking sticker. Now it’s a matter of finding a free two hour parking space or a park mobile slot. It’s well worth it. 

White House Christmas Tree

It felt like we were just there. But it has been a year since we last visited the White House Christmas Tree. Of course it looks so much prettier at night with all of the lights. But we rarely go in to town in the evening. So it was a good reason to take a morning walk there. We parked at the very quiet Tidal Basin and strolled over past the Washington Momument and WWII Memorial. As is the same every year all of the states have their own tree, with the White House tree in the center. The city was rather quiet - which is how I prefer it. But by the time we were on our way back to the car the number of visitors increased. After viewing the trees we walked past the executive office building and over to the front of the White House. It wasn’t quite sunny, the wind was blowing, and the clouds were in an interesting formation. They looked like they were pointing to the White House. We have toured the White House on two occasions, and once again when I was a youngster. It would be fun to see it at Christmas. There were plenty of people who got that opportunity. On the way back we walked by Old Ebbit Grill and the Willard Hotel and saw the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue. We also saw some cherry blossoms in front of the Washington monument. It’s hard to believe this is the beginning of winter. It’s nice to be able to still take a morning walk in a place that people from all over the world visit - especially at this time of the year. 

White House Christmas Tree and Menorah

We usually hang around the Capitol and the National Mall when we drive in to town for a morning walk at least once a week. We lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years and are very familiar with the area. It’s also a great place to take photos for the weekly 52Frames challenge. Last week took us in another direction. We hadn’t been around the White House for a while. So we found our favorite parking area by the Tidal Basin and walked in that direction. First you pass through the WWII Memorial and the Washington Monument. We crossed constitution avenue and passed by all of the street vendors, then headed towards the White House Christmas tree. It was still early enough in the morning that the crowds had not quite emerged - that’s the way I prefer it. The Menorah area was also being set up for the event scheduled for the weekend. There were a lot of workers hoisting chairs around and the area was fenced off. The White House is even more fenced off than before. You can’t even get close enough to the metal barrier to get a decent photo without bars. The Christmas tree is rather underwhelming! It’s quite small compared to the Capitol tree that is hauled in every year from various parts of the country. Surrounding the White House tree are smaller trees from each state and territory. We have driven near this area in the evening - it’s a lot prettier when all of the lights are on. But we don’t drive that much at night any more. That was the advantage of living on the hill - we could walk everywhere. It turned out to be a beautiful day with clear blue skies and pleasantness about. I always imagine all of the people who have to travel here to see these things. For us it’s just a twenty minute drive or so. It’s nice to be so close to all of the traditions. 

Capitol Christmas Tree

We have seen the Capitol Christmas tree every year for sixteen years. It was a lot easier when we lived on Capitol Hill. The first year or two we would actually go to the tree lighting ceremony - things people do when they first move to DC. We have spent a lot of time on the Capitol grounds - walking, concerts, ceremonies, funerals….we have also watched the tree get driven in on the large truck and then get hoisted with a crane before the decorating begins. Now that we live in northern Virginia we drive in every week for a morning walk. A few days back we visited the tree after first stopping by the trains at the US Botanic Garden and visiting the memorials and monuments made of plant material in the conservatory. Yesterday we drove in, parked in our old neighborhood, and walked by the Library of Congress - where I worked for ten years - and then over to the Capitol. This time there were some high school groups having a tour/lecture. They invariably look bored and uninspired. So we took in another view of the tree and walked over to it once again. It is from North Carolina. Unfortunately the west front of the Capitol has a lot of construction and scaffolding around it so that doesn’t do much for the background in the photos. We still need to drive by in the evening when the lights are on. We are fortunate to live close enough to still enjoy the treats of the season. Let’s hope it lasts for a long time to come. 

Capitol Christmas Tree

We go to visit it every year. When we lived on Capitol Hill we not only saw the Capitol Christmas tree hauled in on the flatbed truck and watched it get placed and decorated, but we walked over at all times of the day and night to see the lights and ornaments. It is a lovely sight to see. Yesterday we drove in to town in search of the options for my weekly photo challenge. The subject is “in the middle” and that left a wide open field. We started out at the national gallery of art and then ambled towards the Capitol building. This year there was a path that heads toward the tree - perhaps to protect the grass and/or your shoes in foul weather. This year’s tree is from California. It stands splendidly in front of the Capitol. There were a few visitors about, but the city is still quite empty given the pandemic and general time of the year. I prefer it being quiet - makes for easy walking and visiting just about anywhere without being in a crowd. The temperatures almost hit sixty by the time we walked over to the US Botanic gardens. There are some traditions we like to hang on to. This is one of them.