A Barricaded Capitol Campus

I can see why the neighbors are so upset. The barbed wire fence surrounding the Capitol complex looks treacherous. We took a ride in to town and could barely drive anywhere near our old neighborhood - never mind trying to walk in our old footsteps. From a distance it looks like it always did. But now the streets are blocked off several blocks around the Capitol building that also includes the Supreme Court, the senate and house office buildings, and all the Library of Congress buildings. Underground are tunnels that connect all of these buildings. I know because I worked at the library for ten years. At every so many feet are national guards posted with their long rifles - something I would never have imagined happening or seeing here. Just two blocks from our old house is the barbed wire fence and guards surrounding the Madison building that I worked in. I’m just happy we don’t live there anymore. Getting in and out of the area is a major hassle and the fence is a dismal reminder of the state of affairs. So when we spent the morning walking around the WWII Memorial and Washington Monument I asked my husband which end of the National Mall he prefers. He said the Capitol end of course. Even with this mess going on it is such a familiar place for us. Hopefully it can come to some semblance of normalcy soon. 

Capitol Hill Buildings, Fall, and Blue Skies

We always try to take a ride in to town for a morning walk now that the heat of summer has passed. The concrete jungle is much more tolerable now. We always park in our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill but it’s a lot trickier without a parking pass. Even though the city is empty, parking is still a problem. Once we found a place, we retraced the steps we took over the thirteen years we lived there. Walking towards the Library of Congress reminded me of working there, and It was so easy to come home for lunch every day. My husband still loves DC. I do too, but am glad we don’t live in the neighborhood any more. It’s terribly inconvenient and street parking is a drag. Nevertheless it’s always a treat to visit the buildings everyone in the world recognizes. And on this day the skies were blue with a bright sun sparkling on the white stone. The Supreme Court already had a group starting to protest, but the Capitol building always gets my attention. The inauguration platform is being built. The yellow and orange colors dictate the season and there was an occasional flower blooming beneath the leaves. I wanted to visit the FDR Memorial at the Tidal Basin, but we didn’t feel like getting out of the car once we arrived. On our way home we have the same discussion about how great it was to have lived on Capitol Hill. Yes, we miss it but can visit it any time we feel like it. 

Morning Walk on Capitol Hill

Someone asked us if we missed our morning walks on Capitol Hill. Yes, we do. But we don’t miss the 1890’s building that brought with it all the problems and unexpected issues for “easy living.” Add street parking to the mix and it was very unpleasant at times. Although it all looked so picturesque from the outside! Now that the blazing heat of summer is subsiding, we will be making a habit of driving in to the old neighborhood for our morning walk since we can’t attend any programs at the Library of Congress where I worked for ten years. It’s usually a pleasant drive and only 5-10 miles away depending on where we want to go. Yesterday we thought a stroll around the Supreme Court, Capitol, US Botanic Garden and the new Eisenhower Memorial would be good. It was a beautiful day as we found a parking spot on Duddington. The streets were still pretty empty as well as a lack of pedestrian traffic. We drove in on Saturday and there were a lot of people milling about for the first time since March. Where the Supreme Court was filled with momentos, flowers, and well wishers, it was all cleared away in preparation for the public viewing. The Capitol complex was also devoid of activity, but the fences were up to control the expected pedestrian traffic. We have walked this route a million times but it never gets boring. We do miss just walking over when great events occur - late at night was a much quieter time to pay respects. It’s still nice to be able to visit whenever we feel like it, but it’s not quite the same anymore. 

A Beautiful Drive in to DC

It’s been a long time since we have seen the city as vibrant as we remember it. So much so that we were even feeling a bit nostalgic. After living on Capitol Hill for thirteen years, we moved to northern Virginia. So we are still close enough to drive in to town whenever we feel like it. Unfortunately it hasn’t been the same since March for obvious reasons - no programs at the Library of Congress to go to followed by dinner at Hawk and Dove or any other indoor activities. Today after our morning walk in the neighborhood we drove in to check out the newly dedicated Eisenhower memorial on independence avenue across from the air and space museum, but also to witness the crowds by the Supreme Court after hearing the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Of course we passed by our old home and the familiar neighborhood. There’s a new playground by Eastern market that was filled with kids. Pretty much everyone was wearing masks as it is a requirement in town. The blue skies were so bright and sunny because of the unexpected lower temps. Every time we go in we have a discussion about living in the city. It was a great experience when I was working at the Library of Congress for ten years. But it was time to move on to a more comfortable environment - especially to a building that was much younger than the 1890’s and all its associated problems. We need to go back again in the very near future for a morning walk to the Eisenhower memorial. That is one thing I miss - just walking to all these places. But at least we can still drive in, park in our old stomping grounds, and pretend like we still live there.