Glen Echo Park Carousel

We have not been to Glen Echo Park for quite a while. Many years ago we went there to see Clara Barton’s house and a few times after that to walk the grounds and the park. Since my foot has not been feeling well lately and walking our normal two miles a day has stopped, we thought we would drive over and spend a little bit of time there and see how far I could tolerate walking. One of the big draws is the one hundred plus year old carousel that was refurbished and still in operation. Since it was still the summer months a lot of kids activities were also in full swing. We rode the carousel once and this time we just listened to the music - that my husband hates - and watched as the eager customers boarded and departed from the variety of animals that spin. The sound of the carousel brings back a lot of memories. The carousel on the National mall has been removed and it is being renovated and may return in 2025? One of my goals was to ride it before we moved away from Capitol Hill. That never happened. Now I wonder if it ever will? 

Carousel on the National Mall

There is a fixture located on the National Mall. It’s been there for quite a long time. But since the pandemic struck over there years ago it has been out of commission. The carousel that is located across from the Smithsonian Castle always had a lot of visitors. Now it stands quiet with no indication when and if it will ever open again. I have never ridden on it, but always thought one day I might want to give it a try. It has been the possible subject of the 52Frames weekly photo challenge on several occasions, but it has never ended up being an entry because another image always seemed to look better. Plus, my husband hates carousels and anything clown or circus so any image like this would never look good to him. So the last few weeks have been opportunities for photo challenge subjects like line from a song, and complementary colors. The carousel hasn’t changed positions so the photos are always the same and my husband’s reaction to it hasn’t changed either. So it will be another week where I have more photos of the same thing. I feel bad for the carousel. It’s kinda sad. 

52Frames_Nostalgia

Where else could we go for this week’s challenge? There we were so many years ago, in front of the new color television set, with popcorn and eagerness - my brother, sister and I watched the Wizard of Oz. Who can forget the Wicked Witch, Toto and Dorothy? So last week we headed to the Smithsonian American History Museum to find Dorothy’s ruby slippers for the “nostalgia” 52Frames photo challenge. I took about twenty or more shots because the shoes are behind glass and the lighting is quite dark. The size five shoes were recently restored - with about 2400 sequins on each. “There’s no place like home” still gets me choked up when I think about the clicking heels. After that, we walked through another section of the museum that showcased Barbie, Mr. Peanut, and so many other treasures including Carl Yastrzemski’s Red Sox Red helmet. I wanted to get a shot of Neil Armstrong’s space suit, but unfortunately it was not on display at the newly reopened Air and Space Museum, although Scott’s Apollo 15 suit with moon dust was. On the way back to the car we stopped at the 1940’s carousel that has stood quiet since the pandemic to capture the dragon and the horses that have entertained so many on the National Mall. So it was a no brainer when it came to selecting the photo for the challenge this week. Both my husband and I agreed the red slippers were our hands down favorite. 

What I Notice on the Mall and Capitol Hill

Yesterday we took a ride down M Street SE. Today, before the snow flies, we decided to take a typical walk to the Mall from our house. The landscape changes with the seasons. The sun was trying to come out, and it was close to 50. But there is usually not a lot of activity before noon. We always pass by the duck pond at the American Indian Museum and stop at the Smithsonian Castle gardens. The Washington Monument is a typical landmark in just about any photo, but looked really pretty behind the African American Museum of Art. A unique fur tree stands in front of the castle, and the massive mall improvement project is well underway. The familiar sound of any merry go round was heard loud and clear - but there were no takers. The large orange steel beam, also known as art, reminds me of the same structure in downtown Milwaukee on the lakefront. There are a lot of empty benches along the path on the way back towards the Capitol. At the US Botanical Garden the little babbling brook is well hidden; the gargoyles stare down at us from atop the Palladian windows, and the collard greens are ready to be picked! The Bartholdi Fountain spot is a great place to sit and put your feet up for awhile. As we approach our house, the barriers to the Capitol become more obvious and directions to the freeway near the House Office Buildings garage exits pop out against the notable red brick rowhouse backdrop. What one doesn't usually see is the train track that runs behind that notable rowhouse, and the sidewalks that can attack you if you don't keep your eyes on the ground. It's a lot different from Milwaukee and a lot warmer too. Can we skip the snow please?