Deserted DC Streets

Last week I was on the hunt for photos that had something to do with “unexplored.” The idea was to see something that we had never visited. We started out at the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum. Then the next day we went to River Farm in Alexandria. The next day we went to the Department of the Interior. And the last day we drove over to the. National Mall and walked to the Portrait Gallery that wasn’t yet open. There was an orchid show there but it was unlikely we would see it because we were on a timed meter and it would be too late by the time we could finally get in. So we meandered around the portrait gallery area and found that it was no longer the way we remembered it. There was hardly a soul in sight. The streets were empty, there weren’t a lot of pedestrians, and there wasn’t much traffic. Chinatown was deserted. We stumbled upon City Center - a place I have been wanting to see since we moved away from Capitol Hill five years ago. We watched it getting built - with all of the “fine shops” and condos galore. The pink and red lanterns strung about were nice enough, but the stores were empty and there was a security presence on every block. It actually was quite sad. Perhaps it gets busier in the evenings and weekends. I don’t think I care to visit again. 

Quiet DC Streets

When we lived on Capitol Hill we spent most of our walks on the Capitol side. And working to the Library of Congress was a very short two block commute. Now that we moved to northern Virginia we still enjoy taking morning walks near the National mall. One of our favorite and easy parking places is by the tidal basin. There, we usually walk along the basin, constitution gardens, or the Washington Monument. Lately we have been heading in the opposite direction toward the Smithsonian castle. Last week we thought it might be a good idea to walk towards the White House. The last time was at Christmas to see the national tree and whatever else was going on. That morning was distinctly odd. First of all it took forever to even get there. The traffic was backed up so much I wanted to turn around. But when we started our walk the streets were literally deserted. It was like a ghost town. Not even the WWII Memorial had any takers. The sidewalks near the White House were empty - and of course they were blocked off from foot traffic so we had to take the long way around. That’s always so annoying that you can’t walk where you want to. And of course the police never tell you why it’s closed off. I was also looking for photo options for the “shoot from below” subject this week. The skies were so blue, but I really didn’t find anything that interesting - except the large amount of smoke coming up from the manholes. The lack of pedestrians was astounding. In the end the walk was nice in spite of the traffic getting there. I don’t mind not having to deal with the crowds - but this was really strange.