Let the weekend begin! We are ready for the cold weekend in January.
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
Archaeologists working on site.
The GEMS!
Look at those EMERALDS! Wow. haha
I'm showing off my new Christmas gift. My gorgeous emerald ring.
My husband hid in the middle of the tree! Click here to check out our Christmas!
The Obelisk aka Washington Monument.
The National Capitol Building.
Hanging out with my love at The Mall.
The National Capitol Building
The Dome.
The U.S. Capitol’s dome made of cast iron was designed by Thomas U. Walter and constructed from 1855-1866. Finished at the total cost of $1,047,291, the Capitol Dome was constructed with 8,909,200 pounds of ironwork bolted together in a masterpiece of American will and ingenuity. (Source)
The Library of Congress.
Inside the Library of Congress.
The law creating the Library of Congress, approved on April 24, 1800, called for its books to be housed in "a suitable apartment" in the Capitol. The copyright law of 1870 brought two copies of all copyright items to the Library. It immediately became apparent that the Library would soon run out of space. The Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building opened in in 1897 after the decision to relocate the Library of Congress into a separate facility was reached after years of discussion. (Source)
More of the Library:
The Supreme Court of the United States.
Part of our walking tour.
The U.S. Supreme Court met in the Capitol Building from 1801 until its own building was completed and occupied in 1935. An additional building, named for Thurgood Marshall, opened in 1992 to house agencies that support the work of the U.S. Federal Courts. (Source)
The Outside of the Library of Congress
After that, we took an under-tunnel to see the DOME of the Capitol Building from the inside:
They say its free, and it could be. But everyone usually pays min. $10 per person.
That's how the tour guide makes money.
The Rotunda.
Tour through the Capitol Building.
The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center provides a welcoming and educational environment for visitors to learn about the unique characteristics of the House and the Senate and the legislative process as well as the history and development of the architecture and art of the U.S. Capitol. The visitor experience is an intellectual and emotional encounter comprised of highly personal moments that inform, involve and inspire those who come to see the U.S. Capitol. (Source)
The Old Supreme Court Chamber is the first room constructed for the use of the nation's highest judiciary body and was used by the Court from 1810 until 1860. Built by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, it was a significant architectural achievement, for the size and structure of its vaulted, semicircular ceiling were virtually unprecedented in the United States. (Source)
The Rotunda.
The U.S. Capitol Rotunda is a large, domed, circular room located 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet in height located in the center of the United States Capitol on the second floor. The Rotunda is used for important ceremonial events as authorized by concurrent resolution, such as the lying in state of eminent citizens and the dedication of works of art. The Rotunda canopy features the painting entitled The Apotheosis of Washington, and the walls of the Rotunda hold historic paintings and a frescoed band, or "frieze," depicting significant events in American history. (Source)
This is an awesome website that talks about the different buildings and it's history and architecture.
We took this trip January 2014
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