Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Capitol, Library of Congress, Air & Space Museum & All aboooooard

Yesterday we got up early in the morning and went to our breakfast buffet. In preparation for the 17 hour train ride we were going to have to get to Chicago, we went to breakfast armed with snaplock bags, takeaway containers and an empty back pack. After looting the buffet, we left the hotel and went straight to the Capitol building.
We got a tour around the Capitol as it was the only way to see inside the building and the rotunda.
In Emancipation Hall there were lots of bronze and marble statues that have been donated to the Capitol by all the different states, honoring influencial people from each state.
There was one of Helen Kellar.

We saw:
The Old Supreme Court Chamber

The Small Senate Rotunda

Casting of Abe
The Crypt
The Rotunda of the United States Capitol

The Apotheosis of George Washington

The Frieze of American History

The Old Senate Chamber


The Marble Circle where the Cataflaque lies when an important politician lies in state
Paintings of the Declaration of Independence & the Baptism of Pocahontas

The National Statuary Hall (with more statues donated by the states, the Angel of Liberty with wisdom & strength, Angel of Time & the spot where John Quincy Adams used to sit and eavesdrop on the conversations of the opposition as the arc in the room reverberated sound)





The original marble casting of the Statue of Freedom - the bronze statue sits on the very top of the Capitol Dome
We then went through the underground passageway to the Library of Congress which was very impressive.





Weren't allowed in the actual reading room but managed to get a photo through a window

We still had a bit of time to kill before we had to be at Union Station so we popped into the Air & Space museum for a bit of a look around. We saw some planes. and space stuff. Cool.




Amelia Earheart.

Wright's Brothers


The train trip to Chicago was long, but successful! We slept quite well but woke up a bit sore and uncomfortable. There was snow on the ground the entire trip and a very pretty sunset


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