Category: Wednesdays in Washington

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Museum of the Bible

We had heard about the Museum of the Bible, and definitely wanted to experience it. The first section we visited was bout the Bible’s impact on America’s early history, culture, and development as a nation. Oh my goodness! The information was well researched, fascinating, and powerful.

Did you know that the first Bible published in North America was printed in 1663 at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. But it wasn’t in English because the British had a law that any book in English had to be printed in England. The first Bible was written in the Algonquin language. Many of the founding fathers had Bibles and often quoted from them. In fact, the Bible helped shape our laws, policies, values, and culture.

The next section focused on the impact of the Bible throughout the world. There was an extensive display that demonstrated the influence of the Bible in just about every sphere of life: science, education, medicine, prison, politics, humanitarianism, the arts, civil rights, and more.

On one of the levels, we discovered several Tiffany stained glass windows: beautiful works of art that portrayed religious scenes or people of the New Testament. There was also the famous painting of George Washington, kneeling in the snow next to his horse, eyes closed, hands folded, and praying.

Moving to one of the higher floors, we enjoyed the Old Testament immersive experience with displays and films showing key moments and experiences of the people of God. Then we got to walk through the village of Nazareth, built to demonstrate what life was like in the first century.

The top deck provides a view of several prominent buildings in Washington DC, especially the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, The National Cathedral, The Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.

The restaurant on the 6th floor wasn’t open yet, but the cafe on the 2nd floor was really good. There were several exhibits and movies we didn’t see during our first visit, so we plan to return a few more times so we can take it all in.

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Walking Annapolis

Our weekly excursion in the Washington DC area was a bit closer to home this week. We decided to spend the day downtown Annapolis, exploring the sites, stores, and restaurants. It’s definitely worth coming back, because there’s way too much to see and do in one day.

We have done a few walking tours in England, and got to see places and hear stories we’d never experience otherwise, and we wanted a similar experience in Annapolis. Fortunately, we had met Mr. William Ridgley of Colonial Tours Annapolis, and spent a delightful couple of hours with him, traipsing through the town, learning a ton of history, asking questions, and receiving in-depth knowledge in reply. The man is brilliant, and definitely worth the tour.

Right next to the downtown dock is a bronze of Alex Haley telling a group of children the story of his Roots. Apparently, Haley’s ancestor arrived from Africa and disembarked in Annapolis, providing a historic side to the city we hadn’t imagined existed. Of course, Francis Scott Key was a graduate of St. John’s College here in Annapolis, which adds to the texture and complexity of the city’s history.

Downtown Annapolis is full of boutiques, cafés, pubs, gift shops, general stores, and specialty shops. The Galway Bay Irish Restaurant and Pub is a local favorite, as is Chick and Ruth’s Delly. We particularly enjoyed the Café Normandie, and of course Kilwin’s Chocolate & Ice Cream is definitely worth stopping in.

Near the state capitol, we chanced upon The Annapolis Pottery and met the owner/potter. Of course, we added to our collection of teapots and locally-made wares. Then we walked up King George Street along the outer wall of the Naval Academy.

The famous, beautiful dome of the chapel is being renovated, and had scaffolding all around it, but the cupola at the very top stood out against the clouded, blue sky. We plan to go back when the rest of the dome is completed, showing off its new copper skin.

At the Hammond-Harwood House, we learned a lot about early American architecture, furnishings, and lifestyle. But we also gleaned some interesting tidbits about the values and culture. Our guide was pretty knowledgeable.

We want to experience more of Annapolis, such as the Colonial Players’ Theater in the Round, when it opens. And many more attractions that we just didn’t have time to see yet.

The picture at the top of this article is an image on the wall of the Naval Academy near the main entrance. There’s much to see inside the Academy itself, but that’ll take another whole day.

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Gettysburg

Since I was a little boy growing up in Southern California, Gettysburg has been a point of fascination and awe for me. It was a turning point in the Civil War. That’s where President Lincoln gave one of his most famous speeches. Anybody with an interest in American history wants to visit the site. And now, for the first time in my life, I got to spend a day there. Gettysburg is only 79 miles from home.

The Visitor’s Center houses a Museum, Theater, Cyclorama, Café, and super-important for us . . . the Bookstore.

First on the to-do list was an introductory film, which was brief, but well done.

The museum itself was fascinating. It started with the events leading up to the election of 1860 and the secession of the Confederate States, then transitioned to the battle itself. I must admit that some of the quotations, images, and artifacts were quite disturbing. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why people justified slavery and the horrendous mistreatment of human beings.

Cycloramas used to be a popular way for people to experience art “from the inside.” Originally created by an Irish painter in 1787, they became popular in the 1800’s. The intent is to allow viewers to be surrounded by the images as if they were standing in the middle of the actual location. The Gettysburg Cyclorama accomplishes this so well.

After the museum and the Cyclorama, we got a drink and a snack from the Battlefield Café, and then spent some time exploring the bookstore. We love books and we love learning, so this was special for us. The store also has clothing and souvenirs.

And then on to the battlefield tour itself. We like going at our own pace, which is almost always slower than if we were in a guided tour. The reason we are slower is not because we are slowpokes. Oh no. We can keep up with anybody. The reason we prefer to go at our own pace is because we want to learn more and see more. OK, let’s be totally honest here . . . LINDA is the one who wants to learn more, read more, see more, do more. The woman can’t get enough information, knowledge, and detail.

So, we did the self-guided audio tour, using the Gettysburg National Military Park app on her phone. It’s the exact same information and videos available on the park’s website. The park ranger featured in the videos is Ranger Christopher Gwinn, Chief of Interpretation and Education, and he was fantastic.

The last stop on the driving tour was the Gettysburg National Cemetery, and is definitely worth visiting. This is where President Lincoln gave “a few appropriate remarks.” Interestingly, he wasn’t the main speaker that day. The primary orator was Edward Everett, a nationally known speaker who spoke for over two hours. Later on, he wrote a letter to President Lincoln, saying that he wished he could have accomplished in two hours what Lincoln had done in two minutes.

When the tour was over, we got to choose from among several interesting restaurants. We selected the Dobbin House, and enjoyed a delightful candlelight dinner, the highlight being the Date Nut Bread. Yes, we brought a loaf home.

During our meal, my wife asked her typical question: What was one of the most meaningful experiences of your day? I’ve been on her famous study abroad trips to England, so I know she asks her students that very question at the end of every day. My answer on this particular day in Gettysburg was twofold. First, the absolutely horrible attitude that slaveholders had about their African American “property.” Second, being on the battlefield and seeing the terrain and the distances.

We plan to return to Gettysburg in September to continue to experience and learn a little more. Or maybe a lot more. One day merely whetted the appetite.

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Wednesdays in Washington

When my wife and I had an invitation to take a job in Annapolis, Maryland, we thought and prayed about it, and accepted the invitation. Not only did we value the position and the work we would be doing, we also liked the idea of being near the nation’s capital.

We’ve been to Washington DC several times, but now that we’ll be living here for at least a year, we want to see as much of the area as possible. And, since Wednesday will be my day off, at least for now, that’s when we plan do our excursions. We’re calling them Wednesdays in Washington.

Our first trip to the city, we drove to the Metro station in New Carrollton, parked the car, and took the public transportation. We were stunned to find nobody else in our car. Not one other person. When we landed at the Smithsonian, we climbed the steps to exit, but I wanted a picture of the tracks below, and was surprised to find nobody there. Again, the place was abandoned. Maybe because of Covid, but it was quite strange to see a Metro station so empty.

We knew that most of the museums in town were closed, but we wanted our first visit to be at the National Mall, anyway. We were hoping there might be some cherry blossoms still on the trees, but alas, not one blossom remained. But there were three memorials we had never visited.

Walking around the basin, we came to the Jefferson Memorial. Despite the fact that it was scaffolded for renovation, it was open, and we got a chance to read about the man and his impact. His writing and speeches on liberty and freedom were probably among the greatest influences in the founding of the United States. Freedom of thought, religion, and conscience. Political liberty, education, and the equality of all people. These were some of the values and commitments he proclaimed and worked into the fabric our founding documents, laws, and policies. It’s a shame our country has taken so long to implement these concepts that were stated so long ago.

Another site we hadn’t visited was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. FDR was president at a crucial time in history. It was a tough time not only for the United States, but around the world. The Great Depression brought poverty and ruin to millions of people, and was followed by World War II. President Roosevelt rose to the occasion in both crises and took action. One of his quotations engraved on the stone walls declared, “There should be no forgotten men, and no forgotten races.”

This allowed us to segue to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and saw the sculptor’s portrayal of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech: This is our hope . . . We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope” is carved into the stone which Dr. King is portrayed as emerging from.

From there we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument, talking, reflecting, and taking pictures as we walked. We had totally missed lunch, and were starting to feel the effects of not eating. Fortunately, we came across an ice cream vendor who rescued us. After resting a bit while eating our ice cream, we walked back to the Metro station and retraced our journey til we arrived back at our home. Tired, but perhaps more-informed and wiser.

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