So, on Day 2 we decided to go around the Capitol building and take pictures we hadn't taken yet. We started on the southwest side where the James Garfield Monument stands. James Garfield was elected as President in 1880 and was assassinated in 1881 after serving only 4 months of his term. This bronze statue was unveiled in 1887.
We then walked up to the Capitol steps and had our picture taken in the front portico.
In 1880 a summerhouse was built in the northwest corner of the Capitol grounds. It was designed specifically as a place of rest for visitors who were touring the Capitol area on foot.
The Capitol looked beautiful with the cherry blossoms in bloom!
Also on the northwest side of the Capitol is the Peace Monument. Made of white marble, it was erected in 1877-78 to commemorate the naval deaths at sea during the Civil War.
Directly in front of the Capitol building on the west side is the infamous Ulyssess S. Grant Memorial & reflection pool. The statue is the 2nd largest equestrian statue in the U.S. and the 3rd largest in the world! It was dedicated in 1922 on the 100th anniversary of Grant's birth. Grant's statue is flanked on the south with an Artillery group and on the north by a Calvary group.
Calvary Artillery
Other buildings on Capitol Hill (surrounding the Capitol) are the Senate Russell Building...
The US Supreme Court Building...
The Library of Congress...
The House of Representatives Cannon Building...
and Rayburn Building.
The East side of the Capitol Building is also very impressive, and you can see more clearly the House of Representatives on the south side and the Senate on the north side with the Dome in the middle with the Statue of Freedom on the top.
We ended up the day going into the National Gallery of Arts East Building.
At the time of our visit the gallery had an exhibit with the works of Paul Gauguin, a French painter, who lived from 1848-1903. He did self-portraits, pastels, prints, drawings, & sculptures with a lot his subjects being from Brittany & other South sea French Polynesian islands. Unfortunately, they didn't allow any photos in the exhibit.
There is a really cool walkway that runs underground between the National Galleries East & West buildings with a moving walkway & lots of moving lights!
We had gone to the West building previously, but decided to go back and see some of the paintings we didn't get a chance to see the first time. Paintings of some of the great masters that we had heard of, but had never seen their works in person!
Renoir...
Picasso...
Van Gogh...
Monet...
Raphael...
and Da Vinci.
Wow! What a day!! We headed back to National Harbor for another delicious dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Potomac River. A great ending to a great day! Day 3 coming up!!
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