THIS DAY WE DROVE

This day was a time to try something different. Throughout this trip and others we try to get off the Interstate highways which usually only show the back door of the countryside. In each state we find local roads which take us in the same general direction we want to go, yet show us the front door view of farms and communities. Using this concept this day, which was "Good Friday" we programed the GPS for the shortest distance between our campsite and the Washington National Cathedral. Our trip took us through suburban communities, past row houses and townhouses brightly painted different colors, and finally through more exclusive midtown communities including the Naval Observatory where the Vice President lives. Surprisingly, the traffic was light and parking was available adjacent to the cathedral even though we had been forewarned by people we have met along the way not to try driving into downtown D.C. The "Cathedral" is spectacular and worth a visit. It was conceived and designed to be built in the tradition of great cathedrals of Europe. Stones were manually cut and shaped and placed in the same way as cathedrals were built in the book "Pillars of the Earth". Construction was started in 1907 and was not completed until the last stone was placed in 1990. The cathedral had it's beginning in 1893 when Congress incorporated the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation. The foundation stone was laid in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt and the final stone was placed 83 years later in the presence of President George H.W. Bush. We arrived during a "Good Friday" service and so we were asked not to intrude into the sanctuary, however we could hear the music and sensed the seriousness of the service. We were free to move throughout the building including using the elevator to go up into the tower and view the city. Again we had a commanding view in all directions of the City of Washington D.C.

I was struck by the accuracy and intricacy of the placement of the stones. I was reminded of the work we had seen 22 years ago in Machu Pichu, Peru, where the Incas had carved and placed stones that are still standing today. The use of "flying buttresses" particularly reminded me of the stories in "Pillars of the Earth".

We concluded the day by driving down Massachusetts Avenue, Embassy Row, visiting the Textile Museum, walking two doors down to enter the Woodrow Wilson House, crossing the Mall on 9th Avenue and ending up on the waterfront where we found a nice restaurant along side the Washington Channel for dinner. This is also the location of a very active fresh fish market which we stopped to observe. We used the dinner hour to allow traffic to clear the downtown area and had a pleasant drive back to Greenbelt National Park where we have been staying and will be staying for the two weeks we are allowed.