Checking out the competition

The family took the Metro today to Dupont Circle, a huge traffic roundabout in Washington, D.C. where Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire Avenues meet up with 19th and P streets; my wife counted ten roads in all running into and out of the circle. The surrounding neighborhood is one of those areas I would love to live in if only I could afford to do so: beautiful townhouses dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, along with plenty of bookshops, cafes, galleries and museums.

For me, however, the purpose for visiting this afternoon was to walk along Embassy Row, a long stretch of Massachusetts Avenue stuffed with embassies and ambassadorial residences. Many of these diplomatic establishments are housed in the same kind of townhouses mentioned above. Walking past these outposts, I was struck by how welcoming the majority of them looked in comparison with the walled fortresses so many American overseas outposts have unfortunately become in recent years. Every May in Washington there is the Around the World Embassy Tour, in which about three dozen of the diplomatic residences are open to the public for free peeks inside, along with the opportunity to sample some of the food, dance and music of the different cultures. It's a shame we won't be here the next time the event rolls around, but perhaps at some point in the future we will be in the right place at the right time.

Amber poses in front of the fountain at Dupont Circle. According to Rough Guide, the nude figures represent sea, stars and wind, and honor the naval exploits of one Samuel Dupont, who saw action in the Mexican-American and Civil Wars.

There were still signs of fall on some of the surrounding streets.

In my not-so-humble opinion, the most attractive structure on Embassy Row was the Indonesian Embassy at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue. Named the Walsh-McLean House, it dates from 1903. Across the street is another fine old building, the Cosmos Club (No. 2121), which I inexplicably neglected to photograph. You can see what it looks like here.

Amber with Mahatma Gandhi. This statue, to no one's great surprise, is located across from the Indian Embassy.

Another fine old mansion is the Anderson House, at 2118. Completed in 1905, it was originally the winter home of Larz Anderson, an American diplomat who served in Belgium and Japan. Anderson willed the house to the Society of the Cincinnati, a patriotic organization whose first president general was coincidentally the country's first president as well. Anderson House is now a Revolutionary War museum, and is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, which means we didn't get the chance to check out the inside today.

Estonia's embassy occupies a spot on a street corner.

Many of the embassy buildings had busts (like the one in front of the Bulgarian Embassy) or statues (like the one above outside the Greek Embassy) out front. In a major diplomatic faux pas, I neglected to note the names of these national heroes. I hope this breach of protocol will pass unnoticed.

The Embassy of Zambia stood by itself.

The Japanese diplomatic outposts on Massachusetts Avenue were some of the least impressive. The Chancery, in particular (bottom), seemed to have been designed by the same architectural firms commissioned by the State Department.

We walked as far as the Islamic Center, near the entrance to Rock Creek Park, before turning back toward the Dupont Circle Metro station.

Outside the Korean Culture Center, Amber did the Asian Squat Pose between two traditional statues from Jeju Island.

The Korean consular building, meanwhile, had a statue dedicated to Philip Jaisohn, the first Korean to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

1606 23rd Street is the Residence of the Turkish Ambassador.

This 1909 statue dedicated to the Union General Philip H. Sheridan sits in the center of Sheridan Circle.

Tomas Masaryk, the founder and first president of Czechoslovakia.

Phillips and Cohen LLP, representing whistleblowers across the nation and around the world

Welcoming in the bleakness

It was cold this afternoon. The temperature was around 40°F (4.4°C), but the chilly, biting wind made it seem much colder. My hands felt like ice, and Amber's nose never stopped running, which can only mean one thing - fall is on its way out, and winter is fast approaching. The two of us came to that realization today at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, home to the last remaining tidal marshland in the District of Columbia. Yes, Virginia, not only does D.C. have deer, it also contains wetlands. The best time to visit the gardens in in the summer when the water lilies and lotuses are in bloom, but on this post-Thanksgiving Day weekend, with its trees bereft of leaves and its muddy marshes exposed in the wake of the outgoing tide, the gardens at this time of year have a stark beauty all their own.

My daughter poses for her dad. In the background flows the Anacostia River, crossed by a bridge for the MARC Train.

This Great Blue Heron flew past us as we walked along some of the 45 ponds at the gardens. It was both huge and graceful.

Out on the boardwalk. In the 90 minutes we were at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, we saw just one jogger, two women and a man walking a couple of dogs and a lone park ranger.

Trust in chestnuts

It was a father and daughter hiking excursion this morning and afternoon as Amber and I drove out to Prince Frederick, Maryland and the American Chestnut Land Trust. Founded in 1986 to preserve the area's remaining American chestnut trees, the trust manages two separate trail systems. The one the two of us walked today is located off of Scientists' Cliffs Road in Calvert County. We covered about 6.8 miles (10.9 kilometers) in around four hours, and except for one couple me wet towards the end of our hike, we had the woods all to ourselves. 

Amber checks out the trail map at the start of our hike

My daughter's almost 7 years-old pair of legs held up surprisingly well today. She's gone on several five mile-plus/10K+ walks now, and rarely complains. A real trooper, she (unlike a certain female parent).

Amber and I were privy to what was inside this, um, privy

My daughter poses in front of the Percy Howard Farm site. All that remains is this barn dating from the nineteenth century.

At one point we attempted to make our way along a boardwalk running through a beaver-created swamp. However, things started getting too muddy so we had to reverse course.

Instead of continuing on through the swamp, we hauled ourselves up about 250 yards (230 meters) up a steep hill, with Amber relying on a rope at one point to help herself along. This is the view from the hillside looking down on the swamp.

At the top of the ridge, we walked about 500 yards (460 meters) to the Hance-Chesley Cemetery, a perfect place to stop and have lunch.

Despite being half-Taiwanese, my daughter has no fear at all of cemeteries (unlike her mom), and doesn't believe in the existence of ghosts. No wonder she's very interested in science.

Fall, glorious fall

This stump is all that remains of an American chestnut tree. At 75 feet (23 meters), it was once the tallest tree in Maryland before it unfortunately succumbed to blight.

In the midst of all the chestnuts and dogwoods and whatnot was an impressive patch of bamboo.

Fall, glorious fall

Amber has been enjoying her first real autumn experience

Relaxing in a meadow at the end of the hike

Pennsylvania Avenue

With less than three months to go before our (tentative) posting to Shanghai 上海, crunch time is upon us. No only are my Mandarin Chinese classes proving to be an endless study (rimshot) in frustration, but now a number of things that need to be addressed before we go are starting to stand up and demand that they be counted. With D.C.'s beautiful autumn weather showing no sign of letting up, however, today seemed as good as any to not do anything constructive other than to enjoy the afternoon with my loved ones. And so we took the Metro to Metro Center, and walked the few blocks to Pennsylvania Avenue, that long stretch of road running between the White House and the U.S. Capitol that Barack Obama will parade down in triumph (again) on January 20. Our journey on that storied stretch wasn't quite as long, historic or celebrated, but we had a good time nonetheless. 

Pershing Park is noted for its ice skating rink in winter. The lack of ice and the fact that she doesn't know how to skate didn't deter my daughter from showing us how it's done.

Amber poses with the General (sort of) at the John J. Pershing Memorial

The Willard Hotel is one of Washington's most historic and luxurious

The main corridor of the Willard practically defines the word "plush"

In the Willard's gift shop, Mitt Romney campaign paraphernalia were a bargain with prices up to 75% off.

The concierge kindly took some photos of us as a family unit inside the galleried lobby.

Amber smiles for the camera outside in Freedom Plaza. Behind her can be seen the Capitol and the Old Post Office.

 

The Old Post Office. Completed in 1914, it's a beautiful building that currently serves as a shopping center and food court. Donald Trump, unfortunately, has plans to turn it into the Trump International Hotel Washington D.C. 

Outside, Benjamin Franklin ("Philosopher, Printer, Philanthropist, Patriot") tries to look cheerful as he awaits his fate at the hands of the Donald.

The thing to do inside the Old Post Office is to take the elevators up to the 270 foot-high (82 meters) observation tower. According to one of the park rangers, the views today extended out to 15 miles (24 kilometers). Here's the view looking down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Building.

On the way back down from the tower, we paused to look at the Congress Bells. These were a gift from London to celebrate the Bicentennial in 1976, and are modeled after the bells in Westminster Abbey.

The atrium

Leaving the Old Post Office, we walked a couple more blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Navy Memorial, across the street from the National Archives (to be visited on another day). The memorial is part of a wide plaza that includes 26 bronze relief panels, which illustrate some of the missions the navy has undertaken throughout its history. The one above reads "Opening Japan for Commerce", referring, of course, to the Perry Expedition of 1854, and its notorious "black ships" 黒船.

The navy apparently has a sense of humor, as the caption of the above plaque reads "LST - Landing Ship Tanks. Fondly Known As Large Slow Targets". 

Hey there, sailor, need a lift?