Major General Winfield Scott Hancock Statue

Posted on March 25, 2017March 25, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

There I was…standing in the icy rain. A cold wind was blowing. I looked around for something to do for an hour plus while I waited for the tour. Nothing seemed to be open but as I turned to head back to the subway (where at least it was warm) I spotted a man riding a horse. Well actually a statue of a man riding a horse.

The monument stands next to the elevator to the Metro and across Pennsylvania Ave from the National Archives.

It’s also very close to the US Naval Memorial.

I looked at the engraving identifying the rider as General Winfield Scott Hancock. I’d never heard of him. General Winfield Scott (Old Fuss and Feathers) was a Civil War general but this fellow had a “Hancock” added onto his name. I looked both Generals up and both served in the Civil War for the Union. This general’s nick name was (“Hancock the Superb”).

There were a few similarities : both Generals ran for president and both were defeated. But more specific to General Hancock was his reputation for integrity which was rare in the corruption of the era. Hancock was only narrowly defeated by James Garfield in his run for president in 1880.

General Hancock lived a storied life with much of it committed to the service of the country. He served as a second lieutenant in the Mexican War, joined the Union Army and was rapidly promoted to brigadier general. He was a new corp commander at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hancock’s corp was crucial in the battle at Cemetery Ridge (Pickett’s Charge). Hancock himself sustained wounds in that battle that continued to plague him for the rest of his life.

The Memorial that stands on Pennsylvania Ave was dedicated May 12, 1886 right after his death. President Grover Cleveland commissioned the memorial at a cost of $50,000.00 which was a lot at that time. The statue is a dedication to the Civil War as well as the General. Before his life ended on Feb 9, 1886, General Hancock had dedicated forty years of his life to the United States Army.

Seems to me he earned that statue!

United States Naval Memorial, Washington DC

Posted on March 24, 2017March 24, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

The United States Navy Memorial honors the men and women of the United States Navy – past, present and future. The outdoor Plaza features a “Granite Sea” map of the world, towering masts with signal flags, fountain pools and waterfalls and The Lone Sailor© statue.

Although the outdoor memorial was closed due to the cold weather the Granite Map was clearly visible and of course the Lone Sailor stares out across the plaza. The Lone Sailor was dedicated October 13, 1987 during the 212th birthday of the United States Navy.

The southern hemisphere of the Granite Sea is surrounded by 26 bronze high reliefs commemorating events, personnel, and communities of the various sea services. A relief is a sculptural technique where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material.

I’m told that when the waters that fill the fountains are turned on for the season a huge ceremony is held. The waters represent the waters of the 7 seas.

Fairfield Inn & Suites, Washington Downtown

Posted on March 23, 2017March 23, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Quick review … This hotel is conveniently located in the Chinatown Section of Washington a short walk from the Gallery Place Metro stop. I enjoyed my stroll from the metro to the hotel past buildings decorated with Chinese symbols and dragons. The streets were busy with heavy pedestrian traffic even on a Saturday.

The lobby is small but the staff were friendly and had my room ready when I arrived. I thought check in was 4 pm but I guess its actually 3 pm.

My room is a corner room at the end of the hall on the 2nd floor. It is clean and I like all the windows.

The bathroom is well stocked. I had a little trouble finding the closet. It’s tiny and set into the wall next to the bathroom. I didn’t notice it at first.

The WiFi is free, always a good thing, and seems to have a good strong signal.

One of the complaints on the web site was “street noise” but I really haven’t noticed it much. Yes I head a siren or two but no worse than if I were at home. I guess if you are used to living in a rural area it could be annoying but it didn’t bother me at all.

Even though this is not a condo like my Timeshare, they still have guest laundry in the building. I won’t need it for a 2 day stay but good to know.

There is a free breakfast in the morning too. I’ll certainly check that out but so far I like the effort the staff puts in, the cleanliness of the room, it’s location and the Wifi.

On the downside, the facet in the bathroom drips and the water in the shower is only lukewarm even after allowing it to run to warm up. The hairdryer was hidden on the top shelf of the little closet. I didn’t find it until I’d been there 2 days! Found it in time to wash my hair for the trip home.

The Metro

Posted on March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 by Dusty Roads

The short flight from Boston to Washington, DC was uneventful. The most exciting thing was seeing another plane off to our right, slightly lower than we were. In all the times I’ve flown places I think I’ve only seen another plane out the window like that once before.

Reagan International was exactly the opposite of Logan. It was bustling. Because of the size of the plane my carry-on hadn’t fit in the overhead so I had to check it. I took the camera out but forgot the lap top was in the front sleeve. I crossed my fingers that it would survive the trip in the “belly of the beast”.

Reagan International seemed more like Boston than Logan! When I exited the jet way I was staring at a Dunkin’ Donuts!

When I left the secured area to go to baggage claim I passed Legal Seafood’s.

I’m happy to report my laptop came through with out a scratch. My bag was about the 5th one off the plane, probably because I checked it at the gate; last on first off.

By now it was after 2 pm so I decided to get lunch at the airport. I didn’t see a lot of choices outside the security checkpoint so I settled on Legal Seafood. Sorry Legal, it wasn’t very good. The service was excellent. My waitress was really sweet and attentive but my meal left a lot to be desired. I ordered the fried shrimp meal ($17.00!) and it was dry and over cooked. I get better fried shrimp at Friendly’s. Not up to the standard I would expect from a Legal Seafood Restaurant!

Meal over I headed for the “Metro”, Washington’s version of the MBTA. It was really easy to get to from the airport. The web site said the tickets started at $2.55/ trip but like the MBTA in Boston, the Metro sell their tickets in an automated machine. I wasn’t able to find a single ticket. They only had day passes for about $14.00/day. That gives you unlimited rides but it’s a far cry from $2.55. They also charge $2.00 for a card. I purchased 3 days and had to add 3 cards. I don’t think I will get my money’s worth but it was still cheaper than the shuttle $27.00 one way or renting a car.

The actual ride was pleasant and efficient. The cars were clean and the stations announced. I had a short walk from the Chinatown Station to my hotel, The Fairfield Inn. All in all a better experience than I usually have on the “T” in Boston.

On the Road to D.C.

Posted on March 21, 2017March 21, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

And I don’t mean the comic books. (DC Comics) There’s nothing funny going on in Washington right now!

But my quick trip has begun. I was up at 6:30 am. I slept on the areo bed last night so that Joe, who is kitty sitting, could have my bed. As I unplugged the seal to let out the air Rocky took a flying leap onto the bed and sunk! Pretty funny. He was quite a confused kitty cat but he got over it. Other than it being cold it was very comfortable. Next time I’ll put a blanket under the sheet or maybe use flannel sheets.

Made it to Braintree by about 8:30 am. The Logan express is a bus to the airport and has a station in Braintree. Parking is $7.00/ day which is much cheaper than parking at the airport. Plus its nice to leave the driving to someone else when navigating Boston. The bus runs on the hour and true to its schedule we were on our way by 9:01. The web site says to allow 45 minutes to get from Braintree to Logan but as it was a Saturday with no traffic. I think we made better time than that.

To my surprise the airport was a ghost town. I was through security in less than 5 minutes and there was no one in the terminal! So after all that rushing around I was seated at table with a muffin by 9:30 am waiting for a flight that didn’t leave until 12 noon. Good thing I brought a book.

In spite of the empty terminal they announced that our flight was a full flight. That could be because we were on a teeny , tiny commuter plane. I upgraded my seat to be sure I got an aisle although it really didn’t matter. The plane was so small that there was no middle seat, just window and aisle on both sides. First class had one seat on each side of the aisle!