Under the Domes

Shane looked out the window. Wow. What a view. It was the year 1953, and he was traveling from Boston, MA to Washington D.C. for the inauguration of President Eisenhower.  Shane squeezed by several people on the way to the bathroom. Because of the monumental event in DC, the train was packed. It was so full that at the stop in Connecticut, three more cars were added to the train, as well as a new crew.  The diesel locomotive was replaced by an electric engine making the train.  Shane checked his watch. Because of this maintenance, this made the train about 40 minutes behind schedule. Luckily, Shane knew the new crew's conductor, Harry Brower, so he was invited to sit in the front of the train instead of squished in a train car for the later of the ride.  Harry was 65 years old had 40 years of experience driving trains. Setting the controls for 80 miles per hour, he was determined to make up for the lost time in CT. 

 "Hold on," he smiled at Shane before they departed. "This is gonna be fast." 

Hitting green lights the whole way to Washington D.C., there was no need to apply the brakes, so they made up time quickly. Next stop: Union Station. Nearing the station, Shane saw Harry reduce the throttle and apply is brakes. He began gathering his belongings.

 "I'll go to see the Capitol first. Maybe I'll have some time to get some sight seeing done before the Inauguration speech," Shane thought.  He looked at Harry, smiling, but Harry wasn't smiling. He looked at Shane. Panic stricken, he mouthed,   

"THE BRAKES AREN'T WORKING!"  Shane's heart stopped. He couldn't think. A 237 ton train was barreling into union station at 80 miles per hour, and the brakes had given out. His life was over. 

"What do we do!?" Shane yelled at Harry. Ignoring him, Harry dropped sand and applied the emergency break still to no effect.

"HARRY! LISTEN TO ME!" Shane screamed. When he still didn't listen, Shane grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO!?" SMACK! A pain tingled in Shane's cheek. Harry had just smacked him. 

"Pull yourself together, or I'm sending you to the back, got it, kid?!" Harry warned.  Turning around, he frantically blasted the train's horn whistle, "Keep blasting this!  It'll alert Moyer, the fireman, to the brake failure." He instructed Shane.  While Shane kept blasting the whistle, he watched Harry working under pressure. He was admirably calm.  From the station ahead, Shane heard the powerful pneumatic horns let off by Moyer warning all in its path that the train was out of control.  

"Why can't we switch tracks!?" Shane yelled over the horns.

"It takes too long!" Harry bellowed. "Three minutes at the most." He picked up the phone and telephoned John Feeney in building "K" alerting him that the train was out of control. 

"There's a runaway coming to you on track 16," They heard Feeney alerting the stationmaster on the other line. "Get the hell out of there!" The line ended. 
Harry alerted the passengers to prepare for an abrupt stop.  They had slowed down some, probably to 35-40 miles per hour, but they knew they were going to crash.  In two minutes, since the call to Feeney, the morning rush hour was cleared from the basement baggage, the entire concourse. 

"Get ready for a rough stop!" Harry bellowed while fastening his seat belt. Shane did the same. CRASH! The train bellowed through the solid steel safety bumper, hurled through the iron track gate, and plummeted through the stationmaster's office careening out onto the concourse floor. 

Shane opened his eyes. Looking through the dust, he spotted the clock buried along the wreckage. 8:38. The time of the accident. He smiled. "I'm alive." He looked at Harry. Staring out of the window, a tear streaked down his cheek. 

"We survived," he chuckled. "Forty years I've been driving these trains, and I've never.  This station is magnificent, always busy.  The architecture here was always fun to look at when I stopped at this station. A man named Daniel H. Burnham directed the architecture. You familiar with him?" Shane shook his head no, "Oh, well he was something. He modeled the building after the Beaux- Art style, Baths of Caraculla and Diocletian, and of course the beautiful Arches of Rome.  Union Station's arches signify it to be a gateway of entry.  The station took $25 million to build, and I couldn't imagine with this mess it taking less than $4 million to recover," He whistled long and low. Until the ambulance came 15 minutes later, Harry told Shane the history of Union Station. Surprised at how much Harry knew, Shane listened, taking in his every word.  

The station opened on October 27, 1907 at 6:50 am when the Baltimore and Ohio Pittsburgh trains pulled into the station.  The Station was officially completed in 1908.  He also told Shane that during WWI troops were mobilized through the station, and many prominent women worked in the station's canteen, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.  He laughed when he told Shane about how Mrs. Wilson would keep her husband, the president, waiting outside until she finished her duties in the canteen.  When the ambulance came, they took Shane and Harry out on stretchers.  Shane was shocked when he saw the damage the train did to the station. Harry was right, $4 million at the least definitely to fix!  He was involved in a historical crash and lived to tell the story.  What a story to tell his children and grandchildren! 

Metro 

MARC 

I hoped you enjoyed my rendition of the monumental crash in 1953 at Union Station.  Although Shane was a fictional character, the other characters and the information in this story was 100% true! There was in fact a crash that took place at Union Station in 1953, and the conductor was in fact a man named Harry! Now these Amtrak trains aren't the only trains taking off from Union Station.  There are also three others.  In addition to the Amtrak, which is a national train service, there is the MARC, which takes you throughout MD, DC, and WV, the VRE, which takes you through Washington DC, and Northern VA, and the Metro, which takes you throughout DC and some parts of MD.  Union Station was our first stop for our fourth MJ.
 There we met at 10am. We first sampled some chocolate at Godiva, and we spent a good 20 minutes interviewing the workers there.  They were increasingly enthralled by our method of schooling.  It was really refreshing that we were able to change others' minds about homeschooling.  We even reopened their minds to the option! We shared our ambitions and goals, and afterwards they asked us for our information! It was an experience worth remembering.  

amtrak 

VRE

There is a WHOLE mall in the station, so we definitely took advantage of that. S/o to the boys, who kept a positive attitudes when we went into our girly stores....Oh, and s/o to the hunk at UNOS! Can't forget about him! 

After we shopped, we took a break for lunch and then journeyed to the Botanical Gardens. our second stop!  When we arrived, we all received field journals to fill out on our mini tour! I'm not going to give you ALL the answers, but I'll definitely share some history! During the late 18th Century, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison shared a dream of a botanic gardens in Washington DC. This dream was established in 1842 when the Wilkes expedition, a journey to the South Seas, bought a living plants from around the world to Washington DC. The plants were moved to a new structure in DC in 1850, previously occupied by the Colombian Institute's Gardens.  In 1933, it moved to its new and current location located along first and third street.  It's home to thousands of different plants open to the public to tour! 

My favorite part of the gardens will always be the jungle! Yes, it's a little humid, so my hair gives me struggles, but it feels like you've left DC and journeyed into a real rain forest! It brought Ser and me back to our young days when our families went to Rain Forest Cafe on special occasions!  I miss that place.  You should plan a visit to the gardens this holiday as they are beautiful this time of year! If you've been to these gardens, definitely share some of your experiences! What was your favorite part?
This Metro Journey, although had only two stops, was filled with copious amounts of information, and I enjoyed my experiences and the memories I gained! Until next time, loyal readers! 

The Mystery Metro Journey

Woodley Escalator 

Do you remember your first escalator ride? How about the most fun one? Do you walk up the escalator on the left side, or do you just stand on the right side and let it ease you to the end? How often do you ride escalators? Daily, monthly, rarely? When you were little, did you call an escalator an elevator and an elevator an escalator? Don't worry, you're not alone. Sometimes, it still confuses me. Personally, I like escalators more than elevators. The main reason is because in an elevator when it stops, you're stuck until someone comes and gets you, but while riding an escalator, and it stops, you aren't trapped. You can continue to walk up to the top or down to the bottom.  Plus in movies, you never really see action on an escalator, but you definitely see it in an elevator. Am I right? Consider, White House Down, Tower Heist, or even, more recently, The Maze Runner because he was forced into the "new civilization" on a type of elevator. They were some scenes on elevators filled with some intense action, but shh! No more spoilers! Let's just say, you never get that type of action of escalators. Do you agree? Tell me what you think in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you! The Metro system in Washington, DC has a total of 588 escalators. The longest in the WMATA's system as well as the western hemisphere is found at the Wheaton metro stop with a length of 230'. Obscurely, 9 out of 10 longest escalators are found on the metro's red line.  Although Wheaton's ginormous escalators are 1st in the western hemisphere, WMATA's longest conveyor belt stairs place seventh worldwide.  The Woodley Park metro station has the third longest escalator in the WMATA's system coming in at 204', and that's the 

Liza's so sweet! 

neighborhood to which we were headed. 
Woodley Park is identified normally by Rock Creek Park as well as where the The National Zoo is located . Did you know this neighborhood was not named after a person but a house? But of course, behind every house is a person, in this case, Philip Barton Key.  Mr. Key was a prosperous lawyer, who moved his family from Maryland to a stylish home in Washington. What did he name this house? You guessed it! Woodley! Why so random, though? Well, Mr. Key was a traveler before he settled down with his family, so while he was in Berkshire one year, he spent some time at Woodley House and fell in love with the look of the place. Later, when Woodley was being built in Washington, he modeled it to be similar to the house in Berkshire.  Today, Key's Woodley still stands and lends a lovely view of the still growing Nation's Capitol.  Hey! The name Key sounds familiar right? Of course! Francis Scott Key was the nephew of Mr. Key and actually engraved his initials on a window in the mansion. Unfortunately, it was lost due to renovation, but hey! The connections are still crazy! 
Our first stop in Woodley Park was the National Zoo! The zoo opened in Rock Creek Park in 1889 on a sight designed by architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.  About 1,800 different animals classified in 300 different species call the zoo their home. The zoo offers two locations. One is public and located in Woodley Park, and the other is private and serves as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute located in Front Royal, VA. Its mission is "to provide leadership in animal care, science, education, as well as sustainability is as vital as ever if humankind is to save what remains of the Earth's biological diversity." 
At the Zoo, we were supposed to document three animals in addition to our other sight seeing.  First we went to see the pandas.  I would like to let my future husband know that if could get me a baby panda that'd be great, thanks. THEY WERE SO CUTE! First, we saw a full grown panda. He was living the life I want to live. Laying on his back, no worries, just stuffin' his face. I need that positivity in my life.  Did you know that although Giant Pandas are the easiest animals to recognize, they are the rarest animal in the world? Most of these pandas survive in the central forests in China, but some are in zoos around the world. 
After the pandas, we visited the Elephants. Unfortunately, they were not out, but we went into the elephant house instead! I would like to make an announcement: An elephant poops more in one sitting than I poop in a week. That is all, thank you. While we were at the house, there was a scale where you could compare your weight to an elephant's. Dude, that scale's my bestie. I wanted to take it home. After everyone weighed themselves individually, all 9 of us got on the scale and only weighed as much as a one year old elephant. Awesome, right!? 

Luke, the king of the Jungle 

Third, we visited the orangutans. Let me tell YOU something! Imagine 8,000 people in the same room together, whose underarms smell like they've just ran a 5k without deodorant, and who've just interrupted the flow of oxygen, which is vital to human life, with one of their silent but deadly farts. Do you smell this? Well, this my friends is exactly what the monkey house smelled like. I am not over-exaggerating.  What are some of the worst smells your sniffer had the pleasure of taking in?  Let me know! The orangutans at the zoo have orangish- red hair, long arms, and curled feet, which are crucial when they swing and climb trees.  At the zoo, there is even something called an "O-line," which is a tightrope that sits right above the pathway at the zoo for families to walk under.  Although one wasn't out this last time, normally a orangutan climbs and swings from that line, right above the visitors heads! On top of that, it never falls! Ever! Once you got over that smell, the orangutans were pretty awesome!          
Next we were off to visit the loves of my life, Ms. Shera and her tiger cubs. Unfortunately only Shera was out, but the whole lion family was out. To my future husband, in addition to a baby panda, I would also love a lion cub if that isn't too much trouble, thanks! Luke, the male lion, sat on the highest rock, and he looked like he knew he was the king of jungle. I guess he actually is, buuut, maybe he could've been a little less rude and smiled for my pictures? 
Finally, we made our way through the petting zoo and to the Amazonia exhibit. Here, there were fishes that were probably about 1.5 times my size! It was stupendous! Upstairs in the exhibit, the monkeys were free to roam, so we were able to see them up close. On the not so bright side, it was humid, and out of ALL days, my hair was staightened. Ugh, struggles! 
After we finished at the Amazonia, we headed straight out the Rock Creek Park entrance towards Pierce Mill.  Walking, we observed the architecture of Woodley Park.  Woodley is famous for preserving the historical feel and architecture. This is seen through it's string of 20th century row houses lined up on the streets. The building that eluded this area was completed in only 25 years, 1905-1929.  As a result of some of the modern construction, Woodley's architecture results in a cohesive urban/authentic feel.
You might be wondering what Pierce Mill is? Well, it's a mill (obviously) that was built in the 1820s, and ran until 1897.  It was the most successful water-powered mill, which was invented by Oliver Evans, and it ran along Rock Creek.  Restored between 1930 and 1970, the park now provides a educational as well as recreational site where students take field trips or people spend their leisure time.  The mill was such a hit because for years, the mills used humans' power to run, but when the mill was built instead of using humans' energy the water from the creek turned the wheel so as to generate the 20-40 horsepower needed to work the different machinery that turned grain into flour.  
My experience at the park was really fun especially because I got to share this experience with my friends. Although I would've rather have more time at the park, I could tell it was beautiful. We also had a gorgeous day! I think we went during the best season, the fall! The leaves on the trees above the creek were all different colors, and it was a breath-taking sunny day.  According to Ms. Anna, they have horseback riding there also! I definitely am going to come back to ride! Hey! Maybe I'll see some of you all there! To find information about the park or to plan your visit go to their website! 
At about 1:45, we finished at Pierce Mill, and made the journey up the HUGE hill to Connecticut Avenue, turned right, and walked about .2 miles to Van Des metro station. The end of our Metro Journey has come, but we all journeyed back to Ms. Anna's to fellowship and to have our Metro Journey Meeting.  It was a nice relaxing end to a tiring day. Until next time, readers! 

Literally how all of us were after all the walking we did. 

 Ps: Who went to the Valor Concert? How was it? Leave your thoughts on the performers in the comments below! 

A Study of Adams Morgan and a Walk in The Park

Hello again! Told you I'd be back before the month ends, well...sort of! On October 28, my class and I embarked on our second October MJ to Adams Morgan. Did I mention we added four more students since last time? In addition to Nadia, Eliza, Victoria, Summer and me, we know also have Ser, Grant, Jameel, and Sade! 
First let's dissect this awesome neighborhood in DC! First what's with the name? Who is Adam and why does he have a Morgan? Well, just for clarification, Adams does not have a Morgan. These two names are the names of the two formerly segregated elementary schools. Thomas P. Morgan Elementary school educated the black students, while John Quincy Adams schooled the whites.   In 1955, district schools were desegregated because of the 1954 Bolling vs. Sharpe Supreme Court ruling.  Combining these two schools as well as marking their new neighborhood's territory in four pre-existing neighborhoods, the city council in 1958 named the new community Adam's Morgan. This area is very diverse, home to many different cultures of people. This is shown through this mural found in an

alley. It shows different races of Adams Morgan coming together to create the Washington DC flag.  Because of the different races in this area, there are lots of boutiques and restaurants lining the streets.  It is known for it's night life on the weekends. It is what my peers would call 'poppin'!' or 'the place to be.' Famous to Adams Morgan is the Ontario Theater, This theater went from a popular theater in the 1950s, to a discount store, which closed in 2008, and now in the process of being altered into apartments. It is located on Columbia road.  People, who have called Adams Morgan their home for a long time, use it as a well known landmark when giving directions.  

Current Ontario Theater 

I started this MJ just like any other MJ, a 6am ride to the Fogg's house with my dad. At 7:45, Eliza,Victoria, and I left to take the 15 minute walk to the bus coming at 7:50. Wait... what? Yep, as usual, we were late. Running towards the bus stop, you'll never guess who we saw? Mr. Danny, Victoria's dad, driving his truck down the same street we were on, 30 minutes from his house!  It turned out that he had a job right down the street from the Fogg's house that day.  Flagging him down, we were able to get him to drive us to the next bus stop and made it just in time! S/O to Mr. Danny for allowing Jesus Christ to live through him that day!  
Upon arriving at Silver Spring Metro Station, we took the train to Fort Totten, transferred to the green line, then continued to Columbia where we met Ser and Grant.  Unfortunately, through some poor communication Jameel went to the Woodley Park metro, but we all agreed to meet at our first stop, which was Malcolm X park, or more commonly known as Meridian Hill park. 
The Egyptian symbolism in this park is extremely evident in the architecture. In Egypt, there are different symbols, architecture, letters, as well as numbers that we need to be aware of before we continue with in Meridian Hill park, let's look at some symbolism of ancient Egypt.  

Common Name	Proper Name	Meaning/ Symbolism
Obelisk (Washington Monument)	Tkn (Pl.-Tknu)	N/A
One (1)	N/A	God
Two (2)	N/A	Man and Woman
Three (3)	N/A	Child/Trinity
Four (4)	N/A	Foundation
Five (5)	N/A	Man/Mind
Six (6)	N/A	Death
Seven (7)	N/A	Heaven/Spiritual Resurrection
East (Sun rise)	Ray	Birth

Now we can  go to our first stop, which is Meridian Hill Park on 16th street.  This park's symbolism is going to blow your mind! First let's look at 16th street.  1+6=7. What's the meaning of seven according to Ancient Kemet? Heaven or Resurrection! Did you know that this street is sometimes called Avenue of Churches? But that's not all; this street is exactly 7.7 miles long and ends at the White House.  Also, did you know that DC is positioned exactly on longitude line 77? Crazy, right? 

Before we go back to Meridian Hill Park, I would like to tell you the Ancient Kemet story of the Ancient god Osar.  This god married a woman named Auset, or commonly known my the Greeks and Romans as Isis.  Osar was a very successful ruler of Kemet, teaching his people laws, education, architecture, and other prosperous skills.  He was adored by his people, but his evil brother, Set, was jealous.  Set murdered his brother and managed to cut his body into 14 pieces scattering them all over Egypt.  Auset managed to find all of them, except the 14th, which was the phallus.  She assembled the 13 pieces of his body making the first mummy.  

At the time of Osar's death, he did not have any children, but mystically Auset was impregnated by her husband, and she had a son named Heru, or Horus according to the Romans and Greeks, and who was raised secretly to protect him from his Uncle Set, who was now the ruler of Kemet.  

As soon as Heru grew to be a man, he challenged his Uncle for the throne, and after many battles he avenged his father and regained the throne of Egypt.  During the many battles, Set snatched out the Eye of Heru and threw it into the celestial ocean where it was found later and used as a guide for Osar to find his way to the afterlife.  The Eye of Heru was used to signify protection on mummies' journeys to the afterlife.  The End.  

13 Waterfalls 

Have you ever noticed that the number 13 is seen as a curse? Friday the 13th is feared by many across the nation.  It is nationally seen as an unlucky number.  Why would society teach us that if they don't believe that number's cursed too? "What?" you might ask.  Let's evaluate this. If you have a dollar bill nearby, go and get it.  America started with how many colonies? 13! E Pluribus Unum. How many letters are in that Latin motto? Look at the eagle on your dollar bill, how many arrows is he clutching? How many leaves are on the olive branch? How many olives are on the olive branch? How many levels on Amr? Wait, wait, wait...how many of her husband's body parts did Auset find? 13! What's positioned at the top of the Amr? An eye? Mummies are normally buried in Amrs, so it can be concluded that the 13 levels of the Amr on the dollar bill signify the Osar's 13 parts, and the eye on top represents the Eye of Heru, protection.  Also the Cascading Waterfalls found in Meridian Hill Park has 13 pools. Whaaaaaaaat? So many 13's considering that 13 is an unlucky number. 

Idk, I just thought this was hilarious

If you walk in the middle of the park, you'll spot 4 obelisks on the east side of the park. What does the number four mean? Foundation, right! What about east? Birth! Putting this knowledge together, according to Egyptian symbolism, this statue represents the importance to start the beginning of your day, or 'birth', with foundation, in other words meditation.  After looking through all of this, we played a game of (failed) frisbee (none of us could catch the frisbee effectively, so the game went pretty slow), got to know each other a little more, and shared some laughs.

Now the walking really gets started, our job was to visit 10 restaurants in Adams Morgan owned by people from 10 different countries, making sure at least 5 different continents are represented!  

The first restaurant! Pho 14 Vietnamese 

 Mama Ayeshas Middle Eastern

                                                                                              Astor - Mediterranean

 

The Grill from Ipanema  - Brazilian 

 Mama Mia's - Afghanistan 

 

The next business was the only business we had the pleasure of getting an interview with the manager, who is from North America. Pleasant Pops is a cute shop selling their homemade popsicles year-round.  The flavors change with season because their pops are made with fresh fruit from agriculture in the DC area.  The managers favorite flavors included a heavenly chocolate flavor! Whew! I know when that'll come in handy. Am I right, ladies? Their store opened in 2012 after a year of experimenting with different flavors, until eventually their selection grew to the 100 flavors they sell now.  Four more to go! 

                                                                                    

  Amsterdam Falafel Shop Native American 

Meze- Turkish 

Donburi- Japanese  

   

Bukom Cafe-West Africa 

Summer being a cutie

After visiting all 10 stops, we realized we finished earlier than normal and went to jumbo slice to get....PIZZA YUUUUUS! It was huuuuuuuuuuge! Bigger than 2 paper plates, and I finished every single bite! "#noragrets!" LOL. After hanging out a bit in Columbia Heights, we all journeyed home to finish our second MJ of the year. This MJ was so much fun! Can't wait to see y'all in two weeks!       

2014-2015 Metro Journey #1 Speedway to the Presidents

Annnnnd I'm back at it again! Metro Journeys 2014-2015! Did you miss me? Aww, shucks guys, stop it! For the first metro journey (MJ), we ventured to the most well known spots in DC, the National Mall! Unfortunately, we weren't supposed to walk the whole mall, but we accidentally did (whoops!), but, as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start from the beginning!
The day started off how it normally does. I woke up at 5am, but this time Victoria was with me! We road to the Fogg's house to then leave with the rest of the class at 7:50. We arrived at the Smithsonian metro station around 9:45ish. I know what you're thinking, ALMOST TWO HOURS TO THE SMITHSONIAN STATION!? WHAT?! It doesn't take two hours, no, we just took a pit stop.
We arrived at the first stop on our itinerary, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You can always call it what Eliza-Jane calls it, "The Factory that Makes the Money," but that would only be covering half of what they do. This building makes the security notes of the Unites States. For example, Presidential invitations, passports, military commissions, and a plethora of other special security documents for the US government.
There are seven major note bills circulating in the U.S, and they each have a portrait of a famous U.S. historical man on the front. George Washington, the first U.S. president, is on the $1 bill.  Pictured on the $2 bill is Thomas Jefferson.  The $2 bill is not as widely used because the BEP does not make them as frequently as the other notes.  On the 5 is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th US president.  Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the US, is printed on the $10 bill. Skipping the teens and going straight to the $20 bill, you'll find Andrew Jackson, our seventh president.  Ulysses S. Grant, a famous U.S. war general as well as our 27th president, is pictured on the $50 bill, and last but certainly not the least, on the $100 bill is Benjamin Franklin, who without we would not have the Deceleration of Independence, the United States as he was also a founding father, and even the light bulb.  Nobody truly knows the real reason these historical men were put on each bill because the people who first designed these bills didn't write their explanations down for record.  There are definitely some pretty logical guesses for example, George Washington is on the $1 bill because he was the first president, but no one knows for sure.
All U.S. bills are specially fashioned on machinery to avoid counterfeited money, which some people call "Fake McCoys." So how do you distinguished the real from the fake? Each bill has different security features such as codes, watercolors, the color in different lighting and many more. These security features change every so 5-7 years to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to fake the bills.  Each bill is made from 75% cotton and 25% linen.  Each bill also contains small red and blue fibers for visual identification.  Starting in 1990, the paper for $10 bills and higher was made of two plies with polymer security thread woven between them, which can only be visible when held to the light and can not be duplicated with photocopiers and printers.  The ink used is also a special ink, which is illegal to everyone except the factories who fashion money.  Black ink is printed on the front while green ink is printed on the back.  The most recent bill remodel happened to the $100 dollar bill.  This newest change to US currency took effect October of 2013.
Did you know that 8.4 billion notes were printed in 2012? That sounds like a lot, I know, but keep in mind when new money goes into circulation, it just replaces the old worn money that it destroyed. In order to destroy money, banks as well as individuals will hand over their used money to special agencies.  These agencies then examine the money to confirm it cannot be used any longer, and then they destroy it.  The BEP gets 25,000 mutilated currency redemption claims yearly. In order to destroy money, the BEP shreds the old and worn money and sends it to waste energy facilities for disposal.  Sometimes, they even send some of the shreds right downstairs to their gift shops where visitors can buy them!
With all that money circulating in and out of the system, you might wonder who keeps track of all this? The Federal Reserve of course! There are twelve of these privately held banking associations around the US.  They are all about US money and nothing else! They also host tours, so if you want to visit them I would highly recommend it! According the Federal Reserve, there is about  $1.29 trillion in circulation as of October 1, 2014. Wow! 
So much information, I know! SO let's take a break and head across the street the the left.  We're going to the Wharf: Home of Seafood and jank vending machines! (They were out of Orange Soda. WHAT!? YOU CAN'T BE OUT OF THAT!) We asked 3 vendors how much a 1/2 bushel of crabs were, and we got 2 answers. From our first two vendors, we got $35, but from our last vendor, we got $50. Lol, guess we won't be going to that last vendor anytime soon! At the first vendor, we met two guys named Andrew and Sam! They were so funny! They let us each have 6 crabs for $5! They might've been attractive too! (maybe) If you do visit them one day, just tell them I sent you! (haha, jk, they probably don't remember me, but I remember them! Yes. I do. #neverforget)  Andrew said he worked there because the hours were very flexible and also because of money. I don't blame him.  Sam travels all the 2 almost 3 hours to work weekly! He only goes home on the weekends.  According to Andrew, a lot of workers make that hike! Talk about dedication! If you ever go to the National Mall, stop by and visit them, and like I said before, say I sent you. (lol, just kidding!) 
Next stop,The Jefferson Memorial, but before we arrive there look up! The Cherry Trees were planted in 1912 as a gift of friendship from Japan. In Japan, they are actually called "Sakura." NO WAY, NO WAY! Sakura's my favorite restaurant! This plan symbolizes the beauty and memory of human life and also epitomizes the transformation of Japanese traditions throughout the ages.
The Jefferson Memorial is a HUGE dome.  It is dedicated, obviously, to a man named Thomas Jefferson.  He was a founding father of the United States, the main writer and drafter of the Deceleration of Independence, as well as the third president of "this here" United States! He also founded the University of Virginia.  This dome is located off the Potomac River.  The building stated in 1939 and was completed in 1943.  The bronze statue of Mr. Jefferson was later added in 1947.  The most important words are the ones engraved frieze below the dome stating, "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." This is a quote found in one of his letters to Dr. Benjamin Rush where he proclaims his constitutional refusal to recognize a state religion.  He also writes, 

"that Almighty God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments, or burthens,or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion..."  

I agree with his statement. I am a Christian. I believe that God created this world, and also that one day he is coming back to claim his creation. I also believe that God crea ted man with free will.  The ability to make decisions we deem appropriate in any given situation.  Forcing a religion on a multitude of people, even if you know what you believe is correct, will not only repel the people, but also the people will rebel.  I believe that God wants us all to come to him for forgiveness not because we were forced, but because we chose to do so. We have the ability to choose, so the government should sometimes allow us to make our own decisions, especially about religion.  


 Past the Jefferson Memorial, we find the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. About 48 years following his "I Have a Dream" speech, Washington D.C. welcomed another great leader to the mall.  The center piece of the memorial is a 30 ft statue of Dr. King carved into the "Stone of Hope," emerging from two boulders. The two boulders, which started as one, represent the mountain of despair and were broken into two, revealing the" Stone of Hope." This signifies African Americans' hope in their segregation struggle.  On the visible side of the stone are the words from King's famed speech, "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." Every visitor enters through the stone of despair and exits in the open freedom of the plaza where they discover the Stone of Hope proudly displaying this Civil Rights leader gazing towards the horizon encouraging all citizens to strive for justice and equality. Although this is not the first African American memorial, Dr. King is honored by being only one of four non-Presidents with a memorial on or near the National Mall.
East of the Pool overlooks the Lincoln Memorial.  Henry Bacon, (cool name, right?) the guy who designed the memorial, modeled it after the designs of a Greek temple known as Parthenon.  He felt that a memorial to a man that defended the democracy should be based on a structure founded in what is known to be the birthplace of democracy although historians have proven that the idea of democracy has its origins in Africa.While distracted by myths about faces in hair and letter-signing hands, many visitors miss the true meaning of the memorial and the ubiquitous symbol that carries that meaning. Instead of being hidden somewhere inaccessible, the symbol is deceptively obvious, right there under Abraham Lincoln's hands.  In fact, the symbol is that of fasces (FAS-eez), a bundle of rods bound by a leather thong. Repeated in the memorial, the fasces throughout reveal the higher meaning of the memorial and the man.  In ancient times, fasces were a Roman symbol of power and authority.  It displayed a bundle of wooden rods and an axe bound together by leather thongs. Fasces represented that a man held imperium, or executive authority. A Roman leader could expect his orders to be obeyed, could give punishment, and could even execute those who disobeyed. On its surface, the fasces imply power, strength, authority, and justice. Depicted throughout the Lincoln Memorial, the fasces meant all this and more.
In front of the monument sits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which is the largest of many reflecting pools in D.C. Hosting about 24 million visitors a year, it is easily the most popular venue in Washington.  Standing at the correct angle, it reflects the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Mall's trees, or the sky.  It was constructed in 1922-1923 following the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial.  It is over a third of a mile long, 167 feet wide, and is 18 inches deep on the sides while 30" in the center.  It holds approximately 6,750,000 of America's water and has been the site of many historical events including Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech as well as Marian Anderson's open concert held after she was denied the opportunity to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. because she was African American.

Standing at 555 feet and modeled after the obelisk from Ancient Egypt, the Washington Monument was built to honor the first President of the United States, George Washington.   By law, no other building in D.C. is allowed to be taller.  This monument was planned in 1783 to honor Pierre Charles L'Enfant, but the plans were not official until 1836 when the architect Robert Mills designed the famous obelisk shape.  Work did not start until 1848 because of the lack of funding, and just six years later in 1854 when the monument was only 152 feet tall, work was ceased because the donations dropped. off. The project was almost abandoned, but work began again in 1876.  Therefore if you look closely, the color of the marble on the first third is different than the remaining two-thirds of the monument.  The monument was completed October 9, 1885 and this phenomenon contains 36,491 blocks and weighs 19,854 tons. 
Whoo! What a lot of walking! (and a lot of reading!) Hopefully, I didn't "sentence" you to sleep! HAHA get it!? Because writing has sentences! No? Is it just me? Okay.  Well! Here's something that should make you smile! Metro Journeys are twice a month now! Whoo! Now you get to "coma" board my journeys with me twice a month now! HAHA, still no? Oh okay.  See you, all my dedicated readers,  in two weeks!