Opening Day for Tourist Season . . .

at least for me! :-) I had planned to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore this afternoon after church, but the weather was just TOO pretty to be cooped up in a building - even a building filled with enormously, fun fish tanks. So, I instead caught the closest Metro train and went back to downtown DC. Amazingly enough, each time I go there I see something new (as well as some old favorites).

Mandy, this one's for YOU!! :-)

I went by the Red Cross Building, which is dedicated to the "women of the Civil War" (a.k.a. the nurses). Yay Nurses!! I ended up going to the art museum on the Mall, and then came back home.

For some reason, lampposts fascinate me - especially ornate ones. I noticed this one day last summer while walking around downtown. I asked one of my friends if it's weird to be focusing on them while surrounded by such things as our nation's Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, etc. I was told (& this is pretty much a direct quote), "Well, Jenn, I wouldn't say it's normal." Too funny!! I know it's strange, but it amazes me that they put so much thought into the lampposts along the street or fences surrounding buildings. So, to share this fascination of mine, I've made a slide show of the ones I saw today - at least the pretty ones.

Finally, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of this stranger who found the "DC cool zone"! (like at Six Flags with all the spritzers)

This was at the art museum I went to. There's a fountain in the middle of the circular building, and it became a spritzer when the wind hit the water just right.