[amsat-bb] Additional Washington, DC Info

["Eric A. Cottrell" <eac@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

Well in a few days I will be at the Symposium and enjoying another trip 
to Washington, DC.  This is going to be the first carless trip to 
Washington.  I am taking the fast train to Union Station and dragging 
vast quanities of luggage through the Metro at rush hour.

Dan has a good guide to visiting Washington DC on the AMSAT Web pages. 
I thought I would add some additional comments and places to visit.

Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial - FDR was the first US President to 
effectively use radio.  After visiting the Jefferson Memorial
stroll under the Cherry Trees on the south side of the Tidal Basin to 
the FDR Memorial.
http://www.nps.gov/fdrm/

World War II Memorial - This is the new memorial on the mall.  When I 
visited last year it was under construction and the reflecting pool was 
drained. It was opened/dedicated last April/May.
http://www.nps.gov/nwwm/  http://www.wwiimemorial.com/

National Museum of The American Indian - Yet Another Smithsonian Museum 
(YASM).  It opened on September 21, 2004.
http://www.nmai.si.edu/

Dupont Circle Metro Station - The Washington Post Entertainment Guide 
says "This station provides an excellent example of what Washingtonians 
call the "vertical commute" -- a steep and lengthy Metrorail escalator 
to the street above."  Be careful looking down when going down the 
escalator as you may feel dizzy.
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/Stations/station.cfm?station=6
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=entertainment/profile&id=795708

National Archives - This is THE place to visit when doing U.S. 
Genealogy.  Find out if your U.S. Ancestors had a radio in 1930.  You 
can also see copies of the founding documents of the United States 
(Articles of Confederation excluded).  I am looking forward to the 
release of the 1940 Federal Census in 2012!
http://1930census.archives.gov/ http://www.archives.gov/

There is a Radio Shack in the underground Crystal City shops.

If you visit the National Cryptologic Museum be sure you visit the 
secure telephone exhibit and try a few out.  It is amazing people could 
be understood with the 1960's version.  Some interesting stuff from the 
Civil War and World War 2.
http://www.nsa.gov/museum/index.cfm

Getting around in Washington

I always take the Metro or walk when visiting Washington.  Driving in 
the downtown, like any big city, is slow and bothersome.  Most of the 
underground stations in Central Washington are big long oval concrete 
tubes with concrete platforms.  I suspect the designer was formerly a 
set designer for those futuristic 1950s/1960s Sci-Fi films.
http://www.rachelleb.com/001380.html

The Metro takes eating and drinking in the stations and the trains very 
seriously.  The litter just adds too much color and ruins the effect.
If caught eating it is considered bad form to make comments to the Metro 
Transit Police Officer that they should be out stopping real crime 
instead.  There is no other "real crime" on the Metro as criminals can 
not operate for long in a plain concrete oval tube environment.
http://www.newschannel8.net/news/stories/0704/162593.html

If you have a Two Meter Walkie with you on the Metro, remember to use an 
earphone as it is considered an audio device.  If you tune to
161.385 MHz you can hear the Metro Transit Police.  "Requesting 
Backup...  Chewer on the East Platform!.."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55325-2004Sep27.html
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/cpage.htm
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/railrules.cfm

See you at the Symposium and enjoy your visit of Washington.

73 Eric WB1HBU  eac@shore.net
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