Da Vinci Picture

Rooftop Snipers

At the rooftop (I know its kinda hard to see in this picture) but next to the flagpole is 2 figures - well those are the snipers. I saw them clearly with my lens. But these pictures are small to begin with.










Across the street caddy corner to the Washington Monuement - two others. See the black figures on the rooftop. That's how clear they were on the White House roof.






Red armour tank waiting on Marine One - just had to take a picture. 3 more snipers were waiting there which is why we could only wait about 8 minutes before we had to leave. Oh well. Day late and a dollar short. LOL

Marine One & Escorts

"Front Entrance of the White House"
First Segway Tour Stop















I think this is Marine One - not sure as the Seway guide grabbed my camera while I snapped up my Olympus. Will check those out later.











Escorts One and Two flying behind Marine One.

Now I can truly say - I missed GW by THIS MUCH!
ROTFLMAO!

Sorry John (MouseHouseMan) he is intent on avoiding me. Must know I didn't vote for him! ROTFLMAO

DC by Segway, Friday 6/20/08 Part 2

So after the hour in the Space museum, we took the metro to catch up to the Capital Segway Tours. I made reservations yesterday while at Mt Vernon for the 6:30 tour. Their website is www.capital segway.com or (800) 979-3370. I HIGHLY recommend this tour folks. It costs $65 per person but comes with about 1/2 of instruction and then a two hour tour......a two hour tour. Sorry! Couldn't help myself. LOL

So, we get our instruction and then head across the street to get some experience. After that we proceeded to tour the sights of DC. At the end, we were told we did about 7-7 1/2 miles on the Segway. Folks, if you ever get the opportunity to take a tour - bite the bullet and take it - it is extremely fun and in the end time went so fast.

We took the tour past the "front" end of the White House - I'll post a picture of it. Then we went to the "back end" and went around to the front lawn where we were almost treated to a close-up of our friend GW. Seems that the roads were blocked off to which the guides got all excited and said that this usually meant that Marine One was on its way in. After stalling for 8 minutes, we had to leave. But on the way past Constitution Ave, we saw all 3 helicopters - Marine One and the his escorts fly by us. So while I didn't see him land, I did get some awesome shots of Marine One and the escorts. I also got to snap some pictures of the snipers on the roof of the White House and some adjoining rooftops. I'll post those later.

We proceeded to the Smithsonian Castle where we checked out the back end then proceeded up to the steps of Capital Hill where I got that first shot of me and Megan. Folks, this is definitely the way to tour DC. Loads of fun and I want to do it again! LOL

After, we headed to the WWII memorial took some shots and then we hopped a taxi on Constitution Ave to the Metro to West Falls Church. We took a taxi to Chili's as we were both starving and proceeded to pig out. We got back to the room at about 12:15 and we've been dilly dallying around and here it is late again. So with this folks, you get to see my day.

I hope that we get to have our DC DIS meet, Laurie - Mrs. Scooby and I plan on getting together just waiting to hear from some folks. So for now people - its nighty night time for me!

Au Revoir!

DC by Segway, Friday 6/20/08

OK folks, the title should give this away - as does the picture. Ken & Christie, if your reading this, the Segway was AWESOME!!! I so want one so bad. But I'm having a super hard time justifying it. Although I do owe Steve a "good" birthday present and a Father's Day gift..........hhmmmmm, must ponder this a bit. LOL Anyway, here's my day in a nutshell, its late again and I have to get up early as our time in DC is coming to a close.

Got up late, left the hotel by 12:40. Got to West Falls Church by 1 into town and Old Post Office, which by now is becoming like a 2nd home, ate and made our way into the Smithsonian Museum of Art. So as we are being bag checked the guard tells me apologetically that I have to chec my packpack and tripod. I said no problem, in fact, its better for me. So I go to check it in and the guard there tells me that I can't leave anything electronic in there. OK I say grabbing my flash, close-up lens and off I go. I stand in the rotunda taking a picture while Megan tells me that it is a copy of the Pantheon in Rome. She should know, last year she went on the tour that went to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Coliseum while we went to the Sistene Chapel. Poor me! ROTFL. Anyway, we proceed into the first chamber where I go about 1/2 into the 3rd room when a guard basically accosts me and VERY RUDELY TELLS ME THAT I CANNOT TAKE FLASH PICTURES. I tell him excuse me? I was told that I could. Then he proceeds to very loudly proclaim that my flash is a professional flash and that I have to remove it. I tried to explain to the guard - very nicely mind you - that I was forced to bring it with me and that they guard up front told me I didn't have a problem with it. He proceeds to embarrass the heck out of me by "speaking rather loudly" and by now everyone in the gallery is looking at me like I did something wrong - WRONG THING TO DO TO ME! I either react one of 2 ways, I get fighting mad and spit back (not literally of course) or I curl up in a ball until I get upset at myself. I tried to again explain to the guy I wasn't a professional but he was having no part of it. He chastises me like I should know better and continues to accuse me of being a professional and explains that he doesn't care what I do but that any flash mounted onto the camera is considered professional and must be removed. By now, EVERYONE has turned around and I felt like they were pointing fingers at me so I turned tail and ran. But not before I grabbed a look at his name badge. I go back to the check-in desk and now I'm fuming. Folks, when I get mad and I can't respond with words, I cry. I was so pissed that I started crying - I know - a big baby, the guard at the desk asked me what was wrong. I told him and he got indignant for me. He then proceeds to call the security supervisor and to make a long story short, both the supervisor and the guard at the check-in desk said they had never heard of this and that any flash is the same as a flash mounted on the camera. The only thing they could not allow was a tripod which I understand. So the supervisor said I could continue. When he asked me if I caught the name of the guard that mistreated me, I gave it to him and he said, I knew it I had a feeling it might be him.

OK so it seems that this guard may have been giving others a hard time. So, I had the supervisor walk me over to the Leanardo Da Vinci Picture which is supposed to be the only Da Vinci picture outside of Europe. I have a picture of it (with flash of course! :-) ) . So I proceed along my merry way. I did notice however that I was constantly being followed - at first I thought it was my imagination but then Megan noticed it too. I understand where they think I might be a professional but folks, I had the audio tour headpiece - I wouldn't be that blatent. Besides, there were other folks out there - specifically a whole tour of Japenese tourists with cameras JUST AS BIG AS MINE and we didn't see them being followed. By the end of the museum, I was looking at it as a game counting the seconds before I was tailed. It was actually funny by then. Here they think I'm going to make or take something and they let the little kid whose father was taking a picture of Daniel in the Lion's Den touch the frame. Megan did notice that one guard told a lady that got too close to back off. When she tried to explain that she just wanted to see the back of the frame, he rudely told her to go home, bring it up on the computer and look at the back of the picture. Then, she said that as I was standing at the Daniel picture, the same guard that accosted me came up to me and several times looked like he wanted to say something to me but backed off when she looked at him. Seems the supervisor must of talked to him.

See folks, this is why Steve says that I'm difficult. Things like this happen to me a lot. I don't go looking for trouble but if I know that I'm in the right and especially if I've followed the rules, I don't let it go. The old adage of speak softly and carry a big stick? Yeah, well, I am at my most dangerous when I get quiet or embarrassed. So this time, while they weren't crocidille tears, they did help my situation.

After this museum, we hightailed it to the Museum of Air and Space to kill 1 hr.

I will continue this on anther blog so it isn't so long as some others I've made.

Oops! I goofed

Well folks looks like I was more tired than I thought last night. Seems I left my $20 tripod a Olive Garden and didn't even notice till now. So on our way into DC via West Falls Church we r doing a quick detour - like 3 minutes to pick it up.

EDITED TO ADD: Looks like our 3 minute detour turned into a 5 minute detour, not sure if the guys was new or just wanted to add $$ to the fare. Either way, we got to West Falls Church. Made into DC just fine.

All Dr Craik,, I promise not to attempt any more pictures can u please stop the antics?

ROTFLMAO!!!
(explanation later)

More Mt Vernon pictures

View from the back porch looking right
Potomac River as your back yard!












View from the back porch looking left
Potomac River as your back yard!








Original Washington burial site.











Final resting burial site -









OK folks, its late and my eyes are closing, stay tuned tomorrow as I get to try my $20 tripod - and for our latest adventure - this one is going to be a good one, keep your fingers crossed that I stay healthy and don't break anything! LOL