Baltimore and Washington D.C. Day 1

Ok, so I'm pretty sure this is Day 31.

We went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and then sped off to Washington D.C.

Not so hot on this day!

The National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Reputed to be the largest aquarium in the United States.

Looking down the Aquariums three-story waterfall.

Just one of the many birds in the Australia Exhibit.

Looking through the glass ceiling.

Beware: Crocs and Turtles mingling.

Bat Rays!

Phat Frogs being Phat.

Apparently stripping is a real problem in Baltimore.

Sea Urchins and Anemones

Sea horses: horsin' around!
(HA! I kill me!)

So on a tank marked "Hiding" I found this creature.
Can you find him?!
Quick!
I know there is a rock in the way, but look sharp!

Pretty fish!

Sea Flora

This is just about the goofiest looking fish I have ever seen.

Seriously! Look at this guy!

Observation deck of the Aquarium looking out at the USS Constellation.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor

Dude!
It's a Puffin!

And an Alligator!

Wait!
What the hell is a monkey doing in an aquarium?!

Looks to be laughing at stupid humans.

This is a good shot of the artificial rain forest and a bird at the aquarium.

Bat Rays!

Hey! A bottlenosed Dolphin!

These things will make you hate swimming in the ocean.

Jellies!

Moon Jelly!

This is a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
Erica and I pet this thing.
It actually feels like a snake. 

This doesn't seem to be something I would want to brag about.

Erica is wearing pink and looking dainty!
I have photographic proof of it!
She's only one step away from
listening to Brittany Spears and having sweat pants that say "Pink" on the ass.

This is Keith.
Keith sold me the hat I'm wearing in this picture.
Keith and I have known each other all of ten minutes.
Keith and I are super close buds for life. (SCBFLs)

Finally, Erica gets her due.

An awesome old clock tower about which we know nothing.

Huh...
A Princeton sticker on a Hyundai.
Not so sure that Ivy League education is paying off.

Careful Driving is a Civic Duty?
How does that even make sense?

Traffic!
In DC form.

For fuck's sake:
if you don't know what this is...

Washington Monument from the base
(the monument is closed because it was damaged in an earthquake).

Looking across the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial.

From the Mall to the White House!

Self-explanatory.

The dedication stone to the World War II Memorial.

Inscription honoring women in WWII.

WWII Memorial looking towards the Pacific Arch.

One of the many inscriptions.

Pacific Arch.

Quote by General McArthur.

Towards the Atlantic Arch.

So pay attention to the stars in the next shot.

Those tiny dots in the waterfall are the Gold Stars representing the fallen soldiers.

The Atlantic Arch.

Inscription commemorating D-Day.

One of the paths on the National Mall.
Also, interns jogging.

An official DC squirrel.
He's eating an M&M!

The Lincoln Memorial!
(Note the number of people: this will be important later.)

That would be Lincoln.
If you don't know why he deserves a memorial on the Mall facing the Washington Monument...

Second Inauguration Speech.

Ok, I look nervous because everyone is trying to get pictures of the monument
so I'm just trying to pose, let Erica snap the shot, and then run!

From the memorial to the Washington Monument.

Found this etched into one of the stones steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Hmmm...
Significant?

Three soldiers near the Vietnam Memorial.

Three panels from the Vietnam Memorial.

It's difficult to get the full Memorial in one shot:
this was the best I could do.

The Mall is covered in memorials.
Most of them go completely unnoticed.
Like this one.

One of the three figures in the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

And another.

And the third.

Jefferson Memorial from across the basin.

Remember how many people were at the Lincoln Memorial?
Now look at this one!

Crown Piece.

Inscription of Jefferson's words.

Another (and damn it, you better know from where it came!)

And yet another.

Jefferson.

I'd see a resemblance!
If I didn't have my damn EYES CLOSED!

Thomas Jefferson helped spark a revolution.
I don't think he would much care for this sign at his memorial.

FDR dedicated Jefferson's Memorial.

Don't worry, Tom;
I think you got what you wanted.

Yes it is!

From Jefferson's place to Washington's hood.

Socialist Geese!
Don't they know this is 'Merica?!

This Memorial might take a bit to get through.

Words of FDR

Memorial Waterfall (one of many we were to discover)

Rob at FDR's Memorial.
Notice I'm wearing pants?
It finally stopped being shitty hot!

Eleanor Roosevelt.
Likely the greatest First Lady ever.

FDR Again.

World Peace: it's a good idea.

YES!
I want this on a damn T-Shirt!

I like that they memorialized the dog.

Consider that he had to provide over the world's deadliest war.

Does anything else really need to be said?

Agreed.

Waterfall honoring the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Reminder of the Great Depression.

Again, the Great Depression.

Yes, his most famous words (or close to it).

You know, how is it that during the Great Depression, we all pulled together, expanded social programs, and helped one another, but now we are trying to gut our social safety nets?
Have we forgotten so soon?

FDR again.

Before our first African-American President.
Or our first Non-Protestant President.
We had our first disabled President.

MLK, Jr. Memorial

Entrance to the memorial

MLK's Memorial.
He stands next to FDR's memorial.

Close up.

Sounds like MLK, Jr. and FDR would have a lot in common.

Yep! FDR and MLK, Jr. would have a lot to talk about.

Was it Civil Rights he sought?
Or worldly consciousness?

A famous point about him.

Good advice.

Did you ever notice our greatest leaders were also great teachers?
Just saying...

SEGWAY TOUR!
They all look so silly!

Foreshadowing what is in store for us while exploring DC.