The Morning Flight

Sunrise at 30,000 feet. We left Buffalo at 6am and arrived at Reagan National Airport at 6:55am much better than a 10 hour drive. The flight was on time and not very busy. We were told to be at the airport 2 hours before our flight left. We really didn’t need to be there that early the airport was dead and we were in and out of security in about 10 minutes.

The early flight gave us an extra day in Washington. We were in Washington and sight seeing by 8:30am. Which was good for me because I was able to get some shots with the early morning light.

 

Crystal City Marriott

We stayed at the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington. The hotel provided a free shuttle to and from the Ronald Reagan National Airport. It was about a 10 minute ride from the airport to the hotel.

We arrived at 7:30am and the hotel stored our luggage until our room was ready so that we could go site seeing.

The Crystal City Marriott was a very nice hotel, well maintained and very clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend it if you are planning a trip to Washington.

The metro station was one block from the hotel and included underground shopping and restaurants.

Our flight out of Washington didn’t leave until 3:30 Monday, the hotel allowed us to keep our room till we left instead of the usual 1pm check out time. It gave us the opportunity to do some sight seeing on our last day and still come back to the room to get ready to leave.

Click on the link for more details.

 

Getting Around

Arlington/Washington’s transit system is fantastic. We didn’t have any trouble getting around. A tip from the hotel was to buy a cash card instead of a day pass. A cash card could be purchased in any amount and each time you use it it would deduct the amount of the fair and print how much was left after each trip. We each bought a $20 card and it lasted till Sunday night. We could’ve made it last the entire trip with fewer uses of the blue line.

Check the link to the metro site for more detailed information.

 

Walking Around

All of these shots were taken on our first day. It was a warm sunny morning and the area wasn’t that busy yet. I prefer to shoot using a tripod but all these were taken hand held. I was using my 17-40mm zoom so it was pretty easy to hand hold.

 

Lincoln Memorial

It’s hard to believe the size of this building. Took these in the morning. You get a nice fill light off the floor as the morning sun catches the front of the monument.  No tripods allowed in any of the monuments without a permit.

 

The Capital

All but the last shot were taken in the early evening. This is when I found out about the tripod permit. I was stopped by the police as I was setting up a shot of the Capital building. I found out later the permit is only required to shoot on the immediate grounds of the buildings and monuments.

The last shot was taken from the outside deck at newseum, It has just opened recently and is a museum of media. Not a bad museum but a little pricey at $20.

As you can see it is right next to the Canadian Embassy.

 

The Marine Corps War Memorial

Although a part of Arlington Cemetery this memorial is outside the gates and can be accessed at any time. Took these at about 6:20am. It was our only decent sunrise of the trip. Again it was nice because no one was around, people didn’t start showing up until we were ready to leave which was about 7:30am.

I was hoping to get back here in the evening. It would’ve made a great shot with everything under lights and the Capital and Washington Monument in the background.

 

Arlington National Cemetery

We flew over the Cemetery as we were landing at Reagan Airport I couldn’t believe its size.

It is quite deceiving as you enter the gates and into the information centre. Then you see the pictures on the wall,  large format shots that give you a very good idea of the vastness of the cemetery.

A short walk from the information centre and you are faced with rows upon rows of headstones.

I made two trips to Arlington. The first visit was with Kathy to see the Kennedy sight and to just look around. It was quite busy as it was later in the day. It truly is amazing how disrespectful some people can be.

A few days later I wanted to be there for opening to avoid the crowds and yard apes. The only people that were around at 8am were the grounds keepers and a handful of visitors. I was able to get some decent shots that morning.

 

Changing Of The Guard

Every 30 minutes at the Tomb of the Unknowns, (Arlington National Cemetery), their is a changing of the guards. If you want to shoot this I suggest you be at the first change which is at 8:30am. As you can see I was the only one around.

 

A Few Night Shots

Was hoping to do more night shooting. It’s tough, you only really have about an hour of, “sweet Light” and things are spread out.