Union Station, taking a cool indoor break from a 100-degree day walkaround.
Union Station. The shopping area and food court between the main hall and the train and bus access.
Union Station, main entrance. The are many many tall arches -- and columns -- in D.C.
The National Mall. The Washington Monument. The 1.33 miles of grassy field betyween here and the Capitol, to the east, was teeming with thousands of revelers, many with blankets and coolers. Festive indeed!
The National Mall. The Lincoln Memorial, viewed from the Washington Monument hill, 0.7 miles away. Those steps have been filled with people for hours already.
World War II Memorial, the South Pavilion, commemorating the War in the Pacific.
World War II Memorial, the North Pavilion, commemorating the War in the Atlantic, Europe and Africa. The fountains in between the two pavilions were turned off for the day.
It's 6:24 PM. Two-and-a-half hours till showtime.
The Washington Monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 554 feet 7 11⁄32 inches tall. It was completed in 1888.
7:30 PM. The clouds moved in during the afternoon, making the hot summer day more comfortable. Large PA speakers boomed out patriotic music for hours, both before the display, and in synch with it.
The Washington Monument in twilight.
The U.S. Department of Commerce at twilight.
The Lincoln Memorial at twilight. 8 PM.
Twilight fades to dusk. Showtime is imminent.
And we're off! You won't need captions. just supply your own bangs and booms and your own ooohs and ahhhs...
