National Mall - Washington, DC

While we were in Washington, DC. during our October 2013 layover, we walked down the National Mall from the Capitol Building as far west as the World War II Memorial. 

United States Capitol

National Gallery of Art

National Archives

National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Institution Building - The Castle

Department of Agriculture

Washington Monument

The following pictures are of the World War II Memorial just west of the Washington Monument.

HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN, 

ONE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FATHER AND THE OTHER THE 

NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESERVER OF OUR NATION, WE HONOR 

THOSE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICANS WHO TOOK UP THE STRUGGLE 

DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES TO 

PERPETUATE THE GIFT OUR FOREFATHERS ENTRUSTED TO US:  

A NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.

The National Mall is open to the public without an entrance fee.

The National Archives website is http://www.archives.gov/.
The National Art Gallery website is http://www.nga.gov/.
The Smithsonian Institution website is http://www.si.edu/.
The mall website is http://www.nps.gov/nacc/index.htm.

United States Botanic Garden - Washington, DC

Our second stop in Washington on our October 2013 layover was the Botanic Garden just west of the Library of Congress and south of the Capitol.  We spent most of our time in the Conservatory and only admired the gardens from a distance.  The garden was proposed by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and was established by Congress in 1820.  The garden has been in continuous operation and open to the public since 1850 although the Conservatory was renovated from 1997 to 2001.

Garden Court

Fountains and potted plants in the Garden Court

The Jungle

View of the Jungle from upstairs

Another view of the Jungle

Vanda Dr Anek 'Fuchs Gouy' orchid

Another variety of Vanda orchid

American Rubber Plant

Beautiful delicate ferns

Asparagus Plumosus - Kenya, Sough Africa, Zaire

Vanda Coerulea orchid - India, Burma, Thailand

Papaya

Madagascar Periwinkle - Catharanthus roseus

Rattlesnake Plant - Brazil

Dendrobium 'Nancy Reagan' orchid

Oncidium Sunlight 'Hilo Honey' orchid

Rhyncholaeliocattleya Gladys Oumae 'Roy'HCC/AOS orchid

Laeliocattleya Barry Starke

Sarracenia leucophylla - White Topped Pitcher Plant - Central and Southeast United States

Agave

Yucca rostrata - Beaked Yucca - Texas and Mexico

Organ Pipe Cactus - Stenocereus thurberi - Southwest US and Mexico

Haworthia anguslifolia, Aloe aristata (Torch Plant), Caralluma hexagona, and Haworthia arachnoidea (Cobweb Aloe)

Cleistocactus winteri - Bolivia

Close up of blooms

Deuterocohnia brevifolia - Boliva and Argentina

Cereus dayamii - Boliva and Argentina

Mammillaria parkinsonii (Owl's Eyes Cactus) - Central Mexico

Red Kauai Rosemallow - Hibiscus clayi - Kaua'i

Pink Quill - Tillandsia cyanea - Ecuador

A small portion of the National Garden outside the Conservatory

There is no fee to enter the United States Botanic Garden.  The conservatory is open daily from 10 AM until 5 PM.

The garden website is http://www.usbg.gov/.