Visiting Washington, D.C.

Last Saturday we took a flight up to Atlanta, and from there transferred on to Washington, D.C.  I am always amazed how those huge, heavy airplanes can stay in the air ... It is so amazing what man can do!  The below photo shows the beautiful Potomac River as we approach the Washington, D.C. area.

Potomac River

The Potomac River is situated in an area rich in our American history and is often called "The Nation's River."   All of Washington, D.C., our nation's capital city,  lies within the region of the Potomac River.

Thanks to Mr. Google I can tell you the Potomac River is approximately 405 miles long and is the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast in the United States.  It is the 21st largest river in the United States.

We arrived at the Washington, D.C. Hilton Hotel for my husband to attend the annual ACR Meeting.

Washington Hilton Hotel - Washington, D.C.

1919 Connecticut Avenue N.W.

While my husband attends his meetings I get to have fun taking my camera around trying to capture some of the beauty of the area.  Unfortunately, as with last year, there was so much rain I did not get too many photo opportunities.

Pink Dogwood trees on the left.

Plus another beautiful blooming tree on the right.

Located on a side street across from the hotel were these amazingly beautiful blooming trees.  I took my little point and shoot camera for this trip.  I think it did a good job showing the beauty of these brightly colored Pink Dogwood trees and another beautiful blooming tree.

Pink Dogwood trees do not survive well as far South as the Tallahassee area where we live, so it was a special treat to see these beautiful trees all filled with lovely pink blossoms.

Would love to know what kind of tree this was growing to the right of the two Pink Dogwood trees.  As you can see, it was so pretty with all the tiny little pink blossoms.

Walking four blocks South down Connecticut Avenue from the Hilton Hotel, on the left side of the road,  we spotted the Thaiphoon Restaurant.  Friends in our group all thought this looked like a good place to have dinner that evening.  As you can see I took the time to get a photo of the Appetizer, but after that,  our meal was so delicious,  I did not even think of the camera again.

Spring Rolls Appetizer with Peanut Sauce

One of the receptions for the meeting was scheduled to be held at the 

very beautiful and historical Willard Hotel.

It was very exciting to be attending a beautiful reception at this very historical hotel.

The Historic Willard Hotel
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.

Yes, as you can see, it was still raining as we arrived at the hotel.

Lovely flowers on the steps at the entrance of the hotel.

The historic Willard Hotel is located two blocks east of the White House.

The entrance to the Willard Hotel.  Come on, let's go inside .....

 What a beautiful lobby.

The Willard Hotel, which is now called The Willard Intercontinental Washington has been a gathering place for elegant dinners, meetings and social events for more than 150 years.  They say most all of the United States Presidents have visited this hotel.

The flowers on the entrance table were so beautiful.

The original Willard Hotel was formally founded by Henry Willard in 1847.    In 1861 Abraham Lincoln was smuggled into the Willard during the weeks before his inauguration, because of several assassination threats.  He held meetings in the lobby and carried on business from his room.

It was a habit of Ulysses S. Grant to relax in the lobby of this hotel when he visited also.

Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in his hotel room at the Willard in 1963. 

The present 12 story structure opened in 1901.

Reception Desk in Lobby of Willard Hotel

Beautiful Meeting Reception Room

Meeting members enjoying reception before the formal dinner.

It was a wonderful experience looking at the beauty of the beautiful rooms of the old Historical  Willard Hotel.  The staff did such a nice job decorating the tables.  And the meal provided for the dinner was very delicious and elegantly served.

Even though my photo is a bit washed out you can see how beautiful the centerpiece flowers were for the individual dining tables.

Walking outside of the front of the hotel and looking down the street to the left we can see the amazingly beautiful United States Capitol Building.

The Capitol Building is the meeting place of the United States Congress and it sits on top of Capitol Hill. 

Even in the rain,  and early evening fog,  the United States Capitol Building was a sight to see.

United States Capitol Building

I had hoped to go around Washington taking photos of our Nation's Capital, but did not get that opportunity this visit due to all the rain in the area.  It was still a treat visiting Washington, D.C. and getting to see what we did see.

Hope you enjoyed visiting along with us on this trip to Washington, D.C.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend during this beautiful Springtime.  Wishing you a blessed week ahead wherever you may be.