Post #8 Shopping

Shopping

Restaurants

I went to a Bakery in Washington D.C.called Grassroots Gourmet. I think this Bakery deserves it's label of having 5 stars. The atmosphere was great and friendly. Their most popular item is a Vanilla Coconut Raspberry Cupcake and it was great! I would highly recommend this to my coworkers at the Cupcake Company that I work for so they can compare it to our Vanilla Coconut Raspberry cupcake.I would definitely love to go back next time I visit Washington D.C.  This bakery is located  at 104 Rhode Island Ave NW Washington, DC 20001

Shopping

I went to a kitchen store called Hill's Kitchen. It reminded me of William Sonoma because of all the interesting gagets and kitchen attire they had however it was smaller. I went there to look for some cupcake liners, cupcake pans and new spatulas because you can never have enough. They are all great quality and by far my favorite baking attire. All the employees working there were really nice and even gave me my professional discount like I get back in California.  I would again recommend this to my co workers especially my boss because he is always looking for new accessories for baking his cupcakes. This store is located at 713 D St SE Washington, DC 20003. 

Post #7 The Capital (Part 2)

The Capital (Part 2)

It his highly recommended not to wear shoes or belts with big buckles because of all the security metal detectors that every tourists/guest has to go through because of the 911 disaster. Washington D.C. is enforcing this security to maintain what our founding fathers have built for our Nation and to still appear as successful. It's not a good idea to pack lunch because they don't want any outside liquids or into the buildings. It is another security rule that they applied to the guests.

Senators

Barbra Boxer 

Diane Feinsten

The Senators of California are Barbra Boxer Diane Feinstein.  

Zoe Lorfren is the representative of District 8.

Zoe Lorgren

Meeting a Congressman 

If I wanted to meet a member of Congress or Congressional staff member I would first make an appointment by contacting their scheduler, explain why I would want to see them, then show up at their office when it's appropriate. To be prepared I should bring information and materials supporting what I want.  The security is similar to the security at the National Mall however it's a little less intense. I should be prepared to be searched or go through a medal detector to assure the staff that I am not here to cause any danger. 

If I wanted to meet a congressman I would like to interview them about how they got to where they were today both physically and mentally. What it took and how they put them selves out there. I would also like to know if they had to go out of their comfort zone to achieve their position and their dreams. I would like to know this because they seem to have put a ton of effort and time into making our district and state the way it is today.  

Post #6 The Capital (Part 1)

The Capital (Part 1)

The Nation's Capital is located on Capital hill in the National Mall in Washington D.C.. It is where the United States Congress, and Federal Government of the United States come together to meet up. The North Wing was built first in 1796 for the government's occupancy. In 1803-1807 allocated funds to resume construction on the Capital and to start construction on the South Wing.  In 1811 the Capital Building was completely finished however a few modifications have been changed since then for example the dome on top is not how it was originally built. 

Relief Portraits

The Relief Portraits were placed in the Capital when its remodeled in 1949. The people on the Relief Portraits where chosen by University Students in Pennsylvania and the Columbia Historical society of Washington D.C.. They are made out of Vermont marble and created by seven different sculptors. These Relief Portraits surround the walls of the House Chamber.

Thomas Jefferson 

Thomas Jefferson was the third  Presient wrote two historical documents for the United States which were the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom.

I think Thomas Jefferson was chosen to have his own relief portrait in the Capital because all that he has done for our Nation to help create a society that other countries were jealous of. He made a big impact on our country to help lead us where we are today.

Napoleon 1

Napoleon the first was the Emperor of France and had the idea of creating the Code of Civil which was a mixture of unwritten laws and laws which already existed in Rome. This Code of Civil influenced both the Europe and America and their legal systems. 

I think Napoleon was chosen to have his own relief portrait because he also played a role in helping our Nation be superior. He not only helped our Country but he helped Europe as well which is what is Emperors are meant to do; help their country succeed. 

George Mason

 

George Mason was an American Politician who had an impact on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He made the outlines for Virginia's Constitution and a long with the Declaration of Rights. He felt that the Constitution by itself was not good enough and was vague. He was against the Constitution until the creation of the Bill of Rights. 

George Mason deserves his own relief portrait because he fought for our Nations Right's by supporting the idea of a Bill of Rights a long with the Virginia Constitution. He was very much involved in polotics to help the United States achieve what we deserved. 

Art and Architecture 

The Dome

The dome on top of the Capital Building is made out of iron, old stone, and bricks. This dome is a lot more durable compared to the original dome which was made out of wood. In the middle of building this dome the civil war took place and our money needed to be rationed however the dome was continued to be built. This influenced Abraham Lincoln that our Nation is not going to give up and just like the building continued, so will our nation.

The Corinthian Order

 

The Corinthian Order is the Architectural style outside of the Capital Building. There are 136 stone columns outside of this building and the Corinthian order adds elegance to our Capital. These style of columns are pretty expensive however they are only used on buildings that are most important and honored to society. George Washington wanted this building to show superiority over all the other buildings so others will respect and admire the architecture, the work that takes place in the building and America. 

Post #5 Monuments

Monuments in Washington D.C.

There are many fasicinating and historical monuments located at the National Mall. Each have a historical symbol linked to it and are available for tourists to view.However there are three that I stood out to me the most.

The Washington Monument

Who

Robert designed the Washington monument in 1840 however it wasn't finished until 1884. This monument was built as a memorial for George Washington.

What

The Washington Monument is the tallest object in D.C. and stone structure throughout the whole world. It is 555' 51/8" tall and is made out of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss. 

Where

The Washington Monument is located in the center of the National mall which is in Washington D.C.. At the top of the tower is the best view of they whole National Mall and Washington D.C.

When

The Washington Monument was designed in 1840, started being built in 1848 but wasn't finished until 1884.

Why

The Washington Monument was built for George Washington in representation of him becoming the first president of the United States of America. 

How

Our founding fathers got the idea of a tower such as the Washington Monument from the Egyptians. The Egyptians would build structures similar to this one in front of temples for their ruler to represnet stability; similar to why it was built for George Washington.  

Impact

I never knew the reason being why this monument was built and what it represented. To find out it represents the first president I think is a big deal in American History.It shows American and I how well our presidency system is working because it has continued for almost 200 years now. 

Lincoln National Cemetery

 Who

American Veterans and casualties who have fought in wars from American Revolution all the way until Afghanistan. There is a total of 300,000 bodies buried at this cemetery. 

What

This is a cemetery for all of those who have served in wars. It is named after Abraham Lincoln who was the founder of the Cemetery.

Where 

This cemetery is not located in the National mall however it is  actually located in Elwood Illinois.

When

This cemetery was created on July 17, 1862.

Why

The Abraham Lincoln Cemetery was created in honor of all of those who have fought until their deaths for our country. 

How

You can visit there and pay respects to any of our fellow solders or Thomas Jefferson's family on Monday-Thursday from 8:00AM-4:30PM.

Impact

When I found out about this Cemetery I thought it was a great idea to keep all the fighting soldiers together from the beginning until the end. Now when someone pays respect to one soldier they can visit the rest of them as well. Before visiting this monument, I thought soldiers were buried throughout the Nation however I do think it's an excellent idea that they are all together. 

The Lincoln Memorial

 

Who

The Lincoln Memorial is a monument in respect of Abraham Lincoln. It was designed by Henry Bacon and carved by Daniel French Smith.

What

A memorial in representation of President Abraham Lincoln as a symbol of freedom. It has two of his famous speeches written up on the walls. It is also the location of where 
Martin Luther King Jr. announced his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Where

The Lincoln Memorial is located in the National Mall with most of the other monuments and is across from the Washington Monument. 

When

The Lincoln Memorial was created in 1922.

Why

This memorial was created for everyone to remember him as a president. All the presidents have made an impact in history however his impact was pretty big back in the day. He wanted a different society, different as in no racial discrimination against the whites and the blacks. (Hence why Martin Luther King Jr's speech was given here)

How

Abraham Lincoln influenced many Americans by showing them things in the society can change without a dramatic disaster. Many Americans love to visit this memorial to keep in mind what an effortful presidency he had. 

Impact

For these presidents to have memorials built for them is huge and tells us how much time and effort they put into our Nation. This makes me realize how important our history is because it makes us the Nation we are today because of them 200 years ago.  

Post #4 The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court

How the Supreme Court Works...

The Supreme Court is the most powerful and superior court in the United States because it was created based off the Constitution. The court itself has 9 justices and the only decisions that matter are the ones declared by the supreme court. Certain cases must be filed at the Supreme Court before they can move to any other lower standing court. 

The Supreme Court has processes with sittings and recesses in hearings where they deliver or write their opinions. The main feature which is different in the Supreme Court is that there is no feedback from the jury or other witnesses. This doesn't take place because it's really time consuming and the Supreme Court has to check everything with a lower court anyways. 

The Supreme Court has schedules in which it goes by throughout the week such as when public sessions take place, when they don't, when they don't have any sessions, and order lists which basically describes what cases are rejected and which ones are accepted. Over the summer is typically when the court reviews all the laws and prepares for new petitions and applications proposing new ones that way they are ready for the hearings during the fall. 

Architecture and Art

Both the outside and the inside have marble pillars throughout the entire building including in the court room and the hallways. The pillars symbolize superiority. There are numerous amounts of artwork throughout the building such as statues of the Chiefs of Justice in the hallway and portraits of them in the conference rooms. Most of them were more than just Chiefs of Justice such as founding fathers, presidents, governors of states and so on. 

Inside the court rooms are always two American flags on the left side and the right side which represents justice and law because it helps remind others what nation we are in and what given rights we all equally have and we must all hear by them meaning no one is greater than others. 

The three pieces of art throughout the Supreme Court building is "The Thinker" which is located in Justice John Paul Steven's Chamber. I liked this piece because it represents a very well known piece of art through out the world even though it was created in France. Justice Stevens was given it as a gift. Another piece that stood out to me was a crystal gavel located in Justice Anthony M. Kennedy's Chamber. I thought this was neat because it's a glass piece of artwork representing justice and law. It looks pretty and at the same time it represents what the whole building is all about. The third piece that I really liked, really its multiple pieces or the idea of them, is the carved friezes located on the wall of the library anteroom. Basically they are carvings of greek or roman men who represent icons in the judicial world. I liked the idea of this because it shows who in the past were a part of a similar system that we have today. They also have them located on the outside of the building as well as part of the architectural art work.

Crystal Gaspal 

"The Thinker"

Carved Friezes Outside of Building

Post #3 The National Archives

The National Archives

What

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution both look like like old worn out large pieces of paper in the form of a contract however no one signs it. Both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are in sealed cases with humidity gas and argon to help the documents maintain it's age and keep it from getting more worn out.  

The Constitution 

The Declaration of Independence

Where

Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are housed in the National Archives in Washington D.C. and are out for people to see while visiting however they are greatly guarded of course.

Why

The Declaration of Independence is important because it shows that we have a government that is for the people. It took away natural rights and superiority sharing that everyone is equal.  When the Declaration of Independence was written it influenced other countries.
The Constitution is important because it shields us from the government, from others, from prosecution, and lets us express our religion, and our rights. This document has an effect on ever American Citizen within the United States. The founding fathers created this to share what we can do a long with all of our rights. 

How

I found the Declaration of Independence in the National Archives because I knew security would be around them and they are located in the center of the back wall as you walk in. They are put in bigger glass cases than all the other documents in the room. 

Who

Staff members and scientists help preserve the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives while security guards make sure nothing happens to it during the day. 

What

These documents represent the United States of America, what we have to offer as a Nation, and what makes us different from other countries. These documents have changed our history and made us the Nation we are today. Both of these documents are still in use today and have made us stronger throughout the years. With these documents written all US citizens can vote, we have someone to vote for rather who ever is royal rules, and America has a voice. We get to be a part of the government and let our say in situations be heard. 

Post #2 The White House

The White House 

The white house was created by our founding fathers in 1824 for the presidents to house in while they are in term. George Washington was the first president to live here and president Obama and his family are currently in the white house for another term.

Inspirations and Interests

I found the Blue Room to be the most interesting because not only did it look the best during they day but it looked great at night as well. I found it to be the prettiest room in the white house and it appeared similar to the president's office that are resembled in movies. I found it inspiring that there were 3 different rooms based off color and everything in those rooms matched. It inspired me because when I'm older and live in a white house maybe I could do have rooms based off colors to make me and my family feel presidential. 

White House Reservation

December 6th, 2012

Zoe Lofgren

635 North First Street

San Jose, California 95112

Dear Ms. Lofgren,

I hope everything is going great. My name is Stacey DeMartini, I am 18 years of age and am attending a high schoool in Sacramento, California. I would like to reserve a White House tour for myself for Wednesday January 30th during 10:00 AM. I will be traveling by myself so I would like to join another small party to have a total of 10 members  I will have my I.D. present a long with all of my other contact and security information by a month in advance. Thank you for your time and I am looking forward to visiting the White House. 

Sincerely,



Stacey DeMartini
1234 Education Drive
Sacramento, California 98765

*Locations are changed for personal identity purposes