Sightseeing

Yesterday I visited the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. It is the most recognizable landmark in Alexandria. I see it every day and thought I should see the inside before I leave here. It was very interesting but not quite what I expected. I got there just as a tour began so I joined in. The main floor is sort of a rotunda with a huge bronze statue of George Washington and lots of murals and stained glass windows about GW. The building has 9 stories and we had to take elevators to view the upper floors. The building is somewhat like a cathedral with lots of stained glass and the feel of a chapel on some floors. The main focus of the displays is more about the freemasons than GW. There is a floor with many GW artifacts that has a resemblance to the Mt Vernon exhibits, a floor with the theme of King Solomon's temple with a reproduction of the Ark of the Covenant, a floor with a theme of the Knights Templar, a reproduction of King Solomon's throne, and an observation deck.

I overcame my fear of heights to go out on the observation deck and identify the condo building, the AACP building and a view across the Potomac to the National Mall. It was quite windy up there so I didn't stay outside very long.

The movie of Dan Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol, is set in Washington and there are some scenes at the Memorial. It will be interesting to see the movie now that I have seen the Memorial and have some understanding of the freemasons. I can see why people think of the masons as a religion. There are many religious overtones to the symbols and rituals. My visit was very educational and it was good exercise climbing up to the place.

I also did some errands, housework, Wii Fit, and watched the third round of the Masters. TV golf is not usually very interesting but it was pretty exciting yesterday. I'm going to work on my project this morning, go out for a walk and be back to see the back nine this afternoon. I like to see an American win the three U.S. major tournaments, so I will be rooting against Lee Westwood.

I saw in this morning's sports news that Patrick Patterson is 50-50 on returning to UK for his senior season. Keep your fingers crossed!