Picking up from where I left off last time, I was at the far eastern side of the US Capitol. From there I walked directly across the street to the Supreme Court. The sun was getting high, so the colors started to blot out a bit. I walked under the canopy to grab some shots from the inside so I could point the camera away from the sun.
The view of the Capitol from the steps of the Supreme Court 
There are statues on each side. This one is a female figure - The Contemplation of Justice.
Statue overlooking the steps of The Supreme Court 
The other one is a male - The Guardian of Law
Another statue overlooking the steps of The Supreme Court 
Walking away from the Supreme Court you’ll find a quaint little neighborhood of commercial offices (and maybe some residential dwellings, but I couldn’t be sure). There is one area covered in little stones with sayings on them:
Placard along a commercial street 
Going further North led me to Union Station, with all of its beautiful arches.
Arches outside Union Station 
Arches outside Union Station 
Arches outside Union Station 
Inside I found the Great Hall, which I’d somehow not seen before. It was an impressive site! Its magnitude reminded me of Grand Central Station in New York. So much hubbub! Off to the side of the Great Hall is the shopping area, which you see here:
The shops at Union Station 
The designer of the Great Hall was no slouch - lots of detail can be found on the inside as well.
Statues adorn the interior of Union Station 
Okay, one more of those awesome archways:
Arches outside Union Station 
Sculpture across from the US Botanic Garden 
There is somewhat of a story around the following two pictures, which is specifically why I include them here. I was on the sidewalk taking a picture of these when I heard a shout from inside the parking garage to which they belonged. Two security guards came out and grilled me about why I was taking pictures. After explaining that I…
- Was taking the pictures from a public place, thus doing nothing unlawful
- Was not going to show them the pictures I took
- Generally knew my rights
…I bid them a good day and walked away. As I left I heard one of them mutter “scared as shit.” Funny how hired security guards (i.e. not real police officers) like to make themselves feel important. Unfortunately for them I have read up on my rights as a photographer in public places. On that note, you should too - check this site for some good guidelines.
Parking signal suspended on a cable 
Parking signal suspended on a cable 
A cluster of cordon-stands outside The Library of Congress 
I really wanted to see the main hall of the Library of Congress, but it is closed on Sundays (which I didn’t know at the time). Instead I just wandered around the building to see what there was to see. Right out front is a very detailed sculpture of what must be Neptune:
Neptune in front of The Library of Congress 
Moving further along I saw this sculpture, which looked oddly out of proportion. It looked like Hulk trying to take home a horse for dinner!
Statue on Pennsylvania Avenue 
This is the US Navy Memorial. I like the way it is situated - you walk around a circular area of concrete that is colored like a map of the world. There are plaques around the outside and this guy near one end:
US Navy Memorial 
One of the last stops on my huge hike was the Albert Einstein Memorial. It’s pretty far away from the Metro, but it was worth the walk. First of all he’s huge - much bigger than I thought from the pictures I’d seen on Flickr. Second of all the sculpture itself breaks the mold in that he’s not upright and stately, but rather relaxed and inviting. Bravo!
Albert Einstein Memorial 
Albert Einstein Memorial detail 
Albert Einstein Memorial detail 