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Tag Archives: Photo by Rick Snider
A stone of another color
It’s funny what grabs you while walking among the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. The large purple quartz marker that includes the plaque of James Fingal Gregory is one of a kind. At least, I’ve never seen one like it … Continue reading
Remembering Audie Murphy at Arlington National Cemetery
(Reprinting one of our favorite columns) It’s amazing how yesterday’s heroes are today’s forgotten ones. It happens all the time in society. Singers and actors once all the rage now draw blank stares from teens. Sinatra – is that a … Continue reading
Scott: Best general of whom you’ve probably never heard
The legend says all statues face the White House. It’s not true, though this one does. Gen. Winfield Scott’s statue lies in the three-sided circle of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Aves. and 16th St. N.W. just blocks from the White … Continue reading
Rochambeau led French to America’s aid
Gen. Comte Jean de Rochambeau is shown in Lafayette Park as a major general of the Continental Army directing his arm with his outstretched right hand with an unfurled copy of the battle plan in his left. Underneath Rochambeau is … Continue reading
The lady was a princess
Statues are normally not what I would call sexy. But, I stand corrected before Crown Princess Martha of Norway. Martha was born a Swedish princess who married Prince Olav of Norway in 1929 at age 28. The princess along with … Continue reading
The Embassy Row Lady and the Curse
The Indonesian Embassy was once the home of Evalyn Walsh McLean, whose Irish immigrant father hit it rich as a gold miner. This 3 1/2-story brick mansion trimmed with three bands of limestone and a red tile roof was the … Continue reading
Remembering Jackie Kennedy in the park
Everyone usually thinks of Jackie Kennedy alongside her husband John F. Kennedy at the eternal flame in Arlington National Cemetery. But, you can catch a glimpse of her name outside a one-time dorm along 21st St. N.W. when attending George … Continue reading
Remembering Fala – the First Dog
I’ve been a tour guide since 2010. I know a lot, but there are so many experienced guides who are walking encyclopedias of knowledge of our town. Still, one incident involving Fala the dog at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial … Continue reading
Remembering JFK at Holy Trinity church
Holy Trinity Church (3513 N. St. NW) was the city’s first Catholic church in 1792. In the early years, parishioners either rented space on the pews or brought their own chair. But don’t worry, today’s 10,000 parishioners have ample room … Continue reading
Happy Memorial Day . . . already?
Posted in Washington life
Tagged best DC walking tours, Memorial Day, Photo by Rick Snider, Washington DC
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The other presidential assassination spot
Everyone goes to Ford’s Theatre to see where Abraham Lincoln died. And, thank goodness because that’s a big chunk of my tours. But, it’s not the only presidential assassination spot in town. James Garfield (my 10th cousin) was shot at … Continue reading
John Wingate Weeks worth a side trip
It’s funny how you can walk by something regularly, but come a different way one time and see it entirely differently. That’s how I stumbled upon the magnificent grave of John Wingate Weeks, a former Secretary of War who’s a … Continue reading
When a reporter killed in the Capitol
The press and politicians have always had an uneasy relationship. But, it was deadly once inside the U.S. Capitol. Louisville Times reporter Charles Kincaid wrote a story on Kentucky Congressman William Taulbee cheating on his wife while in Washington. The … Continue reading
A winter’s peek at Sir John Dill
Why would anyone walk Arlington National Cemetery in January? It’s the best time for photos. This photo above of Sir John Dill would be impossible when leaves are on the trees. By looking for the statue from a non-traditional angle, … Continue reading