Biltmore Confidential

The Biltmore House: The Gilded Age Home of George and Edith Vanderbilt
(Click image to enlarge)

Today's portion of the trip is brought to you by the Vanderbilt Family and the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina. The use of the word "house" to describe this building is a laugh. The "house" is actually a castle and was built by George Washington Vanderbilt between 1888 and 1895. It contains what, at that time, were considered state of the art conveniences, like indoor plumbing. While most homes in America in 1895 didn't have indoor bathrooms, the Biltmore had 43 of them with deep cast iron tubs and flushing toilets.



The house contains 250 rooms and is the largest private residence in the United States to this day with 175,000 square feet and 8,000 acres of land. It is still owned by the Vanderbilt family and employs 1,800 individuals to maintain and show the home. Occasionally, the descendants of the Vanderbilts stay in the castle. The home is one of the finest examples of Gilded Age architecture in the U.S. and contains a 10,000 book library and fine art, including 16th century Flemish tapestries, woodcuts by Renoir, portraits by John Singer Sargent, a 1916 Skinner organ in the dining hall, and handloomed Jacquard wall coverings and draperies from Lyon, France.

Springtime means flowers and the gardens at the Biltmore are spectacular!
(Click image to enlarge.)

This time of year also features the Biltmore's annual Spring Flower Festival and the tulips were in glorious bloom all over. Definitely worth the price of admission to visit this beautiful home and its gardens.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Two Things Challenge: Solemn / Playful

Ron Henderson, owner of Pulp, passed away from cancer February 15, 2009

This week's Two Things Challenge was Solemn / Playful. I chose as my interpretations a picture of a tribute to Ron Henderson, owner of Pulp on 14th Street. Ron's little shop of cards and unique gifts is a staple in the DuPont Circle / U Street Corridor / Logan Circle shopping district and a fun, happy place. Sadly, Ron's battle with cancer ended in February this year. His employees posted this tribute to Ron in the entrance of Pulp. If you get a chance, stop by the store and sign the condolence book on the counter.

Promoting world peace by pillow fighting!

The second photo was taken the same day in DuPont Circle at the World Pillow Fight Day. It was a blast to watch grown-ups and a kid or two pummel each other with pillows around the fountain! In fact, I think three things: First, D.C. should have a pillow fight every week. It would be a great way to relieve all the stress around here and everyone would go away with a smile on their face. Second, Congress should be required to come down to the circle once a month and let us pummel them with pillows for taking their sweet time about legislation. And third, all wars should be fought with pillows.

If you want to see how others interpreted this challenge or if you'd like to join in, visit Two Things Photo Challenge.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential / Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Service

The President-Elect and Mrs. Obama motorcade after a stop at Calvin Coolidge H.S.
as part of the National Day of Service during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
(Click on image to enlarge.)

Yesterday, President-elect and Mrs. Obama spent the day engaged in service projects throughout the city. Mr. Obama started his day at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, visiting wounded troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Later in the day, he traveled to Calvin Coolidge H.S. to thank volunteers who were gathered to write letters to service personnel overseas. It's that latter event I wish I'd known about because I live two blocks from Coolidge and would have loved to participate in that. Coolidge H.S. is also our neighborhood's polling station, so it was exciting to see the president-elect at the same place where so many of us cast our votes for him!

The motorcade of President-Elect and Mrs. Obama : Calvin Coolidge H.S. :
Brightwood : Washington, D.C.
(Click image to enlarge.)

That said, though, I did get to see the Obamas in their motorcade as it left Coolidge and zipped down Sheridan Street to whatever their next engagement was. Word spread quickly throughout the neighborhood that they were at the school and by the time I got there with camera in hand, there was a crowd of 200 or 300 people lining the street. It was a thrilling moment, shared with folks from all over the neighborhood who came out to cheer our next president.

As an added note, on Sunday, the Obamas worshiped at Nineteenth Street Baptist, which featured here as one of The Churches of Sixteenth Street a few weeks ago. The church is about a mile and a half from where I live. Needless to say, it's been a pretty exciting few days on this end of town!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 01/09

Settings

Reflection

Yesterday evening, I met my mom at the Washington Mormon Temple to drop off a photo she had requested. I left the house early so I could take pictures at dusk. The top photo was taken much later than dusk, but I wanted to capture the reflection of the temple in the strategically placed pond near the visitor's center. I know I posted pictures from this year's Festival of Lights last week, but last night's shots turned out so well, I figured I'd post another one.

Playing with the settings. On the left, a photo using the tungsten setting.
On the right, all settings for white balance were automatic.

The two photos above are why I like photographing buildings and structures around or immediately after sunset (the same is true for sunrise.) The light is soft and lacks the glare of daytime light. What I like about these photos is how the effect changes based on one simple setting--white balance. In the case of these two photos, one was taken with an auto setting and the other with a tungsten setting.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Festival of Lights

Greenery : Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, MD

On Monday evening, I went with a group of friends to the 2008 Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland. This is the festival's 31st year and attracts visitor's from all across the region and up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Purple and gold : Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, MD

To find a Mormon Temple near you and learn if they have a festival of lights, visit this site. (The site itself won't tell you if there's a festival, but it will provide you with a phone number to call and find out.) If you enjoy night/low light photography and holiday lights and/or want to improve your skills, they're great venues for both.

Red, white, and blue seemed to be a theme this year around the Visitor's Center

To see a couple of pictures from last year's festival, go here. To view a few more pictures from this year's festival, click on the slideshow below.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Duke Ellington School

Intermission : Ellington Theater

Last Friday found me at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Georgetown. My sister's colleague invited her to attend a Christmas concert by the school's vocal musical students and she, in turn, invited me and a couple of friends.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts was founded in 1974 and is the only school in the District of Columbia dedicated to an education in the arts. In addition to standard high school curriculum, each student majors in one of eight areas: Theater, Tech Design/Production, Visual Arts, Vocal Music, Dance, Instrumental Music, Literary Media, and Museum Studies.

The photography of student Hank Thomas is breathtaking social commentary.
On the left: Visitors view Thomas' work. On the right: The piece they were so interested in.
Click on the right image to enlarge. The photo is a graphic composition that plays on MasterCard's "Priceless"
advertising campaign. The text on the photo reads: "3-piece suit: $250, Pair of socks: $2, Gold chain: $400,
9mm pistol: $80, Bullet: $0.60, Picking a casket for your son: Priceless."

Photography wasn't allowed during the performance I attended (which was well done and a lot of fun), but there were exhibits in the hallways featuring art and photography by some of the school's students. These are just a couple of pictures of the works on display.

Title and artist unknown : Duke Ellington School

If you get a chance to visit the school or attend a performance, do it. These are talented young men and women, many of whom go on to become professional artists in their own right.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Jazz Night

The Lovejoy Group performs in the Kogod Courtyard : SAAM/National Portrait Gallery

Last night, I met my friend Sylvia in the Kogod Courtyard adjoining the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. We had originally planned to see--or rather thought we would be seeing--part of the DC Fotoweek exhibit going on all over the city in galleries and museums this week. Alas, what we saw was a slide show of photos from the exhibit and listened to the jazz renderings of a group called The Lovejoy Group as part of the museum's weekly Take Five! series.

An evening in the Kogod Courtyard

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what either of us expected. (And I still have no idea if my two photos I submitted ever made it into the exhibit. I never received a confirmation email from the organizers. But I have managed to garner 12 separate Evite emails from them inviting me to tomorrow night's closing fete at the National Georgaphic for $85 a pop! In the immortal words of someone: "I don't think so.") We ended up decamping to IHOP out in the states for a plate of pork chops (Sylvia) and pumpkin pancakes (me.) That did live up to expectations!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/08

Two Things Challenge: Big / Little

Gold Star Dad Chopper: Honoring our fallen warriors

This week's Two Things Challenge was Big / Little. Oddly, I had a hard time finding stuff to photograph for this one. I kept hoping to see someone out walking a ginormous dog and a rat-on-a-rope teeny, tiny dog. I thought about asking a friend if I could take pictures of her baby's hand in her hand, but then we never got together. Then yesterday, I drove past a car dealership that sells Mini Coopers and thought a Cooper and Hummer would be perfect, but Tash beat to that one!

Instead, I went with motorcycles. Real and pretend. Yesterday, I went to the Marine Corps Marathon Health & Fitness Expo at the D.C. Armory. That's where I saw this custom chopper from Gold Star Dads. For those who don't know, Gold Star families are those who have lost a son or daughter in war. This motorcycle was crafted in memory of the young men and women in our country who have given their lives, justly or unjustly (depending on how you feel about our military involvement in other countries), in wars and conflicts.

Smaller versions of the real thing:
Hallmark Christmas decorations of Harley-Davidson motorcycles

Later, I was out in Fairfax County and stopped at the local Hallmark card store in Kamp Washington. Imagine my delight when I saw motorcycles hanging among the Christmas ornaments on sale. (What a Harley-Davidson has to do with the birth of Christ I have no clue, but work with me here.) The larger of the two Harley ornaments was about three inches long, while the smallest was about an inch.

So there you have it. A big chopper honoring our fallen warriors and two little choppers honoring I'm-not-sure-what!

Snoopy and his little crew in their canoe

But wait! There's more. I also took a picture of a Snoopy ornament that just tickled my funny bone. Big Snoopy and his little yellow friends. (As for the connection between Snoopy, Woodstock, and Christmas--that's totally valid. But Harley's and Jesus? That's just a bit of a disconnect for me.)

P.S. I also took pictures at Borders Books & Music for this week's theme, but had a hard time choosing which to post. Come back tomorrow and see my other Big / Little pictures.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Bookish

The National Book Festival

On Saturday, I was among more than 120,000 visitors who went to the National Book Festival on the National Mall. Started in 2001, it was co-founded by First Lady Laura Bush--a former librarian and advocate of reading and literacy. The annual event is sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by the First Lady of the United States. The National Book Festival brings together local, national, and international authors and poets of renown. This year's festival was no exception and featured writers Salman Rushdie, Daniel Schor, Cokie Roberts, Tiki Barber, Eleanor Clift, Katherine Paterson, Laura Bush and Jenna Bush, Marisa de los Santos, Phillipa Gregory, Alexander McCall Smith, and 2008 poet laurete Kay Ryan, among many others.

A reading in the Children's Pavilion and the Scholastic Reading Bus

Pavilions were divided into categories ranging from Home & Family to Children & Teens, History & Biography to Fiction & Mystery. There was also a Pavilion of States where each U.S. state and several territories had tables set up and you could learn about local authors specific to each of the states and territories. There was a tent for buying books by featured authors and poets and, if you were willing to stand in very, very long lines, you could get your books signed by the author or poet.

L: Target was the Distinguished Benefactor sponsor of this event. Visitors could have their picture taken with
Bullseye, the Target mascot. C: Visitors browsing the book sales tent. R: Two lovely young ladies from Wyoming
who were hosting the Equality State's table in the Pavilion of States.

Here are some interesting facts and statistics about libraries, as provided by the State of Oklahoma. Across America, did you know:

• There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S.--more than 16,500.
• Americans spend twice as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries.
• Academic libraries answer 72.8 million reference questions each year--almost twice the attendance at college football games.
• The cost of materials has skyrocketed. The cost of a fiction hardcover has increased 53% since 1986, while the cost of some reference books has increased 224% since 1989.
• Research in Colorado and New York shows the highest acheiving students attend schools with good library media centers.
• Students make 1.5 billion visits to school libraries during the school year--100 million more visits than trips to movie theaters in 2005.

First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter, Jenna, were signing books
at the National Book Festival. This was the closest I could get.
(Click image to enlarge.)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 09/08

Writing

Handmade wood-barreled pens

This past weekend, I attended the 17th Annual Washington D.C. Collectible Fountain Pen Supershow in Tysons Corner, Virginia, at the Sheraton Premier. I'm not an avid pen collector, but the friend who invited me along is. I wasn't sure what to expect, but knowing her propensity for pens and penmakers whose names mean nothing to me--Parker 51s, Viscount, Swisher, Libelle, Tibaloi, Airline International--I had a sneaking suspicion I was in for a treat. In short: This is not your trading-Bics-on-the-playground gathering. These folks are serious.

L: Pens by Argentine artist and silversmith Juan Carlos Pallarols
R: A barrel being handpainted in watercolor

The Washington D.C. Collectible Fountain Pen Supershow is the largest in the world and brings together buyers, sellers, retailers, distributors, artisans, and collectors from all over the world. I met handcrafted penmakers from California and Argentina, Maryland and Italy. The range and variety of pens, not to mention some of the prices, were astounding! I met a retired police officer who refurbishes 1930s and 1940s Parker Golden Arrow Vacumatic Fountain Pens and turns them into ballpoints. I saw promotional pens for oil companies that included a cap of oil and garland pens whose tops featured corporate logos from days long gone by.

A colorful assortment of pens by Libelle of New York.
The barrels of the pens in the bottom right corner are made of leather!

L: Just a small, infinitesimal sampling of the wares available. And these aren't even the nicest pens!
R: Buyers and sellers hawk their vast pen collections. Easily 40% of exhibitors were Joe and Mary Public
selling pens from their personal collections. The remaining 60% were retailers (40%), distributors (10%),
and artisans (10%).

Not surprisingly, collectors of pens have their own special jokes. Case in point, one pen seller took an interest in my camera and wanted to know how it performs. I told him about this blog and then gave him my business card. Ironically, I didn't have a pen on me. (I was like a person dying of thirst in the middle of the ocean. There I was at the largest pen show in the world and I didn't have a pen on me. How sad is that?! But I digress...) So, I said, without thinking, "Do you have a pen?" I caught myself and then said, "I'll bet you get that all the time, don't you? Really unoriginal, huh?" To which the man graciously replied, "Oh yes, I have many pens. The question isn't incorrect, it just isn't accurate. The accurate question is 'Do you have a pen that writes?'"

The pens I bought: a replica of a blue crayon and a wallet-size ball point.
Small potatoes compared to what could be had at this pen show.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Droll. Pen humor at its best. All in all, I had a great time. And I even bought two pens: a pen made to look like a crayon and a teeny, tiny, itty-bitty pen about the width of a business card. If you ever have a chance to attend a pen show, do it. It's a lot of fun!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 08/08

Campuses, Patriots, and Pirates... Oh My!

Fort Reno in the summertime (as compared to the late winter/early spring)

Yesterday evening, I decided I needed to get way out of my neighborhood and into a completely different section of the city. So, I went to Tenleytown/Fort Reno. My walk took me past sights that are familiar and iconic to Northwest city dwellers including: Fort Reno Park, WAMU 88.5 (if you like old-time radio, this is the station to listen to on Sunday evenings. They have a show called The Big Broadcast and they play Johnny Dollar, Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Five-Minute Mystery, and a host of other shows. It's a ton of fun to listen to.)

L: WAMU 88.5--Your NPR News Station in the Nation's Capital
R: Guapo's--the only decent, nearly authentic Mexican in the D.C. area

Guapo's, my favorite Mexican restaurant and the only decent Mexican food in the entire D.C. area (and I'm not exaggerating or engaging in hyperbole here either) is located in Tenleytown. This area is also home to American University, the Embassy of Japan, the Residence of the Ambassador of Sweden, NBC TV, the National Presbyterian Church, and Ward Circle.

The American University - Tenley Campus

Just by way of information, the American University was originally conceived by George Washington to be a national university in the nation's capital. In 1893, Congress finally passed an act creating a charter for the school. In 1896, ground was broken and fundraising started. Today, AU is among the premier universities in the city, competing with Georgetown and George Washington University as one of the finest institutions of higher learning on the East Coast.

L: Artemas Ward--patriot and congressman
R: Spire of the National Presbyterian Church

The National Presbyterian Church, as a congregation, is more than 200 years old. As a governing body, it is the national headquarters for the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. The campus of the NPC includes a children's school and a Center for Leadership. It houses a sanctuary, a fellowship hall, and the Chapel of the Presidents. I wasn't able to go in yesterday as it was after 6:00 p.m. when I walked by, but I'll certainly be going back. The NPC features some lovely gardens and eye-catching architecture, including several biblical quotes on walls surrounding the gardens and a fountain.

Ward Circle is the intersection of Massachusetts and Nebraska Avenues and signals the western boundary of AU. The circle is named for Artemas Ward and is capped by a statue of the same. Ward was a major general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and served under Gen. George Washington. After the war, Ward served as a congressman from Massachusetts.

We Were Pirates performs at Fort Reno Park on a warm summer's evening

On my way back to my car, I walked again past Fort Reno Park and stopped for a little bit to listen to We Were Pirates. Fort Reno Park hosts a summer concert series with bands performing every Monday and Thursday. Here's the schedule, if you're interested. We Were Pirates sounded pretty good. I wonder if they're on iTunes?

To see more pictures of Tenleytown and some of the pretty stuff along the way, visit Standing Room Only.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

Thunderbirds

The Thunderbird Marching Band from Timpview High School in Provo, Utah,
performing at the National World War II Memorial, Washington, D.C.
(To see larger photos, click on the images)

I spent my childhood and teen years growing up in Utah. Provo, to be exact. Not that I have any plans to live in Utah again, but I do keep up on the news from the Beehive State by reading the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret Morning News. It was in the latter the other day that I found an article announcing that the Thunderbird Marching Band from Timpview High School in Provo had been selected to march in tomorrow's National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. In addition to the parade, they're also performing at several other sites around the city this weekend.

Timpview H.S. marching band at the World War II Memorial
with the Lincoln Memorial in the background

I attended Timpview my freshman year of high school and likely would have graduated from the same if my family hadn't moved to Orem the summer of my sophomore year. While I made good friends at my new high school (Mountain View), my affections remain with Timpview mostly because all of the kids I grew up going to school and church with from the age of 3 until 14 were at Timpview.

Random shots of the Timpview High School Marching Band (click on images to enlarge)

That's a long way of telling you that this morning, I went downtown to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall to hear the Timpview Thunderbirds Marching Band perform! It was fun to see these young men and women, who were required to take a special history class at 6:15 in the morning for a semester and who had to memorize all of their musical numbers, play at this beautiful memorial. A special thanks to Dr. David Fullmer for requiring such high standards from these students.

Honoring and meeting the veterans of our armed forces.

A special hello to Kim Davidson, Julie from Bethesda, and all the other nice folks I met today at the World War II Memorial, as well as Parker Kelly and his mom, Kahliel.

Parker Kelly, who plays the baritone horn
in the Thunderbird Marching Band,
and his mom, Kahliel, at the end of the concert.

Congratulations, Thunderbirds! And enjoy your time in Washington and Gettysburg!


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08