In the wake of Michael Jackson's death the day before, Chan and I check out of the Hinckley Hilton and head for big white monuments to dead guys. Just after taking the above picture, we stopped in to Melody Records, and found a news report about Michael going on. I tried to get in the background. I later watched the story online, and it turns out only Chan's back appeared on TV. Oh well.

Above is Pennsylvania Avenue. I love closed off streets that you can walk down the middle of.

And here's your big boy. The Pale Parlor. The Honky Hut. The White House.

And just inside the gate, on the White House lawn, it's the White House sewer.

Nobody ever takes a shot just off to the side of the White House. So here you go. Edge of house on left. Did I mention it was "visible shirt-front sweat" hot in DC?

The White House lawn...mower! Also visible is the thing with the bees. Since people had giant heads of Obama and the German chancellor, we figured they were in there. And I think they may have been heading outside because this guard started screaming at us to leave the area. This is the opposite side of the White House from the earlier pics. We quickly realized the DC rule: don't go near anything! Not allowed!

And looking left from the previous shot, the guy with the stand-up mower. You wouldn't think there'd be that kind of brush for people to hide in right on the White House lawn.

A final shot of the back of the WH.

Remember that movie where the flying saucer hits the Washington Monument? Me too.

The big pencil in a garbage can.

I had to.

The WWII memorial. They say "no wading" but everybody does it.

His bill and coin combined equal $5.01. Name him.

The back of Abe's chair. I saw one of Booth's descendants trying to unplug it!

Lincoln's ear.

"Lincoln, Lincoln, I've been thinkin', how much whiskey have you been drinkin'?" -- Flava Krystalz

The ceiling above Abe.

A Sox fan at the Lincoln Memorial looking out at the reflecting pool and Washington Monument.

People don't realize that if you just move to the side, you see the Capitol behind the Monument.

It was so hot I just laid there for awhile on my back. Here was my view.

Are you kidding me? The backwards double-quotation mark is one of the easiest errors to catch! (The same mistake is made on the food cart outside Gate C at Fenway.) And why is "establishment" capitalized? And hello, it's summer 2009 and it's still closed. Terrible job by the Lincoln Memorial Lawn Area Association.

Now over at the Vietnam War Memorial. Here's the "Aaron A. Aaronson" of the tribute.

Vietnam Wall with WM in back.

We went to the Smithsonian's Museum of American History to the Red Sox stuff that was there temporarily. On the way into that exhibit was this Colbert picture.

There was some great stuff in there--here's the furniture from All in the Family.

Here's Jon Lester's jersey from Game 4, 2007 World Series. Drew also went to this on the day they brought the stuff. His pics of that are here.

Kermit the Frog. They also had Oscar the Grouch, the ruby slippers, gloves from Rocky II, etc.

A room from a great dollhouse made by Faith Bradford decades ago.

The GAME OF KENNEDYS! "What if we set up the cover picture Mount Rushmore-like?" "But Rushmore only has four--" "Just fuckin' do it!!!!"

TenPenh Restaurant. When Chan and I are in DC and want to relax in the non-fancy area of an Asian-esque fine dining establishment for Cokes and appetizers before getting dinner somewhere else, we choose TENPENH. Located at 10th and Penn, and managed by...MattySox! It was great to meet one of my longest tenured commenters after all these years. Check out his restaurant when you're in Washington.

The Capitol's reflecting puddle.

The Capitol up close. The stairs were closed off.

The Monument between two stanchion-things with crazy clouds as seen from the Capitol, where they had some concert stage/tent thing set up.

Click this pic for huge. At the "Newseum," they have the front page of a paper from each state lined up. Of course, it was all Jacko. Only two states didn't have him on the cover.

And finally, I was so excited to have a chance to see...

4th Street and D! I really hope you get that joke...