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Giant Pandas at the National Zoo

Jeff — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:41 +0000

Giant Panda Mei Xiang or Tian Tian - Walking

By far the most popular attraction at the National Zoo is the Giant Pandas exhibit. Giant Pandas come from the bamboo forests of central China. Two Giant Pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, are on loan to the National Zoo for a period of 10 years.

These cute, huge and absolutely distinctive bears sleep, eat and prance around in the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat, an area of over 12,000 square feet provided for them in Washington DC.

Giant Panda Mei Xiang or Tian Tian - Waking From a Restful Nap

These highly recognizable animals have black, rounded ears, an oval black area around each eye, black rear legs and black front legs with a black band that extends from the front legs up over the back. The rump and head are white resulting in a bear covered about 50% in white fur and 50% in black fur.

The attractive mammals eat a diet of little other than bamboo. This is a low energy food source, so these large animals must eat quite a bit of it. And this diet leaves one of the cutest animals in the world with little energy for running, jumping, chasing and fighting. But these large, docile bamboo eaters can and will defend themselves and do occasionally wrestle.

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are on loan from the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Click National Zoo to see the StationStart.com entry about the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Closest Metro Station: Two Metro Stations are near the Zoo. The pedestrian entrance to the National Zoo on Connecticut Avenue NW is the same distance from both the Cleveland Park Metro Station and the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro Station. The main difference is that the walk from the Cleveland Park Metro Station is fairly level while the walk from the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro Station is definitely uphill.

Sumatran Tiger at the National Zoo

Jeff — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:19 +0000

Pacing Sumatran Tiger at the National Zoo

Only a small number of Sumatran tigers are alive today. Several live at the National Zoo out of the few hundred that survive. One female cub found in the wild in Sumatra was donated by Indonesia’s Jakarta Zoo as part of a program to ensure the survival of the species.

Tigers, unlike lions, like the water and enjoy swimming. But for the most part they spend time alone often hunting or marking their territory.

At the National Zoo they can often be seen pacing back and forth as in the photograph above.

Click National Zoo to see the StationStart.com entry about the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Space Window Stained Glass With Moon Rock – From the Outside

Jeff — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:56:49 +0000

Space Window Stained Glass with Fragment of Moon Rock - National Cathedral in Washington DC- Viewed from Outside on a Bright Day

This entry takes a look at the Space Window Stained Glass on the south side of the Washington National Cathedral from the outside.

Red Stained Glass Panel of the Space Window - Mirror Images Viewed from Inside and Outside on a Bright Day

Click Space Window from Inside to see the StationStart.com entry about this window as viewed from inside the cathedral while the stained glass is very well illuminated by direct sunlight on bright day.

Blue, Purple, Green and Red Stained Glass Panel of the Space Window - Mirror Images Viewed from Inside and Outside on a Bright Day - Notice the Piece Toward the Center, Blue in Reflected Light and Green in Light That Has Passed Through the Glass

The stained glass windows in the National Cathedral are spectacularly bright and colorful when viewed from inside the cathedral on a sunny day. But from the outside the various colors of glass are deeper, darker and more subtle. In some cases the colors can be quite different when viewed from opposite sides. And of course the inside and outside views are mirror images of each other.

Green Stained Glass Panel of the Space Window - Mirror Images Viewed from Inside and Outside on a Bright Day

Looking at the Space Window from the outside also brings to light, so to speak, the gargoyle and stone carvings located nearby.

Carved Face To The Left of the Space Window

Click National Cathedral to see the StationStart.com entry about the Cathedral.

Carved Face To The Right of the Space Window

The Washington National Cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016. Click Here for Google Map showing the approximate location of the Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral.

Gargoyle Located Beneath the Space Window - Viewed from Front

Closest Metro Station: Cleveland Park on the Red Line is the nearest Metro Station to the Washington National Cathedral, but it is about eight-tenths of a mile away. That’s the approximate straight line distance rather than the actual walking or driving distance.

Gargoyle Located Beneath the Space Window - Viewed from Side

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: The Space Window Stained Glass with Moon Rock is mentioned in Chapters 79.

Space Window Stained Glass With Moon Rock – From the Inside

Jeff — Fri, 07 May 2010 12:00:56 +0000

Space Window Stained Glass with Fragment of Moon Rock - National Cathedral in Washington DC

The Space Window Stained Glass is located on the south side of the Washington National Cathedral. It has a much darker hue than most of the stained glass in the cathedral, as it is constructed from a lunar rock along with glass of very deep shades of blue, red and green.

The picture above was taken on a day when the window was brightly lit by direct sunlight. The red is clear and bright, and the heavens of emerald green on the right shine from the darkness. The bright sunlight also gives some of the edging pieces made of yellow and red glass glow like neon lights.

Click Space Window from Outside to see the StationStart.com entry about this window as viewed from outside the cathedral while the stained glass is illuminated by bright sunlight.

The words at the bottom in green glass read: “Is not God in the height of Heaven?”

The fragment of moon rock is located in the center of the large red disk.

Click National Cathedral to see the StationStart.com entry about the Cathedral.

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: The Space Window Stained Glass with Moon Rock is mentioned in Chapter 79.

Shadow House Gazebo and Bishop’s Garden

Jeff — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:00:25 +0000

Shadow House - Secluded Gazebo Located in the Bishop's Garden at the National Cathedral in Washington DC

The Bishop’s Garden is located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral on the south side of the cathedral. The partially walled garden contains roses, herbs and perennials and a pleasant winding walkway.

Shadow House With the Washington National Cathedral in the Background

At one edge of the Bishop’s Garden is the Shadow House, a stone gazebo with a slate roof. The wooden benches inside make it a comfortable, secluded place for a quite visit.

Click National Cathedral to see the StationStart.com entry about the Cathedral.

The Washington National Cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016. Click Here for Google Map showing the location of the Shadow House Gazebo at the Washington National Cathedral.

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: Dan Brown describes the Shadow House as sitting “elegantly amid meandering pathways of stones dug from George Washington’s private quarry.” The Shadow House is mentioned in Chapters 63, 67 and 79.

The Garth – Peaceful, Secluded Courtyard

Jeff — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:23 +0000

The Garth - Secluded Courtyard at the National Cathedral in Washington DC

The Garth is a cloistered area on the north side of the Washington National Cathedral toward the east end of the building. The enclosed area is more or less in the shape of an irregular pentagon. Toward the center is a tiered, vertical metal fountain with what resembles a stylized, open flower blossom at the top. In temperate weather the fountain provides the gentle sounds of splashing and gurgling water.

Splashing Garth Fountain In a Cloistered Area of the National Cathedral in Washington DC

Click National Cathedral to see the StationStart.com entry about the Cathedral and its location.

The Washington National Cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016. Click Here for Google Map showing the location of the Garth at the Washington National Cathedral.

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: Dan Brown describes the Garth as a massive, walled-in courtyard. The Garth is mentioned in Chapter 87.

Cathedral College Located on the Grounds of the Washington National Cathedral

Jeff — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:52:06 +0000

Photograph of Cathedral College Taken From the Top of the Stairs Near Woodley Road

The Cathedral College opened on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in 1929. Its purpose is to provide training for clergy who have been ordained.

Click National Cathedral to see the StationStart.com entry about the Cathedral and its location.

The Cathedral College is located at 3510 Woodley Road NW on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC. Click Here for Google Map showing the location of the Cathedral College.

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: Cathedral College is mentioned in Chapters 89, 90, 91, 92 and 123.

Darth Vader at the National Cathedral

Jeff — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:18:46 +0000

The Grotesque (Carving) of Darth Vader at the National Cathedral in Washington DC

Included among the many, many grotesques (carvings) located on the National Cathedral is one of Darth Vader from Star Wars. The gargoyles on the building act as drains, as each gargoyle has a pipe running through its mouth. The grotesques are similar ornamental carvings but without the pipes.

Location of the Grotesque (Carving) of Darth Vader on the East Side of the Northwest Tower of the National Cathedral in Washington DC

Darth Vader is located on the back of one of the front towers, the tower on the left from the viewpoint of a person looking at the front of the Cathedral.

Pictured below are a number of other grotesques located in Darth Vader’s general neighborhood. The cute little raccoon looking thing must have drawn the short straw in order to end up right next to Darth Vader.

Click National Cathedral to see the StationStart.com entry about the Cathedral and its location.

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: Darth Vader is mentioned in Chapter 31, and the grotesque at the Washington National Cathedral is mentioned in Chapter 79.

These Grotesques are Some of Darth Vader's Nearest Neighbors at the National Cathedral

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Jeff — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:16 +0000

Bronze Lion Guarding the Pedestrian Entrance to the National Zoo at Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC

The National Zoo in Washington DC is one of the best zoos in the United States. There are about 400 different species and about 2,000 different individual animals.

National Zoo Sign at Connecticut Avenue NW and Jewett Street NW, Washington DC

The Panda exhibit is always popular, but there are lots of other animals including Anteater, Bald Eagle, Cheetah, Clouded Leopard, Elephant, Golden Pheasant, Gorilla, King Vulture, Lemur, Lion, Orangutan, Peacock, Seal, Tiger, Wallaby plus many, many other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.

Links to other StationStart.com entries about the National Zoo:

Click Smithsonian National Zoological Park Website to visit the website of the Smithsonian Institution’s Smithsonian National Zoological Park Website.

The National Zoo in Washington DC is located on Connecticut Avenue NW just north of Hawthorne Street NW, Washington, DC. Click Here for Google Map showing the location of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Washington National Cathedral

Jeff — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:12:16 +0000

Washington National Cathedral - View From North Side Looking West, Toward the Front of the Cathedral

The Washington National Cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings in Washington with what seems like a never ending cascade of things to see and experience.

Washington National Cathedral - View of Front Towers From the South Side

Click Washington National Cathedral to visit the Washington National Cathedral website.

The Washington National Cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016. Click Here for Google Map showing the location of the Washington National Cathedral.

Links to other StationStart.com entries about the National Cathedral:

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: The Washington National Cathedral is mentioned in Chapters 79, 82, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 123 and 130.

Facts from The Lost Symbol: The cathedral has ten stones from Mount Sinai near the main alter. One of the stained glass windows has a piece of rock from the moon. Luke Skywalker’s father Darth Vader is a grotesque on the outside of the cathedral. It is the sixth largest cathedral in the world. It is taller than a thirty story building. There are over 200 stained glass windows. The carillon has 53 bells. The pipe organ has 10,647 pipes.