Saying Goodbye to Senator Kennedy

We parked in front of Constitution Hall and walked a half mile to Memorial Bridge. I worked in this complex of buildings for 20 years.

People were starting to gather on Constitution Avenue.

The magnolias are still blooming.

All the usual suspects are out in force.

The Lincoln Memorial sits in a direct line with the Capitol, Washington Monument, Memorial Bridge and Arlington House (Robert E. Lee lived there prior to the Civil War) and Arlington National Cemetery.  The Kennedy graves and the eternal flame can be seen from the South side of the Lincoln Memorial.

The entrance to Memorial Bridge.

People sitting on the southside (faces Virginia and the cemetery) of the Lincoln Memorial waiting for the motorcade.

I love the gilded bronze statues that flank the entrances to the bridge. 

People are waiting patiently. You can see Arlington House up the hill in the distance.

Arlington House

The gravesite and the eternal flame is below the tree beneath Arlington House.

  

While waiting we passed the time watching people and listening to our IPods.

Our pretty neighbor and her adorable puggle.

Geese fly over in formation. About every minute a jet would fly over us on the way to National airport about a mile downriver.

Park police patrol and keep us in line.

We can see the rotunda of the Jefferson Memorial on the east side of the bridge.

The Kennedy Center is on the west side of the bridge. The Cathedral is to the left and the Watergate is to the right.

Living and working here you get use to the security. I wonder if the tourists on this sight-seeing boat were uncomfortable with the Coast Guard escorting them under the bridges.

Note the machine gun.

Sunlight on the Lincoln Memorial.

Motorcade of dignitaries arriving at the cemetery.
I can't make out the flag on the cars so I'm not sure who it is. Vice President? Former Presidents? Sec. of State?

People are starting to move toward the curb sensing the Senator was getting close.

It's fun standing in the middle of a major DC bridge and not worrying about being run over.

The entrance to the cemetery. 

You can see the white markers of those who are buried there.

The video of the funeral procession is in a link to my Facebook page.
Kennedy Funeral Procession  




All photographs and video taken by Nancy Gibson.