Christmas Trees in the District

 At least once every December I traverse the Mall to see the Christmas trees and lights there. On a moderately warm Sunday recently I went to the District, actually found free, unrestricted parking and set off on my annual quest, bicycling down to the Ellipse using the Capital Bikeshare system ($90/year, a free bike for 30 minutes from over 300 docking stands, unlimited daily usage) but I was disappointed in not being able to view the National Christmas Tree because the Secret Service Police had it closed off for some reason.  (O Canada!)

Proceeding east towards the Capitol from the White House, I passed by the Willard Hotel and the Trump International Hotel, but both places, which customarily have beautiful trees set up in their lobbies for any passerby to come in and see, restricted entry this year, due to the pandemic undoubtedly, to registered guests only.  However, there was a pretty tree set up outside in front of the Willard Center on Pennsylvania Avenue, although the avenue itself, usually adorned with a multitude of Christmas decorations on outside shrubs and dressing up window fronts, was notably spartan this year.  (The tree outside the Willard Hotel.)

Four old standbys did yield their traditionally beautiful yuletide trees in this Year That Wasn't, the Canadian Embassy, the DC Courthouse and the Capitol west lawn showing off decorated outdoor trees and the usual indoor tree inside Union Station was up and trimmed.  I liked the Peace Officer Tree on Indiana Avenue outside the DC Courthouse the best, it featured a blue theme as its ornaments are all memorials to local fallen police officers and its crowning star is police uniform blue.  The tree on the veranda outside the always welcoming Canadian Embassy was pleasing in the extreme as always.  The Congressional Tree before the Capitol Rotunda was tall and exquisitely trimmed and the Union Station Norwegian Tree stood lonely and forlorn inside the cavernous terminal mostly empty of people and bereft of most businesses and all other holiday decorations.  (A blue-themed tree.)

The museums were all closed until further notice so I couldn't enjoy the holiday trees customarily set up in the Library of Congress, the National Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Castle, the Navy Memorial and Log and the underground African Arts Museum, nor could I enter the usual food courts around the Mall such as at L'Enfant Plaza or Penn Quarter which have pretty trees each year otherwise.  Still, the Mall was nice to be on on a warm day and I even paused for a few minutes at a hybrid Pro-Trump Sunday evangelical service and Stop The Steal rally on the Mall, attended by a pathetic knot of about fifty Trumpites waving their stupid blue Trump 2020 flags and stretching their hands beseechingly towards the heavens whenever the name of their cult leader was invoked by the preacher.  Next year will be better for viewing the holiday decorations for sure, it couldn't be any worse, and come January 20th, hope will be restored for America with the incoming change occurring starting that day.  (The Congressional Tree.)