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Road Trip sees the best of D.C. (photos)

Road Trip 2010: Washington, D.C., is not a tech-heavy city, but Larry Ellison seems to be enjoying it. And there's plenty else to see as well.

Daniel Terdiman
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
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Larry Ellison does D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Is Larry Ellison on road trip too?

You might not think of the nation's capital as a hotbed of technology, and you'd be right, for the most part. After all, this is the heart of American politics, and it's definitely a company town.

But sometimes tech and travel meet, and with Road Trip 2010, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman has been sojourning in Washington the last few days looking for just that convergence.

He may have found it Tuesday. He was visiting the Lincoln Memorial and aiming his camera down the Reflecting Pool towards the Washington Monument and the Capitol when who should wander into his shot but the Oracle CEO, seen here, posing for a photo being taken by his assistant.

CNET attempted to find out what Ellison was doing in Washington, but before Terdiman could inquire, Ellison was gone. And Oracle didn't return two messages left Tuesday afternoon.

Click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Supreme Court

It's been a frenetic few days for the U.S. Supreme Court as its session winds down. On Monday, the court handed down a controversial Second Amendment ruling, along with a decision in a patent case that disappointed opponents of software patents; on Sunday night, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's husband died; and Monday was the final day on the court for longtime Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. Meanwhile, President Obama's nominee to take Stevens' seat, Elena Kagan, was taking the stand for the first time in her confirmation hearings.

Despite all that activity, it was very calm outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon, allowing the building and what it represents to stand stolidly independent from the hoopla.

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South side of the White House

A view of the southern facade of the White House, as seen from Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.

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North side of the White House

A view of the northern facade of the White House, as seen from Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

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The Capitol

An early evening view of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
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Close-up of the Capitol

And here's a closer view of the Capitol building.

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Albert Einstein

Thanks to several CNET readers, reporter Daniel Terdiman discovered the lovely Albert Einstein memorial, near the National Academy of Sciences. The sculpture is big enough that people can sit in Einstein's lap.

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Reflecting Pool

A view over the Reflecting Pool from the Washington Monument toward the Lincoln Memorial.

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The Washington Monument

One of the most majestic attractions in all of the nation's capital, the Washington Monument stands tall.

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Towards the Washington Monument

A view of the Washington Monument across the Reflecting Pool, as seen from the Lincoln Memorial.

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National Archive

The National Archives, in Washington, D.C., home to, among other things, the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

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Department of Justice

A view of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C.

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National Security Agency

A look at the National Security Agency headquarters in Ft. Meade, Md., not far outside Washington.

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FBI headquarters

A view of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI headquarters, in Washington, D.C.

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FDR Memorial

It may seem that a four-term president would merit a more impressive memorial in Washington than this one, but it was actually what Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted.

This unassuming marker is located adjacent to the National Archives, and beside it there is a sign that reads:

"In September 1941 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called his friend, Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter, to the White House and asked the Justice to remember the wish he then expressed:

"'If any memorial is erected to me, I know exactly what I should like it to be. I should like it to consist of a block about the size of this (putting his hand on his desk) and placed in the center of that green plot in front of the Archives Building. I don't care what it is made of, whether limestone or granite or whatnot. But I want it plain without any ornamentation, with simple carving, 'In memory of _______'"

"A small group of living associates of the president, on April 12, 1965, the twentieth anniversary of his death, fulfilled his wish by providing and dedicating this modest memorial."

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Half mast

Early in the morning of June 28, Sen. Robert Byrd, the longest-serving member of Congress in history, passed away at the age of 92.

As a result, flags all over Washington were at half-mast in the days following his death, including the ring of flags surrounding the Washington Monument, seen here.

Click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Side view of the Capitol

A side view of the Capitol Building.

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World War II Memorial

In 2004, this stunning World War II memorial was dedicated in the space between the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool.

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Lincoln

The giant sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln sitting in his chair, inside the Lincoln Memorial, is one of the most famous statues in the world.

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The Lincoln Memorial

A west-facing view of the Lincoln Memorial.

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Smithsonian Castle

This is the Smithsonian Castle, home to the institution's administrative offices, and the Smithsonian Information Center.
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Newseum

A terrific museum dedicated to educating the public about journalism and newsgathering, the Newseum stands tall on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few blocks from the Capitol Building.

Click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Taxation Without Representation

Washington, D.C. license plates feature the slogan "Taxation Without Representation," a nod to the fact that while residents there pay taxes, they do not have a member of Congress. The District of Columbia does have three electoral votes in Presidential elections, and has a Congressional delegate who can be on the floor of the House and vote on procedural matters and in committee, but who is not allowed to vote for legislation on the floor.

Click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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