How many of us have dreams of seeing the beautiful architecture of Rome, Paris, Greece, Egypt and other historical places. The capital of United States has the kind of architecture that is truly an international blend. It has the world's largest obelisk which is also the worlds largest stone structure, called Americas Egyptian Obelisk. Jefferson Memorial was called America's Pantheon. Lincoln Memorial, with its orthogonal lines were reminiscent of Athens's ancient Parthenon. The Union Station was modeled after buildings in ancient Rome and is lavished with sculptures, gold leaf, and marble corridors. Besides the beautiful monuments and memorials, it has various museums with world famous attractions and variety of exhibits. The best part about these museums is that most or all are free entrance. Now this is a place we love to visit.
My friends are going to Washington DC for 4 days this June and they asked us what they could do, so I got writing about one of my favorite places in US. After our wonderful trip to Zion and Grand Canyon last year, we took our parents to Washington DC in May 2012. This was our second trip. We had taken Rishi on our first visit to the DC when he was 1.5 years old. I will post a mixture of pics from both these trips.
There are a lot of things to do in DC:
The National Mall and Memorial Parks - Extending from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial, the National Mall immortalizes the nation’s heroes and provides a gathering place for the public to honor and appreciate. The mall contains landmarks, museums and other features. It is an open area national park and NPS (National Park Service) administers the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
The picture below depicts all that is covered in the National Mall and Memorial Parks: West end of the National Mall is the Lincoln Memorial. East end of the Mall is the Capitol Building. In between this walk, are a lot of wonderful museums that are part of Smithsonian Institution.
1) Smithsonian Museums - There is a metro station that gets you off near the Smithsonian Institution Building, center of Washington Monument and Capitol. All the museums have free entrance. The walk is beautiful and the museums are grand. Be prepared though to do a lot of walking!
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| Kids event at the museum |
There were cycle rickshaws parked outside this museum with youngsters/students pedaling their tourists to their destinations. This is a great option if you need a break from walking.
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| National Museum of Natural History |
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| Smithsonian Castle |
2) Capitol Building
After covering the museums, we went to the Capitol Building. There is so much history and beauty in the United States Capitol. I suggest a thorough reading about it on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol. To book a tour of the US Capitol, please follow the instructions on http://tours.visitthecapitol.gov/
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| Big smiles |
At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in the world, and it remains the tallest stone structure in the world. This is a sight of sheer beauty. The Washington Monument is the tallest obelisk that is ~555 feet tall. We had tickets to go up the monument when we first visited, however I read recently that due to an earthquake in 2011, they have closed the monument till 2014 for repairs. I do suggest a night visit as well to the Washington Monument and the Memorial Park, especially The Lincoln Memorial which is behind the Washington Memorial. Viewing the beautifully lit-up memorials at night is an enchanting experience.
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Washington Monument at night  |
From Washington Memorial, below is a suggested walking route:
a)National World War 2 Memorial
c)Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a black granite wall inscribed with the names of 58,209 Americans killed or missing in the Vietnam conflict.
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| Near the Vietnam Memorial wall is this bronze statue of 3 young servicemen. |
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| The columns stand 44 feet tall |
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f)Martin Luther King Memorial - The memorial is located at the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin near the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
g)Thomas Jefferson Memorial - The Jefferson Memorial is a tribute to Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States and the nation's third president.The building housing the statue was influenced in design by Roman Pantheon, and its domed interior is lined by many quotations from Thomas Jefferson. My hubby was very inspired by all quotes and mentions every time that this is must see in DC.
h)FDR War Memorial - Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a pathway spread over 7.5 acres with sections for each of the president's terms in office. Walls, statues, and water features depict the president's time in office, during the Great Depression, through the beginning of World War II.
i)George Mason Memorial
5. White House - The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.
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| 2010 |
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| 2012 |
6. Washington National Cathedral- This reminded me of Notre-Dame in Paris. It is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world. We took the metro first and walked up to the magnificent Cathedral. Walking to this place is an effort so my suggestion would be to take the taxi or bus. While returning we took the bus to the National Zoo.
8.Union Station - This is a must visit as well. We dined at the Union Station as there are a lot of options to eat.
There are many many other beautiful attractions like the Botanical Gardens, International Spy Museum, and in VA there is Arlington Cemetery, Mt. Vernon Estates and I am sure the list goes on.
To my friends who are moving close to D.C. and to those that are travelling there this summer have lots of fun! Its a great place to be, explore, learn and have fun.
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