In the summer of 2009, James and I took our summer vacation in Washington DC. We spent 7 days there (1-7 August) followed by a further 3 days in Boston (8-10 August). At first I wasn't sure about going to DC for the summer: the last thing I wanted was an educational holiday! But, Washington DC took us by surprise. I had such a good time there and when it was time to leave I was truly sad.
For the entire duration of our visit James and I rented a bike. Not only is DC a bike friendly place but a bike becomes somewhat necessary if you don't intend on renting a car. Since we visited DC during the peak tourist season, to beat the crowds, we got up very early each morning (i.e. 6am) and rode our bikes to the monuments and the memorials to take photos. In fact, a friend asked where are all the tourists in the photos? Teehee!
The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most popular attractions on the National Mall. Thirty-six marble columns surround the memorial, representing the 36 states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. Inside the memorial is a marble statue of Lincoln. Above the statue is an epitaph that reads:
IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION
THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IS ENSHRINED FOREVER
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest reflecting pool in Washington DC. The pool's purpose is to reflect, and reflect it does. It reflects everything from the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the clouds in the sky to the ducks and geese that swim in the water. The reflecting pool is also the place where Jenny jumped into the water and screamed "Forrest!".
Unfortunately, movies are movies. Up close, the water is really dirty and murky, and all kinds of stuff grow in there. The grass around the pool is overgrown, and the track beside the pool is pretty muddy. It is sad to say that the reflecting pool is probably the poorest maintained site on the National Mall.
Nevertheless, the reflecting pool is beautiful from a distance.
The Vietnam Memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial. Known as 'The Wall", the memorial is made up of two black granite walls and honours those who were killed or missing during the Vietnam conflict. More than 58,000 names are engraved on the surface of the wall.
The memorial, dedicated in 1982, was designed by Maya Lin, then a young American-Chinese student at Yale. The understated and unconventional design of the memorial caused much controversies at the time. Where was the American flag? And where were the statues? Two years after the memorial was dedicated a compromise was reached. A statue depicting three servicemen with a flag was erected at the entrance of the site.
Today, the sunken V-shaped design of the memorial is better understood. Some say the sunken design represents a scar on the earth, or a nation divided over the Vietnam war. Others say the V-shaped design represents the Chinese character 'ren', which means 'man' or 'person'. The message the wall conveys is different for everyone. For me, the 58,000 plus names on the wall is a simple yet powerful reminder of the human cost of the war.
The Korean War Memorial, located near the reflecting pool, was dedicated on July 27, 1995. The memorial depicts a squad of soldiers dressed in full combat gear; the field in which they stand represents the rugged terrain of Korea. There is something haunting and eerie about the looks on the soldiers' face.
The National World War II Memorial is the newest monument and memorial on the National Mall. The memorial was dedicated on May 29, 2004, and honours those who served during World War II. The memorial consists of 56 pillars and two arches. The northern arch reads 'Pacific' and the southern arch reads 'Atlantis".
On each of the pillar the name of one of the 48 states of 1945 is inscribed on it, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, D.C., Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Washington Monument was dedicated on February 22, 1885. The obelisk stands at nearly 170 meters tall, and at the time of completion, was the tallest structure in the world. An elevator takes you to the top of the monument; tickets are required during the peak season. You can obtain same day tickets or pre-order them online. We pre-ordered ours online.
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is located next to the Tidal Basin. The memorial was dedicated on 13 April 1942, and honours the 3rd President of the United States. The memorial is a little removed from the National Mall, and takes about 20 minutes of cycling from the Lincoln Memorial. On this particular day we got there around 7am. No tourist was in sight (apart from us!) and we enjoyed having the memorial all to ourselves. Inside the memorial is an imposing statue of Jefferson measuring 5.8 meters tall. The walls are engraved with passages from Jefferson's writings. The writings include excerpts from his letters and the Declaration of Independence.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial honours the 32nd President of the United States and was dedicated on May 2, 1997. The memorial is located the furthest from the National Mall. It is worth a visit however.
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