Washington, D.C.

The route we took, seeing the western half of the Mall

A few weeks ago, we took a day trip to Washington, D.C.  This post recaps that trip.

Most visitors to DC focus on one area: the National Mall, which contains a number of monuments and museums (not to mention the Capitol Building and White House) in a pleasant, park-like setting.  We hoped to do the entire Mall, but time, heat, and children precluded us, so we focused on the western half.  First up: the Washington Monument.  Looking east from there, you can see the Capitol; west, the WWII and Lincoln Memorials.

After Washington's monument, we headed west to the WWII Memorial.  Built in 2004, it's one of the newer monuments in the area.  Note you can see the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial looking west from there; the Washington Monument is now to the east.

We continued west down a pleasant, tree-lined walk and had lunch.  We were accosted by the super-'friendly' squirrels but escaped without incident.  After that, it was the Vietnam Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial brings us to the western end of the Mall, and offers a nice view east.

Heading back east (on the south side), we saw the Korean War Memorial (also 'new,' it was built in 1995) and the Jefferson Memorial (at a distance, from across the Tidal Basin).

We concluded by a view of the White House (you can't get very close), and saw the Capitol building again from the car on the way home.

DC is a nice day out, and in nice weather, it's a photographer's paradise.  Next time we hope to hit the eastern half of the Mall, with its myriad museums.  It would also be nice to tour the White House and Capitol Buildings, though I believe advanced permission is required.  A good time to visit is in the spring, during the Cherry Blossom Festival (in 2017, late March-late April).

a nice image of the Mall, from here

Rating: A