The Nation's Capital, Part 1

Before I retired, I lived in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC, for 27 years. But when you live nearby, you tend not to go sightseeing. I was here for five days this time, visiting my son, and I think I saw more of DC than I did in the 27 years I lived here.

The Washington Monument is the first thing you see when you exit the Metro at the Smithsonian stop. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the top because all the tickets for the day were gone.


If I had gone to the top, I would have had this view of the fairly new National World War II Memorial in the foreground, with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.


The World War II Memorial is one of several new memorials that I had never seen. Completed in 2004, it consists of 56 pillars and 2 arches surrounding a plaza and a fountain.


The Lincoln Memorial was the site of many famous speeches, including Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech.


Outside, the Park Police's horses were a popular attraction.


Inside is a 20' tall statue of Abraham Lincoln, along with inscriptions of 2 of his most famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address.


Nearby is another new memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1995. It consists of 19 larger-than-life stainless steel statues, representing a squad on patrol.


Behind the statues is a 164' granite wall containing more than 2500 archival images sandblasted into the wall, representing troops that fought in the war. The wall creates an eerie effect combined with the reflections of the statues.