Sight-seeing in D.C. Day 1

Continuing my posts from our D.C. trip. If you missed the last post about this trip you can click: SAAM & National Portrait Gallery DC

After a good breakfast at the hotel, we took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery. This place gets me every time. Just the sheer number of white marble headstones is breathtaking.

If you decide to visit Arlington Cemetery, be prepared to go through security similar to airport security to enter. We were there early so the line wasn’t long. We followed the signs first to the Kennedy Memorial. The Kennedy Memorial and burial site for John F. Kennedy as well as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis I thought was nicely done. Nothing too over the top. There is an Eternal Flame that burns, which was lit by Mrs. Kennedy during JFK’s funeral.

As we walked toward the the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to see the changing of the guards, I turned around and looked back and saw this perspective shot. Yaaas!!!

When we came around the corner, there was a ceremony taking place, where different designated groups took part in placing wreaths in front of the tomb.

The changing of the guard is an impressive ceremony.

This is Memorial Amphitheater which is right behind where you stand to watch the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

After spending a couple hours at Arlington, it was time to head to our next stop, which was National Museum of Natural History. There you can see everything from dinosaurs to diamonds.

After that we were all famished for lunch so decided to try b DC Penn Quarter. We enjoyed it. Good food, decent prices.

Still tons to see that day and we were close to the National Archives museum. You are not allowed to take pictures inside since it houses so many important documents, such as the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. Here’s a picture of the outside.

I had tried to prearrange a capitol tour though our Alabama representative office, but it fell through when the assistant that does the tours was going to be out of town.

However, after walking around the outside capitol, we decided to go in and see if there was anyway we could get a regular tour. Although it wouldn’t be as up close and personal as what the state representative’s usually do, it’s the only way you can see the impressive rotunda and National Statuary Hall. We got the last spots on the very last tour of the day, which I think the kids were really glad to get to go inside and see the rotunda and learn a little about this iconic building.

For dinner we walked over to Chinatown and actually ended up at a Mongolian Grill called Tony Cheng’s. We enjoy the Mongolian BBQ or Grill restaurants. So Alex and Drew always look to see if there’s one located in new cities when we visit. If you’re ever in a big city that have Chinatown or Little Italy, I highly recommend you go check out these hidden gems. You will find the best Chinese food/Italian cuisine respectively as well as unique culture throughout.

You know you’re entering Chinatown when you see things like this.

This was a fancy Chinese restaurant across from where we ate.

After dinner, it was time to hit as many memorials as possible along with the White House. By the time we made our way over to everything is was pretty much dark. I think seeing these highlights at night make it even more memorable.

The World War II Memorial is the newest memorial in D.C. with it being commemorated in April 2004. It is quite grand and has so much symbolism. It honors the service of 16 million members of the Armed Forces who served during WWII.

From there we walked passed the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial, which is always so grand. I was shocked at the mere number of people sitting on the stairs leading up to the memorial.

While the sign said “Quiet – Respect Please”, people completely ignored that and were acting like they were at an amusement park.

The Korean War Memorial (dedicated in July 1995) memorializes the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the Korean War that spanned 3 years. The 19 stainless steel statues are illuminated, which made for some really fascinating shots. You’ll find this memorial near the Lincoln Memorial.

The last memorial we hit was the Vietnam Memorial, which was commemorated in 1984. The pic below is of a bronze statue called Three Soldiers. This is the first representation of an African American on the National Mall.