Washington, DC at the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial during the spring cherry blossom season Photo from Shutterstock
Live Video of Sun at National Air and Space Museum
For some one who is not always fond of boring historical museums, Washington is a place that I am dying to go again because of them! A lot of friends had told me prior that Washington for youngsters is very boring , there is not much activity and the place is all about monuments. Even then for many who comes to US, go to visit Washington as part of their plan. And why so, because these iconic landmarks and buildings are what makes the Washington DC the nations capital.
Washington, DC, the U.S. capital, is a compact city on the Potomac River, bordering the states of Maryland and Virginia. We stayed in the state of Maryland the night before we headed to Washington . The tour was part of Take Tours that included Princeton University NJ, Lancaster Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Washington in 2 days ideal for any tourist who want to visit all in a short span of time.
National Air & Space Museum
Robots on the road!
Researchers around the world are beginning to craft a future where
drivers with electronically enhanced cars, buses and trucks will navigate automated highways.
It is not only a museum but a history of flight with icons of air and space travel with 100’s of aircraft, spacecrafts, missiles, rockets etc. The museum also has IMAX for those who wish to experience out-of-this-world escape. Plus there are interactive demonstrations and learning one can take from the museum.
One hour given to us just passed in a jiffy. I could spend the whole day here, everything around was so interesting. In fact, Washington could be easily called the city of museums. My hubby was intrigued with the idea of visiting the Spy museum which if had time, we would have had gone.
The White House(outside)
The White House is often admired from afar, and we also got a chance to peek into from the outside from the fences.Home to US presidents, the white house or so called the executive mansion is one of the most visited sites in Washington DC. I remember my mom telling me that when she came years back, she took the tour inside White House and that was good.Public tours into the white house are free of cost and can be scheduled through your congressional representative. The details for which are here : The WhiteHouse Tour
Here the last president Barack Obama surprises the visitors visiting the White House.
Capitol Hill(outside)
Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., and one can also see the Congress in session at site on request.
Things to do in Capitol Hill
Lincoln Memorial
Situated in between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial is a large reflective pool that makes for a great photo. This place is of historical significance because the Lincoln Memorial is an American national monument built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The building is in the form of a Greek temple and has a huge seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln.
There, etched into the wall, is a memorable quote: "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”
I also liked it for the fact that, the planes fly very low in the area, may be due to airport nearby and hence you could see many airlines flying from the east of it and really low and so they look bigger and better with eyes.
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk build to commemorate George Washington and is made of marble , granite and blue stone and is both the world’s tallest stone structure and world’s tallest obelisk standing 555 feet tall.
The Washington Monument is visible from both the Lincoln Memorial and the White House from a distance. Situated on the east of Potomac River is the national mall and is taken to refer to the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol, with the Washington Monument dividing the area slightly west of its midpoint .
Korean War Memorial
I love the fact that the 7 feet statues of soldiers which stand in patches of bushes in a triangular enclosure symbolizes order and the rice paddies of Korea. The Korean War Memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial.
The memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the US armed services during 3 year period of Korean Way from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953 where approx 54,246 Americans died supporting their country. On the wall of the pool area in front are words of wisdom from sacrifices by the youth : That freedom is not free.
Tidal Basin
If you are arriving in Washington during Cherry Blossoms, this is a place famous for viewing them! We had gone post Cherry Blossom dates so there was no trees with the blossoms.
Potomac River Cruise
Potomac River Cruise was an optional cruise. On reading a few reviews we were in two minds on should we take it or should we not. Although the cruise glides through the Potomac River in Washington and one can experience DC area from waters, I personally wasn’t very fond of it. It may be a good viewing experience during blossoms however, to me it was just a regular cruise. We were on the roof and the winds from the front of the deck was fabulous. All in all, if you wish to relax, this could be it.
In our few hours of tour, we didn’t get to venture into food scene of Washington which I would have had loved to do! May be for next time. Overall, the tour was very satisfactory.
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