Washington D.C.

Presidential Monuments

The Washington Monument is an iconic obelisk located in the National Mall. It is the tallest structure in the city and was built to commemorate the first president of the United States, George Washington. The Lincoln Memorial is a neoclassical monument located at the western end of the National Mall. It is dedicated to the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and features a 19-foot tall marble statue of him. The Jefferson Memorial is a neoclassical structure located on the shore of the Tidal Basin. It is dedicated to the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, and features a 19-foot tall bronze statue of him. The FDR Memorial is a large outdoor memorial located in West Potomac Park. It is dedicated to the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and features four outdoor galleries, each dedicated to a different period of his presidency.

D.C. by Sailboat

We took our boat up the Potomac River to explore the nation's capital and its many attractions. To our delight, we found that they were all easily accessible from the waterway. We couldn't help but chuckle as our anchorage was located adjacent to the Titanic Memorial. It dawned on us that the iconic pose from the movie was based on the memorial itself, though the memorial was not based on the movie.

For a small fee, we were able to dock our dinghy at a nearby marina, providing us with access to showers, laundry services, and rubbish disposal. We spent the next 10 days biking and hiking through the city, taking in all the monuments and memorials. It felt great to stretch our legs after the long boat ride. We were also fortunate to have a grocery store and a metro stop conveniently close by, not to mention the boardwalk with a plethora of restaurants and shops.

Martin Luther King Jr Memorial

"When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it." -Author Unknown. We think this applies to Martin Luther King, Jr and his legacy because he was all about peaceful change and his quotes are now written in stone throughout the memorial. How approporiate it is to hold on to what he represented and proclaimed. A very moving memorial.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is stunningly breathtaking. At 30 feet tall, the imposing statue of stone captures the sentiment of victory through disappointment embodied in the detachment of the Stone of Hope from the Mountain of Despair. It is a dramatic and powerful sight. Its location between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials furthers the connection between these three monumental civil rights leaders and the three important moments in United States history: the promise of equality, the freeing of slaves, and the drive for full and equal rights.

Smithsonian Museums and More

We only had time to visit a few of the Smithsonian Museums, so we chose: The American History Museum, the exhibits trace the major events and themes in American History, which was exhaustive. The Natural Science Museum where we delved into the fascinating story of our planet, from its fiery beginnings through billions of years of transformation. The Botanical Gardens which is a living plant museum and so beautiful. Lastly, the Zoo which is home to over 400 different species of animals, we went for the pandas, ironically we had the most fun watching the seals. The best part is that all these great museums are free of charge!