My Favorite Presidential Monuments

As I mentioned again on Friday, hello Bradley Cooper, I went to college in Washington, D.C., and spent four wonderful years in our nation’s capital. One of the best things about D.C. is the number of free things there are to do. Most people do not realize that in addition to many of the beautiful monuments and memorials, all of the Smithsonian museums are free of charge including the National Zoo! However today, in honor of president’s day, I am sharing my favorite monuments.

The Lincoln Memorial might be my favorite in the city.   One of the best afternoons of college I biked the 2.4 miles to the memorial from school, climbed the steps, and walked around the back.  I plopped down and spent the next three hours reading a book – a truly phenomenal idea.   The memorial occupies a prominent space on the National Mall and when you get close the statue of him is a 19 feet tall.  To make it even better, the last time I was there a little boy asked him mom if the President was actually a giant – too cute!

The Washington Monument is truly a landmark of the city – just like the Empire State is to NYC.  This prominent memorial to George Washington stands as the centerpiece of the National Mall and is very hard to miss. I love this second shot of the spiral staircase inside, something I climbed as a ten year old but is now closed due to National Security.

The Jefferson Memorial is not exactly on the main drag but makes its’ way into my top three because of the beautiful dome-shaped.  Just like Lincoln a 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson is at the center – this time standing – surrounded by passages from the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson’s other writings.

Through out the city there are countless statues, buildings, and parks in memory various leaders of this great nation but they aren’t on my “must see” list.  One that is, however, is not dedicated to any one president but I really could not publish this without mentioning this moving memorial.

The World War II Memorial, the newest on the National Mall, is a gorgeous place to visit and pay your respects to World War II veterans. It is an oval shape with two 43-foot arches, representing the war’s Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Fifty-six pillars represent the states, territories and the District of Columbia at the time of the war – it is a VERY popular tourist thing to pose with your state.

On a hot day you can sit on the edge of the fountain, put your toes in, and be very grateful for the men and women who fought (and still fight) to keep our nation safe!