By the time we made it to Washington D.C. on our road trip from Oregon to Florida, we had explored 3 National Parks, visited 2 of the largest waterfalls in America, had close encounters with about 10 different animal species, and walked over 25,000 steps through The Windy City.
I honestly didn’t think I was going to be impressed with Washington D.C. Big cities tend to overwhelm and stress me out a bit, and I figured this would be the same.
But, I was wrong.
Most of the things to see in Washington D.C. are centralized in one area…The National Mall and Memorial Parks. This is where you can go to see many of the iconic Washington D.C. monuments and memorials, including the:
Washington Monument
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
World War II Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
And the reflecting pool
It took us about 3 hours to walk around the National Mall and stop to see the monuments and memorials.
This is also where you will find the Smithsonian museums, which you could spend several hours at ( we went through quickly in an hour) and tons of grass to enjoy in the midst of a large city.
Surrounding the National Mall and Memorial Parks is plenty of restaurants and hotels. The White House is only a short walk outside the National Mall and is a must-visit site in Washington D.C. I thought it was especially beautiful at night.
Just over the Potomac river is Arlington National Cemetery. You could easily spend a whole day here, it is that large. But, even if you don’t have extra time, it is worth a quick stop (give yourself about an hour at least). Make sure to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and catch the changing of the guard at noon.
I found Washington D.C. to be inspiring. Seeing the War Memorials and Arlington Cemetery reminded me how blessed I am. I feel thankful for the many men and women who gave their lives for my freedom. Visiting Washington D.C. gave me a renewed sense of hope for America as a strong and Godly Nation. I highly recommend everyone become a Washington D.C. tourist for a day.
Have you ever been to D.C.?
Is there anything I should see when I go back some day?
In case you missed it, you can see a recap of all the other exciting stops on our cross-country road trip here:
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