A weekend full of friends and history in DC, Part II
And now we move onto the historical aspect of the DC trip! Sunday morning, Manj and I met up with B and Jenny for coffee before embarking on a walking tour of DC. I had visited the DC sights many times as a child, but had never been as an adult, so I was really looking forward to our tour. Luckily, it was a beautiful, crisp, fall day, which made the walk even nicer.
First stop: The Treasury Building, which houses the US Department of the Treasury.
Next, we walked over to the White House. President Obama’s residence for four more years! We also got a good view of the White House Kitchen Garden. Vegetable gardens have been present at the White House ever since it was built in 1800. Eleanor Roosevelt championed victory gardens during World War II, during a time of food and resource scarcity. Hillary Clinton used innovative space-saving and eco-friendly techniques to build a rooftop garden above the White House. Most recently, first lady Michelle Obama planted a kitchen garden on the White House lawn, and wrote the book “American Grown” as part of her efforts to promote home gardens, and combat childhood obesity. Free tours of the gardens are available during specified during the fall and spring. I think it would be an interesting tour to go on one day!
The Washington Monument, with the Jefferson Memorial in the background.
Next, we made our way over to the Washington Monument. Built between 1848 and 1884, the monument was constructed to honor George Washington’s military leadership during the American Revolution. As the world’s largest obelisk (555″ 51⁄8′ inches/ 169.294 m), it is a fitting tribute to our nation’s first president.
Afterwards, we made our way towards the National World War II Memorial. This memorial is dedicated to the 16 million service people who faught in the war, the 400,000 who were killed, and all of the people who supported the war efforts back home. According to the official website of the site, “… the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people.”
Representing PA!
We walked along the reflecting pool, towards the Lincoln Memorial.
At the top of the steps leading up to the memorial is an engraving marking the very spot that Martin Luther King Jr’ delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, given at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.
Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president, and known as the great emancipator, is memorialized with this imposing statue. Above him is an epitaph reading “In this temple/ as in the hearts of the people/ for whom he saved the union/ the memory of Abraham Lincoln/ is enshrined forever.
Later that afternoon, after a quick bite at Paul (a great little French bakery), we met up with Anand, Naga, and Noa. The weather was starting to get quite chilly, so we decided to head indoors to the National Gallery of Art. One of the great things about DC is how all of the museums are free! I think it’s wonderful how they make art and culture so accessible to everyone. We enjoyed walking through several exhibits and catching up some more.
My attempt at a super cool artistic shot of my friends 🙂
Sleeping Beauty!
I had a great trip to DC. Of course I wish it were longer, because there was so much more I wanted to do and see. A good excuse to come back and visit again soon!
Kavi360 
Oh wow you’re in my city! Great photos, I love how the museums are free too, makes for something to do after work or on the weekends without spending money. When do you leave, it would be cool to meet up over coffee and talk travel 🙂
Rubella, I was just in DC for a short trip – only 2 days. Next time I’m there, I would love to meet up with you! Let me know if you’re ever in Philly 🙂