There is nothing like celebrating the birthday of the United States of America in our nation's capital! We joined approximately 500,000 other folks who felt exactly the same way. :) It took a little time to get in on the metro but once we were there, it was fabulous! The first thing we stumbled upon was the parade. This was my favorite float - a living replica of the Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington Cemetery.
From there we walked over to the White House. My friend, John, was one of my youth when he was in high school and he is doing an internship in DC for the summer so he played tour guide for us and it was wonderful! It was also his birthday!
My favorite memorial in all of DC is the Einstein Memorial. It is a little bit off the beaten path so often not seen but worth the effort. We sat on his lap (& shoulder) while he shared with us all he knew about his theory of relativity.
The most impressive view of the mall (in my opinion) is from the Lincoln Memorial. We were there about 3pm and people were already setting up camp for their fireworks viewing. We ran into a guy from Kansas who was kind enough to take our picture. Those Kansans are so nice!
They wouldn't let us sit on Abe's lap but we could take our picture with him. The Gettysburg Address is inscribed on one wall and his second inaugural address is inscribed on the other. It is an impressive place! There is debate over whether or not Lincoln's hands are forming the A and L of American Sign Language but I choose to believe he is. After all, he did sign the legislation that gave Gallaudet University the authority to grant college degrees - plus I have a sister who is an interpreter! I love Lincoln!
The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial is a place where people come to "respond and remember." For many it is a very emotional place.
Continuing our walk around the mall, we found ourselves across from the Jefferson Memorial. It would have been fun to get closer but we didn't feel like swimming. :)
Not the best picture of the fireworks but I've never really figured out how to get a great picture of fireworks. They are so impressive live but just can't do them justice in a still picture. It was an amazing sight to see next to the Washington Monument. A perfect ending to a fabulous fourth of July!
2 comments:
The last time I saw you sitting on Einstein's lap, you were seeing DC with the Bearces! Love, Mom
Love the blog! You're doing great with keeping up as you travel! :-) I love Lincoln, too!! Safe travels and call or text often! Love you!!!
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