Vanessa's Vacations: Washington D.C., Part 1

Recently, my family and I took a week-long trip to the Nation’s Capitol; Washington D.C. My husband and I have wanted to take this trip for some time, but we waited until our daughters were older. They are now 10 and 12 and can understand and appreciate everything that D.C. has to offer. They have commented that there was no favorite part of the trip. They liked it all. And both thought this was the best family trip we have taken.

Now let's begin. There are a few things you should know about traveling in D.C. before you go.

1) First, push your political views to the side. Regardless if your a Republican, Democrat or an Independent, it is a place that everyone in America should see. It’s not all about politics. It’s the remembering of war veterans, our founding fathers and cherishing our nation’s documents. It’s a place that makes you proud to be an American.

2) Make the Metro subway your friend. Not only is it immaculate, it gets you to your destinations fast. It beats walking. And believe me there is plenty of that.

3) Find a local grocery store and purchase some breakfast and lunch items. Even dinner items if you have a hotel room with a kitchenette. Eating out everyday for every meal is a very big expense.

4) Before going on vacation, splurge on a good pair of walking shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking.

5) Remember all memorials and most museums and tours are free of charge.

The National Mall

There are four memorials honoring veterans and those who served and were killed during a war. 

The Vietnam War Memorial is a reflective black granite wall featuring the names of all the soldiers who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia and for those service member missing in action. A book is at the start of the memorial that shows the soldiers' names and where they are located on the wall. My family did rubbings of two of my father’s friends. Luckily my father made it back home. 

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is dedicated to the women who served in that war and the eight who died serving. The Korean War Veterans Memorial has images on the wall depicting scenes from the war. There is a cluster of trees near the base of the triangle. There are soldiers coming out of the trees towards home, which is represented by the American Flag.

And the National WWII Memorial, which honors the Americans who served during this war, consists of 56 pillars and a pair of arches surrounding a plaza and fountain. The fountain lights up at dusk.

The Lincoln Memorial honors our nation’s 16th President. Honest Abe is huge. There is even a marker where Dr. Martin Luther King  Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963. And, by the way, there are 48 steps to reach Abe. This may relate to the fact that there were only 48 states at the time of completion of the memorial.

The Washington Monument is 555 feet tall and honors our nation’s first President, George Washington. Order your free tickets online so you can climb all those stairs to a small observation deck. We could not get tickets. It was booked six months in advance. Some extra tickets are reserved and are available on a first come, first serve basis in the morning. Don’t want to tackle the stairs, but want to still see a beautiful view? Go to the old post office. An elevator takes you to the bell tower and an overview of the city is just as nice.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial and Theodore Roosevelt Island also honor our country’s presidents. Just don’t get caught dancing at TJ’s Memorial. You will get arrested.

Also near the National Mall is the Constitutional Gardens. Here, there is a small island in the lake where a memorial pays tribute to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. The signatures are etched into the memorial and are sealed with gold.

Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of Vanessa Holloway's visit to Washington D.C. The new column, Vanessa's Vacations, will run every Thursday.