The Capitol

Friday was a gorgeous day here in Washington DC, therefore I decided to be a productive tourist and explore some of the amazing buildings and architecture of our nation's Capitol. Here are some highlights!

1. Chinatown: Not really a classic Chinatown anymore. Basically an area that has been extremely developed, but used to be the Chinatown of the area. Lots of great eateries and also not too far from the Sculpture Garden, a beautiful park with amazing flowers and pretty interesting sculptures!

2. The Capitol Building: This is where I started my "monument" tour. I didn't go inside this time, since it was really sunny and warm outside, but I took some pictures from the outside (again, I don't have my camera wire that connects to the computer yet, so pictures are forthcoming later!) I love the Capitol building - it evokes exciting feelings in me for the amazing potential the inside has to bring good to people.

3. National Mall: Our nation's "backyard" as it is known, has awesome views of the Capitol Building on one side and the Washington Monument on the other.

4. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum: I wanted to see cool airplanes. The place is alright. Definitely not the best Smithsonian museum available to visit. I definitely look forward to visiting some of the other Smithsonian institutions on my next DC trip.

5. Washington Monument: Surrounded by scores of American flags, this phallic symbol is also a very pride-inducing piece of work.

6. Jefferson Memorial: I love the outside of this memorial - the domed top and all the columns really make it a great stop.

7. Cherry Blossoms and The FDR Memorial: Although I've seen the beautiful cherry blossoms before, the FDR memorial was a new discovery for me. I have actually never seen this memorial before. Probably because it is located on the far end of the reflecting lake that is surrounded by beautiful Cherry blossoms (which officially will bloom next week, creating an absolutely beautiful sight of pink and white blooms). The Cherry Blossoms are absolutely a must see - so plan a visit to the Capitol at least once in your life around this season!

8. Lincoln Memorial: Although I love the Jefferson Memorial building, I absolutely adore the Lincoln statue. His face and posture, sitting in his giant chair, evoke such calm but determined and passionate leadership. It helps, of course, that I also find Lincoln to be one of our greatest Presidents, therefore I may be pretty biased.

9. WWII Memorial: This is a beautiful tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the protection of our country. And of course, I found the wreath dedicated to California and, because I freely admit to being biased, thought it was the best one (despite them all being absolutely identical).

All in all, I walked quite a bit! I was exhausted by the time I was finished, but the whole trip was well worth it. I highly recommend everyone visit DC - you absolutely can't leave without feeling moved in some way and continuing to be extremely proud of our Country.