UP ON CAPITOL HILL!

Today we wrapped up our tour of Washington D.C. by walking to the western part of the town, or Capitol Hill. Along the way we walked by the Smithsonian Institute or Castle. It was a beautiful building surrounded by really nice landscaping. Lesya and I really enjoyed looking at some different flowers and bushes. 

The next attraction on our list was the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It was a Saturday so the first thing that we found ourselves doing is waiting in line to get into the building. All of the waiting that we had to do in town was because of the security check point at all major attractions. All of this security sometimes felt like a terrorist was inevitable. 

In the museum, there were many exhibits and displays. With the high crowds and exhibits, it felt overwhelming. The Space and the Wright Brothers exhibits were the most interesting. 

Special event

Wright Brothers first plane

After some lunch at the museum and a visit to the store for some souvenirs we made the final ascent to the hill. At this point, the temperature had climbed into the high 80's and the humidity high as always, really made for a sweaty walk. 

Capitol Hill

Construction deforms the look

Supreme Court

After our Capitol experience, we got some ice cream at the bottom of the hill. We actually found a legitimate ice cream truck that didn't look like an Asian ox cart with expired boxed ice cream. The ice cream was better but a bit watered down. Nevertheless it helped beat the heat.

TOURING THE MONUMENTS!

Today we went to the western part of the Capitol. At first, when looking at a map, it was quite the distance to travel but at the end of the day it was only about 4 miles of walking. We had strollers for both kids for that very reason. 

The first memorial that we came to was the World War II, just beyond the Washington Monument. 

There were 4,048 gold stars mounted on the Freedom Wall which represent 100 American service personnel per star who died or remain missing in the war. There were 405,399 Americans who died or are still missing. 

From there we walked along the Reflection Pool to the Lincohn Memorial. The kids enjoyed feeding the many ducks that swam in the pool. 

As we neared the Lincohn Memorial, I noticed all of the stairs, and my first thought was, where is the elevator? To my surprise there was an elevator that many parents with strollers also used. Out of all of the monuments and memorials that we saw that day, this one was my favorite. 

As you walk around the building to the back, you get great views of the bridge going over the Potomac River. On the other side you can see the Arlington Cemetary. Today was cooler but very muggy, so we decided to skip the walk across the bridge to the cemetery which is only one mile. But once you get into the cemetery we were told it's a another hike up the hill to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

The Korean War Memorial was really well depicted with a squadron of 19 soldiers walking through a field. To the side there is a sandblasted wall showing the faces of soldiers and the 3 branches of the military.

From the Korean War Memorial we walked along the Tidal Basin, with Japanese Cherry trees along the waters edge. Although the trees weren't in blossom but there was a very relaxing and peaceful feel to the place. 

Along the way we came to the Martin Luther King Memorial and later the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial with its many quotes. 

Everyday, every so often, we would see many different types of low flying helicopters transporting the VIP and securing the airspace. So I was able to capture a couple of the fly overs. 

The last attraction of the day was the Jefferson Memorial. This time Adrian and traversed the stairs to the statue, while the girls hung out outside on the stairs.