"The US Capital~" a Washington Travel Page by tracylacie

I moved to the DC area only 6 months ago and since then have made a few trips into the center of the Capital. There are many wonderful monuments to explore and the Smithsonian is a 5 day experience to see all it has to offer ....and both are free!! Yes, Free! I have seen the monuments up close and the most moving by far was the Lincoln Monument. It stands larger than life and depicts the 16th President with such grandeur that it is amazing. Another wonderful monument is the Franklin D. Roosevelt ....it is beautiful: man made waterfalls and wonderful quotes etched into the walls...it is the furthest from the Capital Mall but worth the trip.

The Jefferson Monument is, by far, the most picturesque. It sits at the end of the Tidal Pool with cherry trees lining the pool. (It is best to visit in late March when the cherry blossoms are blooming!) You can rent a paddle boat and paddle around the tidal pool for a view of the monument from the water. The walk from the Washington Monument is not long but not for those with young children or disabilities. There are tour buses that run between all the major monuments and have a hop on hop off fee of about $20 US a day.

The Smithsonian Institute is the largest museum in the entire world. It was founded by an endowment from a British man by the name of James Smithson. It consists of 14 museums within the city and a few outside of the city. There is an Air and Space museum at Dulles Airport and there is a nature center in Leesburg, VA. The ones located directly on the Mall between the Capital Building and the Washington Monument include The Air and Space Museum..a must see for anyone intersted in air/space travel and children seem to really like this one! The Museum of Natural History: this is my favorite...has the dinos and the ancient sea creatures....not to mention the ROCKS....you know...every girls best friend...precious gems....and wow are those things HUGE! The one that impressed me most was not the Hope Diamond but the 22,000 carat Topaz....it was incredible.