This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day in the US, a holiday to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. What better way to spend it than visiting the U.S. capital? On Friday afternoon I folded my Montague bike, stashed it in the trunk, and went straight ahead to Washington DC. The trip from Boston was long, and the weekend traffic was crazy, but once we arrived, all the driving was worth it.
My first must see building was The White House. We were allowed much closer than I had imagined, and while it was also a bit smaller than I imagined… I wouldn’t mind living there ;).
From there, I went to visit The Lincoln Memorial. The building, shaped like a Greek Doric temple, has a large sculpture of Abraham Lincoln seated with inscriptions of his two most famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Passing through The National Mall and The World War II National Memorial, a memorial to the Americans who served and died in World War II, I came to the Washington Monument. It was a pity that it was closed for repairs and I couldn’t go up, but it was an impressive structure none the less. The surrounding area was a nice quiet green where we could get some rest after our ride.
And of course, I also visited The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, one of the Founding Fathers of the nation and third president of USA.
The Capitol of the United States was another must see. This building houses the two chambers of Congress, and the architecture was very impressive! On Sunday we toured numerous museums of The Smithsonian Institution. Everything from The National Air and Space Museum, and The National Museum of Natural History, to finally seeing the Declaration of Independence in The National Archives Building.
Positive note: ALL FOR FREE!
On Monday, the Memorial Day, I went to visit The Arlington National Cemetery. The gravestones were adorned with American flags to commemorate this day, and it was certainly emotional for everyone there. Our final stop was to visit The Iwo Jima Memorial. This statue depicting American soldiers raising a flag during the battle of Iwo Jima is an iconic image, and it was great to see in person.
There are still many places left to visit in DC. The city is packed with historical monuments and museums, so I hope to come back soon! And of course I’ll be back with my bike. The city is perfectly suited for an easy and convenient tour by bicycle. Look! Separated bike lanes!? Take note Boston!
Bringing a bike along was one of the best ideas I’ve had, and since it was a Montague folding bike, I could easily put it in the car trunk and store it safely! It was very quick riding from one place to another and I was able to see much more over the course of the weekend. Visiting Washington by bike was really amazing. It’s the best way to see the city in my opinion! The worst part was having to come back home … I give my trip and A+!
