M&M's – Museums and Memorials

The White House

By bus: Philadelphia –> Washington D.C., 3 hours, 139 miles (224 km)

Washington, D.C. – the center of American politics, a city without skyscrapers, and a place for knowledge. You want to know more? Well, I don't know if there is more, because those three descriptions came to my mind when I started writing this blog entry. The first one – center of American politics – is probably what most people think about D.C. I mean, sure, there are a lot of important (political) buildings around – like the White House or the Capitol – but you can also find the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Magna Carta in the National Archives, which are right in the city's center. 

The Capitol

There are also the Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Martin L. King Memorials: each of them tells it's own story about one man, who was able to change something, and who is still considered as being an important part of American history. 

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Both Lincoln and Jefferson seem to watch over the city, as if their serious look at the city are still influencing the city. 

Abraham Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln's View

Martin L. King, however, is like a rock, unmovable and strong, with a firm expression and the certainty, that he will stay there as long as it might take for all people to realize that all men are created equal. 

Martin Luther Kind Memorial

The Washington Monument is Washington, D.C.'s tallest building, even though it is “only” 555 feet 5¹⁄₈ inches (169.294 m) high. In the city, no building is “allowed” to be higher. Therefore, the Washington Monument can be seen as the actual city center, because it is visibly from most places in D.C. After almost one week in the skyscraper city New York, it felt liberating to walk around without the feeling to be surrounded by walls, walls, and walls. The cityscape is totally different from what I have seen so far. It even has streets that are named after the letters of the alphabet (which is, by the way, more than convenient!). 

Washington Monument

 

Most people know that Washington, D.C. is popular for it's variety of museums, that are not only (mostly) free, but also (most of the times) very close together. I think you could try to go to all museums in two weeks, but I doubt that you would be able to really see everything. We went to three museums, the Holocaust Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Air and Space Museum. The Holocaust and the Air and Space Museum were two of the best museums I've ever been to. The richness of detail was amazing!

Library of Congress

However, Washington, D.C. is of course more than an important center for politics, museums, or memorials. It is a city for everyone, for people with different opinions, attitudes, or beliefs. For people, who are not averse to talk about politics, to advance their point of view, or just to hold onto whatever is important in their life.

Overall: a city I definitely want to visit again!

China Town Gate

 8. - 13. December