Sights in the City

So moving to DC has a few benefits.  First, there are several FREE museums to visit and they are constantly being updated.  Second, there are several FREE monuments to visits and they are packed with historical information!

One of my favorite monuments is the Washington Monument.  It is on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and The Capitol.

The Washington Monument was built to commemorate the first President, George Washington. 

The monument is 555 feet 5⅛ inches

The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884.  It took so much time to complete because of co-option by the Know Nothing party, a lack of funds, and the intervention of the American Civil War.

A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet up, shows where construction stopped and started again.
I also love going to the Lincoln Memorial (and I am happy to take visitors anytime!)

The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922 and was built to honor our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. 

The Lincoln Memorial measures 189.7 by 118.5 feet and is 99 feet tall. It is surrounded by 36 columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. The columns are 44 feet tall with a base diameter of 7.5 feet. 
The Cherry Blossom Festival in the spring was so beautiful!  The trees lined the river and all you could see were pink and white flowers everywhere.  I am looking forward to going next year and taking a picnic to enjoy down by the water.  The festival takes place along the Potomac River and all along the mall.