Washington, DC, is so much more than just our nation’s capital and political center. Apart from the great food, cool museums, rad art, and cherry blossoms, Washington DC is also home to some of the best riverfronts in the country, packed with picturesque views along the Anacostia and the Potomac rivers. Washington DC has many marinas that offer cruises, charters, boat slips, lessons, and more.
The Vietnam Wall
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, DC that honors the service members of the US armed forces who fought during the Vietnam War. The wall is made up of two identical walls, each of which stretches for 246 feet and 9 inches. The Vietnam Wall contains the name of 58,000 service members. One of the more striking features of this memorial is that the walls are sunken into the ground, with the earth behind them to symbolize a wound that is closed and healing.
Seeing the black granite wall for the first time is certainly a moving experience, which is why the memorial has inspired over 60 songs, including commercial hits such as “High Hopes” (Bruce Springsteen) and “Civil War” (Guns N’ Ruses). The Vietnam Wall attracts millions of visitors each year, who come here from all corners of the globe to view the symbol of America’s honor.
Lincoln Memorial
You haven’t seen Washington DC until you’ve visited the Lincoln Memorial, built to honor the 16th president of the United States. The building is in the form of a Greek Doric temple where the 19 feet tall sculpture of Abraham Lincoln is seated. The classical chair that Lincoln is seated in is a Roman symbol of authority to convey that the subject was an eminence for all the ages.
US Supreme Court
Another imposing structure that’s hard to miss in Washington DC is the US Supreme Court. The neoclassical structure was built in 1935. Visitors can tour the building, listen to lectures about the rich history of this historic building, and if you’re lucky, even sit in on sessions, which is only allowed on specified days.
While the Supreme Court building does not provide a guided tour, you can still stroll around the public spaces and marvel at the two sculptures of seated figures entitled “The Guardian of Authority” on the right and “The Contemplation of Justice” on the left that flank the main entrance.
The Smithsonian
Your tax dollars are hard at work, and the Smithsonian Museum is testament to that. To get an idea of the hard work that went into creating the Smithsonian, if you were to put in 8 hours a day, it would still take around 95 days, 3 hours, and 20 minutes of continuous viewing to see all of the public exhibits that the Smithsonian museums (19 in total) have on display.
We recommend sticking to the average dwell time of two hours at each of the museums. There’s a plethora of artwork that you can enjoy, but you’ll want to check in on the exhibitions beforehand.