July 7

I loved walking around Washington D.C. and seeing all the great monuments!  Here is a map of the National Mall.  There was a lot of walking involved, but it was a nice day so I enjoyed it.

My first stop today was to look at the Washington Monument



• The Washington Monument remains the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk to this day. In addition, the monument stands as the tallest structure in Washington, D.C. rising 555 feet!
• The point at which construction was stopped in 1858 can be identified as the stones used above 152 feet have a darker tone of color when compared to the original ones.
• The Washington Monument is surrounded by flagpoles, each flag representing a flag of the state.
• There are 897 steps to the top...thank goodness there's an elevator!

After the Washington Monument I visited the World War II Memorial.  Here is what I learned about the monument, "The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world."  For more information visit here.

Tomorrow I will share pictures from two more monuments, these honoring two of our presidents.