DC

Beloved had the wonderful idea of flying into DC instead of Baltimore. That way we could see the sights before heading down to MD and starting our house hunting project. We had a smooth flight, a harrowing landing, and arrived to a nice sunny winter day. After we got our rental car we headed down to the mall to look for a place to park and walk.

It was a really nice day, cool but not cold and sunny enough that several miles into our walk we shed coats and just enjoyed the afternoon sunshine:)

(these pictures are out of order from how we saw things)

The top picture is the Lincoln memorial behind the reflecting pool. The pool is really long and it was half frozen over. We watched geese flying over head and tons of people coming to visit.

One thing that really struck me is of all the many many people that we saw or walked by, only a small percentage were speaking English. It was really a very international mix.

We flew over the pentagon, but parked by the Octagon, which cracked me up. I had never heard of it but apparently President Madison and Mrs Madison lived here while the White House, which had caught on fire, was being renovated.

The Vietnam memorial. So many names. So many lives lost to secure the freedom of a people all the way on the other side of the world.

I enjoyed the Lincoln Memorial very much. It was so poignant and powerful to read his words and to think of all he did for our country. One thing that was so striking to me was that this president, and the others in his era made unashamed mention of God and His will and hand in our country. The words "one nation under God" really took on a new significance as I read President Lincoln's words about our nation being brought to life under God's watchful care. We really are under God and will be, if we listen to Him and don't forget Him. If.

He also wrote about the great struggle between the North and the South. The two sides reading the same Bible, praying to the same God, pleading for His help in victory. Obviously both sides couldn't be answered the way they wanted to be. What a sad time in our history as brother fought against brother. What an inspired leader who helped to mend our nation and make it stronger and set it on it's course that it has followed until today. Today when we have a African American President. No matter what my feelings about him, and my fears for his leadership, it still is a significant day in history and a tribute to our former President's vision.

Korean War Memorial.

Mounted police officers patrolled the mall. I loved to see them on their brave steeds, galloping around, keeping a watchful eye.

My favorite Memorial was the World War II memorial. It was so touching. On each side of the memorials entrance are 12 bas-relief sculptures recalling scenes of America at war. They were so powerful and caught the essence of what all Americans went through.

At the top of the memorial there is a wall with 4000 stars on it. The words "here we mark the price of freedom" engraved in front of it. Those stars represented the 400,000 American lives lost to fight freedom's battle again. This memorial, and the others all depicted America's love of freedom and our willingness to fight for it, even when it's not our own freedom on the line. It made me proud.

Washington Monument. We didn't go up but walked around it.

The White House.

There is so much to see and do here so we really had to pick and chose how to spend our afternoon. I think a walking tour was just right. I am excited to live closer and to be able to come back and see more and learn more.