Although I have been to DC before, I’ve not been there in at least a decade, so there were many places on my list of things to see.

There were also many things I’d forgotten about, since 10 years ago my attention span was a bit different from how it is now.  For instance, so many delicious gentlemen were walking around in uniform…that should be common sensical, but not something I recall seeing.

One place I’ve always wanted to visit is Arlington Nation Cemetery.  I had no idea how huge it is.  At the visitor center I took a look at the interactive map and was blown away by how many memorials it included and how much area it covered.  The tram took us around to most of the cemetery and I hopped off at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to see the changing of the guard (a delicious ceremony).  The stop after that was Arlington House, the residence of Robert E. Lee.  It is set atop a hill which has an amazing view of the cemetery down below, the Patomic River and DC in the distance.  And of course, in between the tram stops, all we could see for acres and acres were rows of solemn gravestones, lined up in military formation, constantly standing guard, so the living never forget their terms of service.

Changing of the Guard

so many graves

The Library of Congress is one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen and one of the best guided tours I’ve ever been on.  I learned so much!  I immediately had day dreams of working underground in the stacks of the library, helping to retrieve ancient maps and other national treasures for researchers making news-worthy findings…hey, it could happen 🙂  We also got to see Thomas Jefferson’s personal library collection and understood that a few hundred books that were frayed and falling apart due to surviving a fire could be beautiful, not to mention priceless.  This was probably the most awe-inspiring building in the US I’ve ever seen.

Library of Congress-typical decoration

Then it was on to the National Capital building.  I was so glad to be able to tour it without a reservation!  We learned about some art and architecture of the impressive structure, and had plenty of time to take beautiful photos of the inside as well as the outside.

National Capital Building

An unexpected stop at the Hirshorn art and sculpture museum rounded out my visit.  It is part of the Smithsonian museum collection, so it was free, like most of the museums in the city.  Not too shabby for a day and a half to poke around!  Now I have to think of another set of places to explore the next time I’m in town….