A Monumental Day

We didn't have any schedule on Thursday, so after a leisurely breakfast we got back on the subway and headed for the Capitol Mall. The west end was our goal, with it's collection of Monuments and Memorials to some of America's most revered statesmen. The Foggy Bottom metro stop got us close, with only a .9 mile walk to get to the Lincoln Memorial, but also put us squarely in the center of George Washington University; specifically, the hospital cardiac building. We had time to have a cup of Starbucks best in the cafeteria while we cogitated on our directions, and then took off.

The Lincoln Memorial is impressive even from 1/4 mile away.

The crowds were extensive, but we managed to get a photo.

Lincolns Second Inauguration Speech is featured on one wall, but the Gettysburg Address received the most attention.

The Washington Monument dominates the other end of the Reflecting Pool.

A short distance northeast, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial occupies a quiet corner of the mall. The wall is built in a rising pattern that conveys the increase in deaths as the years progressed through the height of the war and then tapered off as involvement was reduced.

About this time we needed to make a decision about what and where we wanted to go.  We had already walked a mile and more, and either had to skip the Jefferson Memorial or go for a much longer walk. We walked.
About half way around the Tidal Basin, a lagoon devoted to paddle boats and ducks, we encountered the Memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

One of FDR's greatest accomplishments was the Tennessee Valley Authority project. Providing electricity and jobs for millions of rural Americans, the TVA is symbolized by a waterfall since the TVA harnessed millions of acre feet of water to provide hydroelectric power.

Donna found a new friend!

As we rounded the west side of the Tidal Basin, the Thomas Jefferson memorial came into view.

The entrance to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

And Mr. Jefferson himself.

Flanked by two of his many literary pieces.

Leaving the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument is once again the main feature of the area.

After walking seven miles, we decided that a trip to the Potbelly Sandwich Works was in order. The deli is just two blocks from the Metro station, so it's perfect to tank up on a sandwich and then nod off during the ride home! We polished off a couple of sub sandwiches and rolled into the metro station for the ride home.