Day 3 of D.C.

Coming to the close of Day 3, I think I can say that this was my favorite day so far. We made a tour of the memorials down on the Mall. We took the Metro as far as we could, then walked the rest of the way to the Lincoln Memorial. When asked, Emily said her least favorite part of the day was avoiding all the goose poop along the reflecting pool.

You really don't have a grasp on the size of this monument until you're directly in front of it. As Lincoln reclines in that big chair within the monument, Leah and I agreed that it brings to mind what the ancient Greek and Roman temples must have resembled.

We then visited the Korean War and Vietnam War memorials which sit on opposite sides of the Lincoln Memorial. I walked away from those memorials very humbled. The haggard, war-worn faces that were sculpted onto the statues of soldiers on patrol at the Korean Memorial give this place its power. Across the reflecting pool, name upon name engraved on stone at the Vietnam Memorial make me think of all the families that still miss a son or a daughter that never came back home.

This stands in contrast to the immense W.W. II Memorial. This place is big and expansive, and in my opinion, a bit sterile. This memorial doesn't speak of loss of life, it speaks of victory. It is a victor's memorial. It doesn't bear the heaviness of the other war memorials even though thousands more were killed.

Up the hill we went to the Washington Memorial. We had a brief pause as Emily and Lindsey said hello to Stonewall the Park Service patrol horse. He and his fellow officer were riding around the grounds making sure all was secure.

After a brief wait, up the Washington Memorial we went. We were treated to an excellent 360 degree view of the city.

Then, it was a to the American History Museum: Abe Lincoln's hat, George Washington's sword, the real Star Spangled Banner, and many more iconic items from our history. A great afternoon which I don't have enough time or patience to write about entirely. Glad I took pictures.

Another trip on the Metro where we stopped at Sanphan Thai restaurant. Crispy Duck, Chu Chi Shrimp, Thai Noodles--dinner goodness. We closed off the evening by stopping for more supplies at Eastern Market. Gruyere cheese, prosciutto bacon, field peas, all great things that we just can't get at home. It will make for a good supper tomorrow night.

Tomorrow, the Capitol Building.