It was a hot and humid day when I visited the monumental heart of Washington DC recently with a friend who flew from Singapore to America for the very first time. Summer has not officially arrived yet but it was certainly one of those hot and sticky-skin days.
The last time I stepped foot on the National Mall was last September when a friend visited from Australia. We got to visit Lincoln Memorial and Mount Vernon.
Annakate was only 11 months old at that time and we had to use the infant car seat stroller throughout our tour since she had just learned to walk. It would have been tough to navigate through the frantic crowd at the tourist spots with her stumbling along beside us.
Fast forward 9 months later, and here we were again in the National Mall. This time her little legs were more than ready to sprint and explore.
Thankfully she is disciplined enough now to hold my hand when told to do so.
This recent trip reminded me a lot of my first trip to Washington DC with Mike four years ago. In 2010, I only covered the western side of the Monument towards the US Capitol. It was quite a lengthy walk back then and we did it again this trip. This round I was back with my DSLR to capture more pictures of the eastern end of the Mall which I did not do in 2010.
The National World War II Memorial is a monument dedicated to the 16 million Americans who served in and supported the armed forces during World War II. More than 400,000 died and millions supported the war effort from home.
The construction of the World War II Memorial began in September 2001. The Memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004. Consisting of 56 pillars and a pair of small triumphal arches surrounding a plaza and fountain, it is located at the eastern end of the National Mall.
This significant memorial is constructed of bronze and granite. Granite was chosen for its aesthetic appeal, superior strength, and durability.
Similar to the trip in 2010, I was truly glad that I brought a lightweight stroller along. I knew that it would require a lot of walking at the National Mall.
Even after having visited the National Mall four times I still have not seen all there is to see. The museums alone are enough to fill several days of browsing. If any of you get the chance to tour D.C. remember to bring your walking shoes and sunglasses, and perhaps even sunscreen.
After what seemed like five miles off walking, we called it a day. Sweaty and tired, we retreated to the car for a quick pass by The White House before heading to dinner. A day of sight seeing, history, and exercise had come to an end. As much as I enjoy visiting D.C. I’m hoping our next visit will be during a cooler season!
Note: Most pictures were taken by the Nikon D3200 in manual mode of f4.2/ iso 200/55mm lens and the shutter speed varied between 1/300 to 1/1250 due to the sun playing hide and seek with us.