Washington Monument Grounds — Attraction in Washington

IT WAS AH AWESOME EXPERIENCE GOING TO MONUMENTS PARK ! IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES I'VE HAD IN AH LONG LONG TIME !! AFTER GOING TO BRUNCH WITH AH VERY VERY SPECIAL FRIEND OF MIND !! I WAS CONSIDERING STRAIGHT BACK HOME OR FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO FOR THE DAY !! WHEN I STARTED SEEING SEVERAL OF OUR MANY MANY NATIONS CAPITAL MONUMENTS COME INTO MY VIEW !! I'VE NEVER HAD TIME TO RELAX FROM WORK; OR THE MANY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF LIFE. SO , SAID TO MYSELF WAKEUP AND LETS GO WALK, SMELL , FEEL , LISTEN ! IT'S YOU'RE VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY SPECIAL DAY. WHICH SO HAPPENED TO BE MY 50TH BIRTHDAY!! I REALLY NEED TO GET MY ASS AND ACTUALLY GO THROUGH AND ENJOY THE ENDLESS SITES AND SO MANY SOUNDS THAT THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , IN WASHINGTON D .C. !! WHOMEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET TO COME FACE TO FACE , WALK AROUND, TAKE VIDEOS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ABRAHAM LINCOLN , BE FACE WITH WAR MEMORIALS, SEE FIRST HAND HOW AMAZING THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT REACHES FOR THE SKY !! THEN, ONE OF THE MY MOST OUT OF MINDS , BODIES , AND SOULS EXPERIENCE ON ACTUALLY WALKING ON THE VERY VERY VERY VERY FROZEN MIRROR LAKE TWO TIMES, 360° TURNS FELT LIKE THE WORLD WAS JUST LIKE IN SLOW MOTION AS IF TIME JUST SLOWED DOWN ALL IN THIS ONE DAY JUST FOR ME !! I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET THIS SHELL OF MY BODY WORLD TO GLOBALLY,...

We visited the Jefferson Memorial while exploring the National Mall during cherry blossom season, and it ended up being one of the most peaceful and scenic spots of the day. The walk around the Tidal Basin was beautiful with the cherry trees in full bloom, and the view of the white marble dome reflecting off the water was unreal. Even though the area was a little crowded, the memorial itself felt calm and quiet compared to the more central monuments.

Inside, the statue of Thomas Jefferson is huge and surrounded by powerful quotes that really give you a sense of the history. The architecture of the Jefferson Memorial is classic and elegant, and it makes for a great photo backdrop especially with the blossoms in the background. We rode our scooters there from the Lincoln Memorial and it was an easy and fun ride along the water.

If you're visiting Washington DC in the spring, I’d definitely recommend stopping by the Jefferson Memorial. It’s a great place to catch your breath, enjoy some incredible views of the Tidal Basin, and take a few photos that actually look like postcards. It’s one of those spots that really sticks with you...

Visited for July 4th fireworks. It would have been better if there were not 10,000 people or so walking around after a heavy rain and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in 100% humidity, but such is the nature of Virginia in summer.

Note on the photo: Yes, those are light stations for the monument in the foreground. They are rather large, and there are four of those stations shining on the four corners of the it.

The grounds itself are well kept, and despite the thunderstorm beforehand I didn't see any mud pits, so it's got good drainage. Pretty clean when I got there, though after the July 4th crowds left there was a noticeable amount of garbage. I give respect for the groundskeepers the next day.

All told, quite impressive groundskeeping given the amount of foot traffic that it sees daily. Just about visiting in the height of summer if you can help it. The heat and humidity dampen the experience...