Let’s Go to the Mall
7 Aug 2021 by Amby
The National Mall in Washington, D.C. has some of the most iconic buildings and monuments in the United States. Sev and I spent an afternoon on a long walk from Union Station to the Jefferson Memorial, seeing all the major sites over the course of about two hours. This is a walk I’ve done quite a few times with people who have visited me over the years, but I always enjoy it. The walk covers a huge amount of American history, so it was fun to explain to Sev the significance of the various events and historical figures.
There was a heat wave in D.C. at this time and it was not the most pleasant or comfortable walk Sev and I have ever taken. We started off at Union Station, which is a very pretty train station with several shops and restaurants. We stopped by the McDonald’s for an iced coffee as physical and mental preparation for our journey.
From Union Station the first stop was the Supreme Court, where we saw a small protest. There are always protests going on in front of the buildings representing the three government branches and it was good to show Sev this American activity.
Next was the Capitol Building, the grand, 19th century building where Congress meets to pass laws. In non-corona times you can get a free tour of the building, but those were not available at this time, so we just admired the outside.
We were already really sweaty and hot by the time we made it to the Mall. The only Smithsonian open without timed entry tickets at this time was the National Galleries, which are two buildings connected by an under ground tunnel. One has modern art, and the other more classical art. We ducked into the modern art gallery to get some air conditioning. I showed Sev the giant blue chicken on the roof, and we took the tunnel for a quick walk through the classical art gallery, which is itself a beautiful, well curated building.
We continued our trek, braving the heat to the Smithsonian Gardens, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Constitution Lake, Vietnam Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial.
It was pretty crowded around the Lincoln Memorial, and while it was great to see D.C. coming alive again after over a year of corona-related lockdowns, it was uncomfortable to be around so many other people when it was so hot.
Next was the Korean Memorial, which is one of my favorites. It was under renovation so we couldn’t get that close to it though. Then we took the loop around the Tidal Basin, visiting the MLK, FDR, George Mason, and finally, Jefferson Memorial.
The Mall walk is a must-do for any visitor in D.C. so I’m really glad we did it, and Sev did it again by himself to take pictures later. But by the time we were done we were both drenched in sweat and were desperate for a cold drink and air conditioning.
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