Monument City

A big day in DC today but I just lost a cardboard poster roll I was going to use to post some posters home so I am a little pissed off. Okay, I feeling a little better now cos I left it a little while before I continued my post from my first sentence. I had my first full day in DC today and it was refreshingly beautiful and a fun day. Last night I didn't have much hope because on first impressions DC seemed boring, ugly, cold, dirty and full of homeless people. However, today, after a good nights sleep, I feel much better and this morning was great. It was still cold but the sun came out and the day was beautiful. It was a busy day and I visited a great collection of monuments and attractions, but I have more to go tomorrow.

I started by having a Starbucks coffee and then I walked past the White House. As one would expect, security is pretty tight and no cars can now drive in front of the building, but you can still walk to the fence and take photos. To visit the actual house you need to contact your local congressman (even Americans have to do this) or consulate, and they will contact the White House and work out entry for you.
Following this I walked past the Washington Monument to the World War II war memorial which is a great powerful and beautiful monuement with a heap of spires with all the states of America on each of the columns and a great fountain system (which I didnt get to see cos the fountains get turned off in Winter). So it was good but I imagine better in summer.
I then walked past the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln memorial. However, the reflecting pool had also been drained and was not very reflecting.
The Lincoln Memorial was great and huge and is very inspirational. Lincoln is gigantuan.
The Vietnam Veteran War memorial was amazing. It lists all the men who lost their lives and is in chronological order so you get a great visual on how the deaths increased as the war went on.
Then the Korean War memorial which was different and effective with all these statues of soldiers.
The FDR memorial was huge and had great stoneworks and waterfalls for each of his four terms.
The Jefferson memorial is based on his old family home which he liked while he was president. It is great and powerful and has a wonderful view of the lake.
I then visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum which was huge and had a very moving and interesting four level exhibit. It was less powerful but more in depth and educating than those I saw in Germany and Poland.
Finally I walked all the way along the Washington Mall to the Capitol building but couldn't go in because it was the night of Bush's Strate of the Union address so security was pretty tight and I'd have to wait til tomorrow.
So tomorrow I visit the inside of the Washington Monument, Capitol, and a heap of museums which are all free in Washington.