Living in DC

Living down here in the DC area has been great for us.  DC offers a ton to do, often for free.

First is the monuments.  If you start at the Washington Monument, its a great walk to go to the World War II memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial,  The Korean War Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the FDR memorial and end at the Jefferson Memorial.  If you simply are walking, you can do that in an hour.  If you want to linger, and read the inscriptions and really experience them, give yourself 4 hours.

The National Mall is a great open space that spans from the Lincoln Memorial all to way the the Capital building.  Its a great place to walk or jog.  People use the Mall for sports, picnics, and just about anything else.  Through out the year, there are events on the mall with food and entertainment. 

In the past, the Capitol Dome was spectacular, looming over the Mall.  But for the next couple of years, it is being restored, so it is covered in scaffolding. 

The Mall is lined with several of the Smithsonian Museums.  These are some of the best Museums in the world, and they are all free.  Depending on how interested you are in the subject, each one can take a full day.

The hidden gem of Washington to me is the Library of Congress.  The out side of the building is impressive, but inside is even better.  The walls are covered with art, quotes, statues, etc.  They have a Gutenberg Bible in the lobby,  There are rotating exhibits from the library collection.

While we are loving Washington, we are living like tourists.  The people who actually live here are not nearly as enthusiastic.  The cost of living is very high, and the traffic is awful.

Someday, we might be jaded to the city, but for now, it is a blast.