If you missed our 1st day of exploring in DC and the back story of our travels, I encourage you to go there first and check it out! For day 2, we had a long list of places we still wanted to explore. We started at Arlington National Cemetery, where our first stop was the Marine Corps War Memorial, a statue that depicts the iconic photo taken by Joe Rosenthal from the second flag-raising on Iwo Jima during World War II. The statue is enormous and is a beautiful tribute to the Marines lost in the wars our country has battled. This image is so iconic that not only was it made into a memorial, but on 9/11, as firefighters lifted a flag over the debris of the World Trade Towers, many thought of it.
From there, we headed to the Eternal Flame, the final resting place of John F. Kennedy & his wife, Jackie. On the hillside behind the flame, you can see the Arlington House, which overlooks the Potomac River and was the home of Robert E. Lee. Today it stands as a memorial, allowing visitors a beautiful view of both the cemetery and some of the city below. Visitors are also able to walk the grounds and go through some of the rooms in the home to see how it looked during its occupancy. JFK visited the home before being assassinated and commented that he "could stay here forever", so his final resting spot is a beautiful nod to that.
Next on our list was the Memorial Amphitheater, where you can find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Before going towards the Tomb, we paused to see the Space Shuttle Memorials. Having been a young student when the Challenger exploded in mid-flight after take off, the impact of space shuttle tragedies hits me in a different way. Seeing these memorials was a gentle reminder of the costs so many Americans have given to make our country what it is today.
We moved from there towards the Amphitheater, which was both enormous and beautiful. So many of the monuments and memorials are beyond imagination and while they may fit in the viewfinder of my extra wide lens, in real life, they are almost too much to take in.
We left Arlington and headed toward the Pentagon Memorial. Benches represent the lives lost on 9/11 when a plane was hijacked and flown into the side of the building. There are benches pointing both toward and away from the building, symbolizing whether a person was on the plane or in the Pentagon when the tragedy occurred. Each bench also holds the names of people who perished that day. They are ordered from the youngest victim at age 2, to the oldest. It's a pretty solemn place and the enormity of it reminds you of how great a loss of hundreds of lives in a single moment can actually be.
We left the Pentagon Memorial and headed back to the National Mall for sunset. I loved being able to watch the Washington Monument be kissed by the sun as Golden Hour hit. And all the people who clearly call DC home just milling in the fields as it happened because this is just daily life for them.
Behind me was the U.S. Capitol. I had decided to bring my long lens for this trip and this day I was so glad I did. The distance between the two buildings is quite long and the extra length allowed me to take shots I would have otherwise missed. While it was heartbreaking to see this symbol of our nation still covered with tarps after being attacked in January of 2021, it was also a historic moment to remember that attacks on our country take many forms.
We moved closer to The Capitol as the sun kept going and decided to continue exploring and check out a few more spots after official sunset.
While we never took an official tour day or night, we certainly saw value in the buildings after dark! Seeing the other side of The Capitol lit up by sunset was quite an experience. It reminded me that when things don't look the way we had hoped, perhaps a new view is necessary. For photographer friends, the bottom shots SOC - straight out of camera - had settings of ISO 12800, f/3.5, & shutter 1/250 or slightly more open, with minimal editing.
We traveled just a few blocks to see the Supreme Court lit up at night. I marveled at her beauty while I considered the role our government plays to serve and protect us all.
And then one last shot, but by FAR one of my favorites from our entire trip. Of course, we still had much more to cover on our remaining days - like a zoo with iconic pandas for our girl to see. I can't want to share them with you!
Until next time,