For most people, road trips mean sunny days spent exploring cool, new locations and nights spent sleeping in (sometimes questionable) motels. After all, daytime is when most museums, shops, and tourist attractions are open for business.
But I’m not like most people.
As with all my road trips, there was plenty of fast food (What’s a long drive without Burger King and corn nuts?) and lots of singing and laughing in the car on the way from Manhattan. We drove into D.C. with a couple of hours to spare before the sun went down.
After checking into the hotel for a quick rest and a little zhuzhing, our first stop was for dinner and a margarita at Oyamel Cocina Mexicana. When you think of Washington restaurants, normally steaks and martinis come to mind. But a friend assured us this hot spot is a can’t-miss. She was right – authentic Oaxaca dishes tiayudas and tamales made with cool ingredients like mezcal and chapulines (grasshoppers!) were interesting (in a good way!) and delicious.
After dinner, we headed out to see the sights. The monuments stretch across three miles, so we had on comfy walking shoes and carried our iPhones for the cameras andbuilt-in flashlights to read dark plaques. (Of course, for safety reasons, we made sure to stick together, stay alert, and avoid dark areas. )
The sun was setting when we got to the World War II Memorial. Located on the National Mall, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, which opened to the public in 2004, is one of the newest in Washington, D.C. It’s an ode to the 16 million people who served, and it includes 56 pillars, representing all the U.S. states and territories, plus two triumphal arches that represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But it’s the fountains located in the center of the memorial that are mesmerizing under the moon. The glow of the lights and constant splashing sounds make it a perfect spot to meditate or to bring a date.
By the time we hit the Lincoln Memorial, the sun and the lights were casting a warm glow on President Lincoln as tourists still buzzed around. Besides being a monument honoring one of America’s most influential presidents, the Lincoln Memorial has become a symbol for the civil rights movement. It was on the base of the steps that Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech; Eleanor Roosevelt arranged a concert featuring African American musicians after the Daughters of the American Revolution blocked a black musician from playing in a band; and people gathered to protest the Vietnam War. The history alone makes this spot truly inspirational.
Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we just had to turn around to see the Washington Monument lit in the distance. Built to honor George Washington, the obelisk stands 555 feet high, and at night when it is mirrored in the reflecting pool, it is simply breathtaking and worthy of your bucket list.
Many people flock to the National Mall to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – and it is a moving tribute, especially during the day when you can see the engraved names of the deceased soldiers. But at night, the must-see site is the Korean War Veterans Memorial. I find it to be the most powerful in the shadows of night. Hidden in the brush are 19 larger-than-life, steel statues of weary-looking American soldiers trudging through the landscape. Seen at night or after a snowstorm, the ghostly images are haunting, disconcerting, and impactful.
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