New York City, Philadelphia, and DC April 12

Greetings from Washington DC!

This morning we started off with a drive into downtown DC, where the memorials are located. We met our tour guide Kara at the Lincoln memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. had his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. It was interesting seeing the 19 ft tall Lincoln statue inside the memorial, and be able to stand on the exact spot where MLK Jr. made history 51 years ago.

The view from the Lincoln Memorial

Right next to the Lincoln memorial were the Vietnam and Korean War memorials. It was touching and impressive to see that all the fallen men are still honored today. Walking past the Korean War Memorial we got to see the Korean ambassador visiting the memorial. Afterwards we made our way to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is inspired by his quote “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” Looking out over the water, the MLK Jr. is facing the Thomas Jefferson Memorial as well as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, where we continued our tour.

"Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope" - MLK

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial was an outside museum representing his four terms as president. It was a peaceful and quiet place for visitors to learn about his unique presidential term, 12 years. There was one statue of FDR and his dog, which was the first famous presidential dog, and there was also a statue of his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.

At the end of the FDR Memorial the Thomas Jefferson Memorial was there. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. FDR found Jefferson so inspirational that he insisted the memorial to be built facing the white house. The landmark where the memorial is placed today was once covered with cherry blossom trees, which are symbols of the city. Even eight women, who dressed up in their finest clothes, occupied the place to protest against FDR's decision to tear down the trees, couldn’t stop the Presidents’ plan for the memorial.

We spent our lunch at the Fashion Center in Pentagon City, a few minutes away from downtown DC. The Center is also known as the Chrystal Mall, because of its huge glass ceiling. After lunch we had free time to go shopping and buy souvenirs.

Then we got on the bus which took us to the former mansion of George Washington, the first president of the US. The tour through the mansion, called Mount Vernon, started with two movies, which introduced the out-door museum to us and told us briefly about Washington’s life.

Our visit continued with a “moving-tour” through the house in which Washington lived with his family. We got to listen to different guides in every room. They explained the function of each of them. Afterwards we had free time to explore the gigantic gardens, orchids, and the wood that hosts George Washington’s grave. The orchids are still producing fruits and vegetables, and the wood is kept neat just as the President’s servants did at the time.