This is the first time I went to Washington DC with the capability to remember things. I have gone before, most notably in 2014, and 2016. I also went in November of 2012, but I was a tiny baby then so I really don’t remember anything at all. Rachel and Miriam have taken this trip before with Grandpa. Their record walking distance was ten miles. We did not walk ten miles in the blazing hot sun as Rachel and Miriam did, but we did walk 6 miles the first day and 8 the next, which brings our total to 14, which is higher than theirs. This trip was the third time we planned out the dates. We had originally decided to go in September of 2025, but Grandpa had surgery and couldn't go. The second time we planned it, the government shut down for 43 days–both breaking the previous record and closing all the museums we wanted to go to. This third time, however, was not postponed, so we were able to go.
Washington D.C is our nation's capital. It's where the seat of government sits and it's where many people live in and travel to. It was founded as “Compromise Capital”, as the government wanted a place to be outside of an actual state. My Grandpa said that L'Enfant Plaza is called that because it has so many museums and kids love going to museums. Which is true but I think he was joking because it was actually named after the architect who designed the city on land that New York and Maryland donated whose name was Pierre Charles L'Enfant. It is built on the Potomac for many reasons. The first being that no one wanted that land because it was swampy and gross so that's why the states donated it. And the second is that it helps with defense because an attacking army can only really invade from one side. That second reason however is posing problems as the city expands as it makes commuting harder for those who live across the river. As there are only so many bridges and metro lines for commuters to use to get to work. Speaking of the metro, we used it to get around everywhere. So I will talk about it next.
The Metro
The metro in Washington DC is not the best in the world that goes to multiple ones in Asia but it tries to be clean and a thing that people want to use. We mostly used the blue line train because it's the one that we needed but we did use orange and silver sometimes as well. I loved using the metro and not touching the car for a week. I have many funny stories but the best one is when Zoë got stuck behind the gate. She swiped her card and then grandpa said Zoë! Over here she went over and tried to swipe her card on the other side but she could not go to the other side twice so grandpa had her go in front of him and he succeeded! But right as she went through it closed on him! And so he had to hand Darla his card so she swiped it on one side and then gave it to him and then he swiped it on the side that he was on and finally went through. We then went up the stairs and to the spy museum.
Lincoln
Lincoln was our country's 16th president. He was the first one assassinated and has left a mark on our history.The Lincoln memorial uses stone from all across the country to symbolise how Lincoln brought unity to the states. The terrace walls and lower steps comprise granite blocks from Massachusetts, the upper steps, outside facade, and columns contain marble blocks from Colorado, the interior walls and columns are Indiana limestone, the floor is pink Tennessee marble, the ceiling tiles are Alabama marble, and the Lincoln statue comprises 28 pieces of Georgia marble. The statue is 19 feet tall and one hundred and seventy five tons. The Gettysburg address is carved into the wall on the right of the Lincoln statue and his second inaugural address is carved into the wall on the left of the statue.
The entire monument is based on the Parthenon in Ancient Greece, which was once the largest temple of Athena in the world.
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