This is an astounding piece. It is also known as Waves and Gulls and is located right of of the…read moreMount Vernon Trail. If boarders the Potomac River. It was made in 1934 by Ernesto Begni del Piatta and depicts 7 sea gulls flying over a wave's crest. It stands 35 feet tall and 30 Feet wide. What caught my eye was the full bed of beautiful red flowers surrounding the statue. There were many people there taking photos. It is very picturesque. As a bonus, you do get a great view of the DC skyline from here. Just be careful of the bicyclist zooming around the corner past the statue. They are going full speed and will seriously hurt you. This memorial is worth a brief stop if you are going by. There is no nearby parking that I saw and I only stumbled upon it because I was walking the trail. I suggest you either walk, bike or scooter here.

The Navy Merchant Marine Memorial is a memorial on Columbia Island that many recognize by driving…read morealong the George Washington Memorial Parkway, but few have stopped to visit it. Here's why it's worth your time: 1) Story: It's the first memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Navy and Merchant Marines. It took almost twenty years to go from ideation to opening due to lack of funds. Given the amount of trash nearby and the decay on the memorial, it's still neglected. 2) Memorial: It's one of the most unique memorials in the city and weirdly beautiful. You can also climb into the wave or use it as a place to read a good book. 3) Views: It's on an island in the Potomac River with stunning views of the National Mall. If you want to visit, you can access it via foot or bike along the Mt. Vernon Trail or you can drive. The parking lot near the marina gives you three hours of free parking. It's a short walk from the parking lot.

--Location/Parking-- Located on the southern edge of the…read moreNational Mall. I recommend parking in one spot of the National Mall and walking throughout. I didn't see any local parking spots. --Ambience-- Outdoor memorial where you can see the sculpture and read the inscriptions on the wall. I believe there is an outdoor restroom nearby. Great to complete your stamp collection --Service/Staff-- The gift shop next to it has the last remaining stamp you need for the National Mall tour area. This is a must to stopping place that is sometimes overlooked because of its proximity to the Mall which is off the beaten path. --Products-- The gift shop has the usual items you see at the various tourist attractions throughout the National Mall. This was no exception. What makes it unique is the hidden stamp you can only collect at this spot which many travelers miss. --Overall-- For history buff and stamp collectors this is one of the hidden gems you must trek for 30+ minutes to reach even if you park close to the National Mall. I recommend an umbrella on those sunny days

The Eisenhower Memorial is one of The National Mall's newly erected memorials. It seems The Mall is…read morerunning out of space for new memorials and the location of the Eisenhower memorial seems to be in somewhat of an odd place in the Southwest quadrant of Independence Avenue, across the street from the Air & Space Museum and adjacent to the U.S. Department of Education federal building. Like many other memorials on The Mall that feature presidents or American leaders, this memorial has a fine depiction of the 34th president's leadership through imagery in some of his famous quotes and life-size sculptures. The memorial occupies a lot of land, however, much of it is landscaping, making the visit a quick walk-through. The landscaping is beautiful during the early spring when the grass is lush and green. Many tourists who visit the area pass by en route to the Air & Space Museum, the Holiday Inn hotel nearby, the Museum of the Bible on 4th Street, or the many food trucks situated along Independence Avenue. The location has an epic shot of the Capitol Building to the west. The good thing about the location is the memorial has restrooms on site (and perhaps one of the cleanest on The Mall), is in walking distance to the Capitol Building, 4th Street along The Mall which is less busy with tourists, and multiple Metro stations. Overall, a great memorial to visit, but if you have a tight itinerary I recommend lowering it on your list of priorities if you have other must-see museums or memorials on your list.

Happy Independence Day (aka 4th of July), 2026! This is such an exciting day...our 250-year…read moreanniversary of being an independent country! I have some wonderful memories of every 4th of July experience, ever since I was a small boy. I remember growing up in the Los Angeles area and setting off fireworks every 4th of July (before they became illegal in the area). As one should be, my father was always focused on all our safety, as well as the safety of our community. As a result, I remember him strategically placing a trash barrel along side the street, half-filled with water, to place the fireworks in after we verified that they were completely extinguished. We were also required, by my father, to carefully light all fireworks in the middle of the street, with our residential street being closed-off to traffic. We always celebrated with lots of extended family members and friends, and there was always a ton of delicious food, all night. Those were fun days. When I was in elementary school, I remember learning what the 4th of July really meant, and that it wasn't only about the fireworks. It was at this time that I first learned about the history of our country, including our Declaration of Independence. Our Declaration of Independence was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, who would later become our 3rd President. Within a few days of its completion it was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776, and then signed shortly thereafter by these 56 brave men. Our Declaration of Independence is a surprisingly short document given that it is a symbol for the creation of an independent country. Within this beautifully constructed document, it articulates (politically, morally, and legally) why our founding fathers were identifying the United States (then only 13 colonies) as an independent country, no longer subject to British colonial rule. The 56 signers on our Declaration of Independence were brave indeed, because they knew that the creation of this document was considered an act of high treason against The Crown, which was punishable by torture and death. Although I learned about our Declaration of Independence as a young boy, I was not able to read it and comprehend it until I was a young man. Since this document is as important as it is, and it is as short as it is, it surprises me that most U.S. citizens have NOT even read this document. Therefore, I have posted this within this review, for you to read (it can also be found online, at www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration ). To me, the Declaration of Independence reveals that our founding fathers were trying to create a new and a better country -- a country no longer controlled by a tyrant or a king, and certainly not controlled by a dictator. Our founding fathers wanted to create a democracy -- a government for the people, by the people. This was later clearly defined in our United States Constitution, where no one individual had complete control, and the power of this country was divided between three branches of our government. What is exceedingly clear when I read our Declaration of Independence is that a good percentage of this document focuses on the many abuses that the king of Britain committed while ruling over our people, before this time. The king is clearly identified as a tyrant in our Declaration of Independence, and we therefore abolished this relationship with a toxic leader. When reading this document today, in 2026, it is easy to see that many similar abuses are currently being committed against Americans, and that one branch of government is abusing its power in an attempt to dominate over the other two branches of our government. This is incredibly concerning to me, but I digress. I was able to visit this memorial to the 56 signers of our Declaration of Independence for the first time in my life this year. This memorial was conceived as a gift from the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration in 1976, authorized in 1978, and dedicated in 1984. It is located in the Constitution Gardens on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on the north side of the Reflecting Pool. Entry to the memorial is made by crossing a small wooden bridge to a small island surrounded by Carp Pond. The memorial includes 56 memorial stones, each inscribed with the delegate's actual signature, along with their printed name and occupation, and each is grouped by their place of residence. If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, I highly encourage you to make this one of the places you visit. While you are here, it will be an excellent opportunity for you to pay your respects to 56 of our founding fathers for their bravery in helping to define the beautiful country we love. Even today, we must dedicate ourselves to protecting this country from any ruler attempting to deviate from the beautiful vision our founding fathers had in 1776.

This is a smaller monument that's just north of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the…read moreNational Mall. It's located on an island surrounded by the Constitution Gardens. The names of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence are engraved here. Along with their signatures each of their occupations were listed. They ranged from lawyers to merchants to politicians to planters and included names like John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, and John Adams.

Went to Harper's ferry for the first time today! It was Memorial Day so pretty packed with limited…read moreto no parking (so I would recommend making reservations ahead of time if you can). Lots of beautiful stores and a nice 1 mile trail that's dog friendly. Mind you, I recommend hiking shoes and not just sneakers since a lot of it is uphill. Would love to visit again and maybe stay in town just for a weekend getaway. People were very friendly and it's a good break from city life.

This place is must visit. Beautiful historical town. Beautiful nature. A lot of free parking spaces.read more

It certainly is a pretty bridge. Heading over from DC to VA, this is a more laid back way across…read morethan the Key Bridge. Sometimes I forget about this one. There's no bike/walking area across it, and there's nothing mind blowing architectural about it. Yet with the leaves changing, and the Potomac River it is nice to drive over. This is one you know, if you hike or bike the C&O, or the backwoods area from Fletchers Cove. I do like how it's close to recreational areas. This side of the district and Virginia, seem miles away from the hustle and bustle. On weekdays it can be commuting hell. It's all in how you decide to access it. I was pleased to drive it today. It's only a quick few seconds, but ultimately a secure bridge, that connects the jurisdictions.

Not to be confused with The Chain Letter (which is more annoying), The Chain Gang (ask Chrissie…read moreHynde), or The Chainsmokers (ask Halsey... or don't). The Chain Bridge! For years I lived in Northern Virginia and didn't understand why Chain Bridge Road was called Chain Bridge Road - because I never saw a Chain Bridge down in Vienna or Fairfax. Of course the Chain Bridge is way up at the crossing from DC into Virginia, so that's the part of this road that I never used. It's a pretty amazing bridge that was put up in the 1700 and then redone in the 1810s, and then redone again in 1939, although the pillars date back to the mid eighteen hundreds. It takes about 25,000 cars a day. It's full of history and has a lovely view, and the only problem is that you'll often get stuck on here during a lot of different times of day, not even just at rush hour. People tend to either like coming this way or like using the Key Bridge, but for me personally, I think both are beautiful. And very useful, but not nearly speedy enough for my liking.

This is a low-key memorial that is dedicated to the brave men and women of law enforcement who have…read moremade the ultimate sacrifice. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance. It is right across the street from the Law Enforcement Museum and the DC Court of Appeals. On the other side of the memorial, you will find the Building Museum. The memorial was designed by architect Davis Buckley and dedicated on October 15, 1991. It sits on three acres of federal park land. It has a water feature. However, it was dry during my visit. I looked like they were doing some maintenance on it. The Memorial also features two curving limestone walls along its perimeter, each over 300 feet long, with the names of more than 24,000 officers who died in the line of duty etched on them. The walls are a part of the memorial, along with a line of trees, called "pathways of remembrance". You will find a pathway on each side of the memorial, and each entrance is marked by a powerful statuary grouping of an adult lion protecting its cubs. The sculptures are the work of Raymond Kaskey. They symbolize the protective role of law enforcement officers and convey the strength, courage, and valor that are hallmarks of those who serve and protect. The people being honored date back to the first known death in 1786. The memorial is ever-changing. New names of fallen officers are added to it each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week. I did not see much seating at the memorial, but this place is not a park. It is meant to honor. It does have a peaceful effect, even with the Metro elevator right in the middle. This is not a destination spot, but it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

I visited a lot of law enforcement museums, and this is the best one I have ever been so far. This…read moreis not a free museum, but it worth the money you spent. They offers law enforcement and student discount tickets. Security and staff were very friendly. My favorite were the use of force demonstration and driving stimulator that visitors can experiences how police officers handle certain situations. There was an instructor, who had 30+ years experience coaching us throughout the experience. I enjoyed that a lot. I will come back again if I happened to be in town.

This memorial has been through a lot. It was given to the United States after the sinking of the…read moreUSS Maine in the Havana Harbor during the time Cuba was trying to seek independence from Spanish control. The USS Maine was sent from Key West to protect the US citizens living in Cuba at the time. Unfortunately, there was a massive explosion on the ship that was supposedly not caused by anything other than a gun magazine explosion killing nearly 270 people. A few days later, it was believed Spain was in fact to blame. America declared war on Spain it turn beginning the Spanish-American War. Cuba was thankful towards the United States and erected the Urn as a means of appreciation to the US and to pay tribute to the lives lost on the USS Maine. It stood a top two columns in Havana for 28 years until a hurricane in 1926 knocked if off its pedestal. In 1928, it was refurbished and given to US as a present with President Calvin Coolidge accepting it. The Urn sat in front of the Cuban Embassy from 1928-1959. Relations went sour when Fidel Castro took presidency in Cuba. The Urn was quickly removed only to be lost for over 3 decades. It was eventually recovered inside of one of the National Park Service warehouses some time later in 1992 so says the National Park Service. After being refurbished again for a second time; it was placed in its current location next to a parking lot in East Potomac Park underneath the 14th Street Bridge, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a pretty obscure and one of the much lesser known memorials in DC. For a 7 foot urn that has been through as much as it has; it has an interesting history. How do you lose an urn anyway?

After leaving Theodore Roosevelt Island, we walked the 3.4 mile stretch of the George Washington…read moreMemorial Parkway between the island and the LBJ Memorial Grove. Confused at first, we figured out the route under the parkway, through the marina parking lot to the memorial. The LBJ Memorial Grove is dedicated to president Johnson and is located in this peaceful spot because it's where he and Lady Bird Johnson used to go to get away from the pressures of the White House. The central monolith is positioned where they would sit and watch the river. This memorial lacks the grandeur of the big marble ones on the National Mall, but if you collect NPS service units, you need to cross the river to see this one. Paired with TR island and the GW Memorial Pkwy, that's 3 units in one side trip.

Very nice and peaceful inside. Great view of the Washington monument. Great place to sit and relax.read more