Washington D.C.: Things to Do & See

Looking for a fun place to take a weekend get-away? We spent Memorial Day weekend in Washington D.C. and there was certainly no lack of things to do. There's no way to see everything in one trip, so plan to go back again and again and experience new things each time.

The Smithsonian Museums offer free admission and a full days worth of enjoyment and educational experience. A few of the museums are: Natural History, Holocaust Memorial, American History, Air and Space, National Zoo, and African Art. It would take days to read every article, watch every movie and view every artifact in these museums so try to move through quickly to see all that's offered and go back later to get more in-depth with what interests you.

There are plenty of monuments to visit also: Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and Iwo Jima. These monuments are truly a work of art and perfect places to snap a few pictures for your scrapbook.

Washington D.C. has a number of memorials set up to remember those military personnel who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The Vietnam Memorial Wall is probably one of the most moving and frequented memorials. There are staff members on hand to help you locate a loved one or friend who was killed in action and whose name is listed on the wall. You may also do a rubbing of a name to add to your souvenirs. World War II monument is located at the end of the Reflecting Pool by the Washington Monument. The Korean Memorial has a beautiful wall which says "Freedom is not free" and has casts of soldiers standing nearby, along with the wall. These memorials make for an emotional experience and are surely to be one that you won't forget.

The Arlington National Cemetery is just a few minutes away and is a must-see. This cemetery is where heroes are laid to rest. The "Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers" can be found here, and you can view the changing of the guards. It's an amazing sight to see. JFK's grave and Eternal Flame, Women in Military Service monument, World War I Memorial, Challenger and Columbia memorials are just a few more of the sights to see at Arlington.