A Tour of the Monuments

Tonight the DC winter seminar students had the opportunity to take a Monuments by Moonlight trolley tour around Washington. We met at the William & Mary Washington Center, where our wonderful tour guide Jeremiah picked us up to begin our adventure. From the trolley we saw a variety of important historical sites and interesting museums; including the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Ford’s theatre, the Newseum and the Smithsonian museums. We also had three stops along the tour.

Braving the cold and windy winter weather, we first got out at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. I had never been to either of these places before, but I would definitely recommend visiting them if you have time on a nice (warm) day in the city. Both memorials line the Tidal Basin and have great views of the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument. Next, we headed over to Virginia, where we drove by the Arlington National Cemetery and stopped at the Marine Corps War Memorial. The Marine Corps War Memorial, commonly referred to as the Iwo Jima Memorial, was immense and powerful; pictures do not do it justice.

Afterwards we headed back into the District for our last stop: the Lincoln Memorial. This was definitely my favorite stop of the trip for a few reasons. First, it is beautiful, especially at night. Additionally, as a National Treasure fan, I pictured myself sitting on the steps with Ben and Riley when Ben decides he is going to steal the Declaration of Independence. Of more historical interest, the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech was marked in the stairs. Standing in that very spot and looking out over the National Mall just as Martin Luther King, Jr. did more than fifty years ago was a moving experience. After taking time to explore the memorial and when the cold made it unbearable to be outside any longer, we went back to the bus and headed home for the night. This tour was a great way to get acquainted to the city in which we are living. Seeing the sights at night was a unique experience that everyone should do if spending time in DC.

-Katie Koontz ’19