I was ten-years-old when my Grandfather took my older brother, who was thirteen-years-old at the time, on a trip across the United States to show us that we were part of a bigger family than we thought. He took us to Yellowstone National Park and I got to see a free bear walking through the campsite early one morning. He also took us through the petrified forest in Southern California and throught the Grand Canyon which was really something to see as a ten-year-old. We eventually made it all the way to Washington D.C. We got to go through the House of Congress because one of my Grandfather’s brothers was a congressman at the time. We walked the National Mall and my brother and I took the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument and we both got sick racing down the steps inside of it. I got my picture taken at the foot of The Abraham Lincoln Monument. I got my picture taken at the tomb of the unknown soldier as well. This trip really instilled the meaning of family in me.
Sincerely,
National Mall and Memorial Parks
A walk through the heart of the nation’s capital brings visitors face to face with larger-than-life presidents and visionaries, open park lands, and elaborate memorials honoring our nation’s veterans and military history. This green space in downtown Washington, D.C., includes more than 1,000 acres of land showcasing such iconic sites as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Approximately 25 million people visit each year to experience this unique collection of structures and spaces honoring the nation, its democracy and its citizenry.
State(s): District of Columbia
Established: 1790
“My opportunity to see the many parks I saw in the summer of 1972, really made an impression on me about how important they are to our nation.”
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