D.C. Sightseeing

We arrived in D.C. around midnight on Friday and checked into the Holiday Inn in Alexandria which was a few subway stops from all the major attractions.
Early Saturday morning, we started sightseeing at the Lincoln and World War 2 Memorial. It was a sunny fall day and the reflection of the Washington Monument on the pond was breathtaking.

Then we headed to Eastern Market for brunch. We stopped at a Montmartre French cafe a few blocks from the market for a satisfying brunch. We strolled through the market browsing stalls of various food and crafts.

We walked across the Mall as close as we could get to a glimpse of the White House. Though we were at a distance with restricted a view, it was still an exciting experience. The next day, we saw the Capitol and drove by the Pentagon. The stately architecture of the government buildings had such a regal presence. It was remarkable to think that this city was planned this way about 200 years ago.

We also stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Though we had seen in it in passing during our previous visit, this time we had a chance to really appreciate the extreme detailing and the large size of this amazing tribute to the the US Marines.