Mary Ann's Visit: Part 5: The Washington Mall: Monuments

This is the last entry on Mary Ann's visit and the second part of our trip to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
   In an earlier blog, Tom talked about the state of repair of the monuments and the reflecting pool, etc. so you can flip back a couple of days to see that if you missed it.
KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL -  We stopped at the Korean War Memorial, which I think is one of the best memorials. It consists of soliders marching through what looks like underbrush, and the expressions on their faces show the emotion of war.

Mary Ann and Tom join the FDR memorial bread line

THE FDR MEMORIAL -  Another of my favorite memorials (and Tom's, too) is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Tom told Mary Ann and me that the 4 different rooms, each signified the four terms of his administration. The waterfalls in the exhibit were designed to convey the turbulence in office. As one moves from room to room, the waterfalls become larger and more complex, reflecting the increasing complexity of a presidency marked by the vast upheavals of economic depression and world war.
  Sculptures inspired by photographs depict the 32nd president alongside his dog Fala. Other sculptures depict scenes from the Great Depression, such as listening to a fireside chat on the radio and waiting in a bread line (where Mary Ann and Tom stood in the picture here).

Fala and his "dad" Franklin Delano Roosevelt

THE GEORGE MASON MONUMENT - George Mason University is famous in northern Virginia, but we didn't know that there was a monument in his honor, and it's part of the National Park Service system. But, during our walk around the tidal basin, we stumbled upon it. It's near the Jefferson Memorial. The monument is located at Ohio Drive, S.W. in Washington, D.C. For information about it, visit: www.nps.gov/gemm/index.htm‎. 

Rob testing the camera next to Mason's statue and Tom's pose!

   If you don't know much about him, as we didn't, he helped draft the Fairfax Resolves that recommended a “continental congress” to preserve colonial rights. According to the National Park Service, in 1776 Mason wrote the landmark Virginia Declaration of Rights that not only inspired the American Declaration of Independence, but also France’s 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and the United Nations’ 1954 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    The memorial is actually a little garden of flowers with a walkway that circles it. At the back of the memorial is a stone semi-circled bench with a statue of George Mason. A trellis overhangs the cement bench, painting a picture of a nice, quiet, relaxing area to admire the flowers. So, we stopped, sat and took a couple of pictures!

Rob, Tom and Mary Ann

 OUR TEE SHIRTS - You may notice our tee shirts in the picture and wonder what they say. My (Rob) tee shirt says "All My Children Have Paws," Mary Ann's tee shirt has drawings of the Avengers superheroes (she wore it because I love superheros, like her grandchildren do); and Tom's tee shirt says, "I love dogs, it's people that annoy me." :)

 THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL - The last monument we visited was the Jefferson. It's amazing to walk up the marble steps and gaze at the huge statute of Thomas Jefferson. What's even more interesting is the things that the former president said, that are etched in the walls of the memorial. If only ALL of our legislators re-read what Jefferson said, and followed them!
   This quote is on Panel Two in the Memorial, and should be adhered to:  
Panel Two
"Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion...No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."
For all of the quotes under the dome of the Jefferson Memorial, click here. 

    We had a fun, adventurous and fantastic time with Mary Ann, as we always do- and look forward to her next visit. If you want to see Baltimore and Washington, D.C. come visit and we'll show you around!