The Final Countdown

Today was my last day in the US so I didn’t waste anytime! I was out early trying to see the sights that were still on my list, including lots of memorials, a few museums and the zoo! I had an excellent final day and am writing this sat in the departure lounge in Washington Dulles Airport. Before I begin, get used to hearing about monuments in today’s edition as I became positively obsessed with them and their significance today!

I started the day with a visit to the White House Visitor Centre, a small museum about the history of the building and its inhabitants. It included a brilliant video, voiced by previous Presidents and First Families, which discussed life in the White House and the various pressures that accompanied this. It was really interesting to hear first-hand the genuine highs and lows of presidential lives. Michelle Obama spoke quite openly about her concerns about raising young children in the building and whether that would deny them a usual life. Also in this centre was a very detailed miniature model of the House itself which I loved.

It was also funny to hear about the additions certain Presidents have made to the building, including FDR adding a swimming pool, Nixon adding a bowling alley and Obama addding a basketball court! Best of all, Clinton added a jacuzzi in his administration – read into that what you will! It’s quite pleasant to be exposed to this human side of US politics – at the end of the day, these Presidents were ordinary citizens with families and personal interests. The personalisation of the White House was a way of maintaining this human side. My second stop today was the Smithsonian Zoo. I have been toying with the idea of visiting an aquarium/zoo in each place for the last 10 days so I decided, in the words of Nike, just do it. I loved it! The Park is very keen on protecting these animals so they are given the choice to be exposed to the public or not and are kept in large enclosures that consist of materials from their natural habitat. Highlights included elephants, meerkats, sloths and the giant pandas. Their panda enclosure is their most popular and that is completely understandable – these creatures are just adorable. My favourite was one of the younger ones who was playing with a ball with no care in the world. 

I won’t dwell on the zoo but I am very glad I decided to visit – it was a pleasant way to end my trip! I then moved on to the American History Museum. This place is home to a variety of exhibits and artifacts from across US History. They have the original Star-Spangled Banner which was impressive to see! They also have an exhibit dedicated to the role of First Lady which includes a display of the original inaugural ball gowns. Below is Michelle Obamas for anyone interested! 

 

They are also home to the top hat Lincoln wore to the Ford Theatre on the evening he was assassinated. It is very exciting to see such prominent pieces on display. The wealth of first-hand history that the Smithsonian museum possesses is unbelievable and is not matched anywhere else in the world. This collection of museums is just beyond impressive. For free, you can see so much history and art in one location! One of my favourite displays in this museum was the original ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz film, worn by Judy Garland. She had surprisingly small feet! I was lucky to see these as the guide informed us that they are going off for repairs and restoration in the next few months! 

Following this, I set off to complete what is dubbed the tidal basin, a walk around the basin which includes some prominent memorials and monuments. The first one was the Jefferson Memorial. This impressive structure was commissioned by FDR to honour Jefferson’s contribution to the founding of the United States. Such a monumental figure deserved a significant Monument and that is exactly what he got. I’ve said it before, but this was much larger than I had anticipated – the dome that the statue stands in is enormous and can be seen clearly from across the wide basin. Within the dome, there are several quotations from Jefferson which were interesting to read. I did find out another fun fact today. When FDR commissioned the monument, he had a section of trees brought down on the other side of the basin. This was so he could get a clear view of construction from the White House. If you look in that direction, you can get a clear view which is impressive to see, especially considering that the White House is almost 2 miles away as the crow flies! 

The next monument I encountered was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. It isn’t very often that a structure inspires me, but this was one of those times. I am a huge fan of FDR’s accomplishments as President and find his four-term tenure incredibly impressive. The Memorial reflected this. It consists of four ‘rooms’ to represent the four terms, houses many statues and is littered with his most notable quotations. One that stood out most to me was this:

It’s a statement we should return to today. 

It was also nice to see recognition of Eleanor Roosevelt in here alongside her husband. As First Ladies go, she was pretty influential and set a brilliant example for younger women. Her statue takes a prominent position within the fourth ‘room’ and, to me, symbolises how FDR’s positive legacy lived on within his wife when he passed. The Memorial is both impressive and significant. I was pleased to see his positive legacy celebrated in a such a monumental way. As you can tell by the featured photo in this post, I really enjoyed this place. It is also the first location that I got somebody to take a photograph of me – he deserved more than a selfie! 

As I continued walking around the basin, I encountered the towering monument to Martin Luther King Jr. The statue of him is incredibly impressive and it is brilliant to see his legacy recognised in this way. The symbolism of this structure is also notable. He is seen emerging from a mountain behind him as he forges a new destiny for African Americans. It also fitting that he stands in the vicinity of the Lincoln Memorial, the location of his renowned ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. I was taken aback by these memorials today – it is excellent to see positive contributions be recognised in such prominent ways. It is something the UK should do more of! No expense is spared in honouring the individuals who contributed to American life and it is humbling to see. 

I won’t discuss them in detail, but I also visited memorials to the Korean and Vietnam Wars today which were both excellent commemorations to those who lost their lives in the conflicts. Americans take huge pride in military service and this can be seen through their monuments. Each name is listed on the Vietnam Memorial of those who died or went missing – as I said with 9/11, it is touching to see that each person is treated as an individual rather than just a number. It was also touching to see that people were still leaving flowers and trinkets for those who died, demonstrating how the effects of the conflict are still felt today. 

 

The Supreme Court was another place I just had to visit. The power this institution possesses is immense and their prominence in the States is compelling. A guide told me that the Gorsuch confirmation process (the latest addition to the nine-person court) was ridiculously high-profile and every person is brought up to know who these justices are. The Supreme Court have the power to nullify laws and set far-reaching precedents. Among these are the right to have an abortion. As you can see, it was important for me to visit this significant location! You couldn’t go inside as far as I could tell but it was excellent to even stand on its steps. 

I finished the day off with a walk around the Reflection pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It was quite fitting to do this today as it was a brilliant opportunity to reflect on an excellent trip. It sounds corny, but this trip has been invaluable to me. Not only have I had a brilliant opportunity to learn more about a nation that I find fascinating, I have been able to develop on a more personal level. My independence has massively improved and my confidence in talking to people and finding my own way around is unrecognisable to 10 days ago. It was a very brave move personally for me to complete such an adventure but I am incredibly glad I did it! I would highly recommend such an independent trip to anyone who is remotely considering it! You are able to do things at your own pace, see anything you want to see and can, most importantly, learn to fend for yourself! It has given me the opportunity to build the personal skills I will need for university and has given me the confidence I so desperately needed before moving to London to study in September. I won’t say it has been an easy ride, but I have enjoyed every second! The very last thing I did in DC was revisit Lincoln – I found his Memorial so impressive and engaging. The photograph is below and will serve as a constant reminder of the fun I had alone in the States.

For the last time in the US, I will sign a post off. Thanks for being part of the journey!