Monument and the Boys

I can almost hear them singing the national anthem.

God Bless America

WDC is a great family vacation location. All the attractions are free and the monuments and museums are fun for kids. I was miffed coming to NNJ and taking my kids to NYC museums. They cost a fortune to visit. Even the Smithsonian Zoo is FREE. Tried going to the Brooklyn Zoo for free.... not going to happen.

I sure miss WDC!

Great Pic.

Great pic Dave.
That one really should be enlarged and framed. You guys have been through a lot lately, cherish the good memories.
I am sure the good ones will outweigh the bad...

I've always put off a trip to DC due to the crime rate. Maybe time to reconsider?

I went to school in DC in the 80s (GWU) and couldn't wait to get out of the city. But I've been back many times since then and I have to say it's cleaned itself up well. Some formerly rough areas are gentrified and the downtown is safer now than it was then. The Korean War memorial struck me as haunting and impressive; good restaurants too. And the fact that every tourist spot is free helps a lot. That's a nice photo. makes me want to go back.

I was sitting in class on G Street and heard this persistent rumble and chanting. We all ran to the windows as it got closer -- hundreds, maybe a thousand or more of Iranians marching through campus on the way to the nearby State Dept., chanting, "DEATH TO THE SHAH! DEATH TO THE SHAH!" This was '79 right before the hostage crisis. Class was dismissed and I running down to Foggy Bottom where State Department workers were pouring out about to mix it up with the protesting Iranians. Lots of mounted police defused it. One of the wildest near riots I've ever seen. (Now, I'm really missing D.C.!)

I lived 14 miles due west of where those kids are standing for 12 years (1995-2007). I never tired of visiting the National Mall & surrounds. The monuments, memorials are awe-inspring. The Smithsonian (collectively) is completely amazing & overwhelming (including the relatively new Udvar-Hazy facility out near Dulles airport...an annex to the National Air & Space Museum). I loved it when friends/family came to visit and wanted to go into D.C. and wander around the Mall/Capitol/White House/Tidal Basin. A pleasant ride on the Metro got us there hassle-free. Actually, though, when I stop to think about it, convenient access to the National Mall was just about the only thing I liked about living in Northern Virginia. %-P Rick

Visited DC twice . . . once as a teen-ager and once as an adult . . . it truly is a fantastic city to visit. Public transportation makes things wicked easy to get around . . . lots of free or low cost attractions (including the Holocaust Museum) . . . I suspect as long as you stick to the usual tourist places and are aware of your surroundings and cautious you would be as safe in DC as most any other major US city.

I lived just outside of DC in NoVa for 45 years and worked in DC for more than 12 years. The days when DC was the murder capitol are long since gone. Those were the Mayor Barry days, and even then, it was specific areas that are not close to the downtown tourist attractions. Parents should feel completely safe to bring families to visit WDC.

Protests are freedom of speech in action. Rarely are they a problem. MPDC and Park Police have years of experience handling them. Just another history lesson for kids to understand our constitution and freedoms!

Glad you enjoyed DC! Night time visits of the monuments are stunning and christmas is nice too.