October 31, 2019
“There is nothing so American as our national parks.... The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Here I am, Washington D.C. Here in the National Capital the parks are clustered more densely than anywhere else. Here you can experience the greatest collection of American History in the shortest amount of time. It is an incredible city, dynamic and vibrant like any other metropolitan area. There is government here, an entirely different entity, occupying most of the urban nebula. There are museums too numerable to count. Art, history, culture, science, and every other manner of subject you could imagine. Then, there are the parks – the National Park Service sites. Greenspaces, historical buildings, monuments, memorials, recreation areas, and the National Mall itself – America’s big front yard. A utilitarian and symbolic stretch of green grass and reflecting pools that serve as the stage for the beating heart of this country. Parades, presidents, protests, peace marches, celebrations, strikes, concerts, and speeches. Here we air our grievances. Here we celebrate together. It is hard to imagine a patch of ground more used, more subjective, and more indicative of the American story.
Ten parks in one day. Sounds absurd, but here it is possible. It was a gorgeous morning, setting the stage for an incredibly beautiful Autumn day. The sun was warm and the clear sky was deep blue. The trees are all showing their color as I hiked from the hotel around the Potomac Tidal Basin to Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The round domed Classical memorial is undergoing restoration and the exterior is ensconced in scaffolding. Inside, the statue of Jefferson towers over visitors. Continuing around the Tidal Basin, I enter the winding and wooded Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. A unique design and experience. The water features are all turned off due to a broken pump, but the experience is still moving. A little farther to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This was my first visit to this NPS unit. Crossing Independence Avenue, onto The Mall, I pass the D.C. War Memorial on my way to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The crowds are here too, but they don’t diminish the experience. A group of Korean War veterans clad in yellow t-shirts are posing for photos. Next, I climb the steps to the iconic Lincoln Memorial. The imposing memorial, more akin to a Greek temple, is full of visitors. Lincoln sits quietly above them all, and looking long out over the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument, The Mall, and the Capital Building. I love this memorial. Around to the north side of The Mall, I enter the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – a perfectly conceived work of memorial art and architecture. It is a deeply moving experience, even for me – someone far removed from the Vietnam War experience. I can only imagine what it means for the veterans that are here too. A little farther down The Mall, I come to Constitution Gardens. The peaceful pond and greenspace features a monument to the signers of the Constitution, and offers me a break to sit and reflect on what I have taken in so far. Hiking past the East end of the Reflecting Pool, I come to the World War II Memorial. The complex memorial honors the Americans who served, fought, and died in the Pacific and European war fronts. Hiking up to the Washington Monument, the world’s tallest obelisk begins to fill the sky. The impressive monument looms large over the city and can be seen for miles around. I stop into the NPS ranger station here, where a stockpile of passport stamps awaits. Physically exhausted, but mentally energized, I pressed on to Presidents Park (The White House). As always, a large crown of onlookers has gathered outside of the South Lawn fence to take photos and selfies. The visitor center was peaceful and quiet, with fantastic exhibits and a moving film narrated by former presidents and first ladies. With sore feet, I turned back to the hotel. The setting sun illuminates the marble of the city like the snowy peaks of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. There is nothing so American, and I feel the enrichment of the experience of the day.
Parks visited since October 21st:
Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Memorial
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Constitution Gardens
World War II Memorial
President’s Park – The White House
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
Theodore Roosevelt Island
George Washington Memorial Parkway
Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
Washington Monument
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Hampton National Historic Site
Greenbelt Park
Assateague Island National Seashore (return visit)
Thomas Stone National Historic Site
Fort Washington Park
Piscataway Park
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
National Capital Parks – East
Rock Creek Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
