Jefferson Memorial, Washington DC

This is one of my favorite places in the entire United States. The peace and tranquility is uncanny. Standing underneath Mr. Jefferson and reading all of his quotes (which are all the more applicable today) just fills the soul with inspiration and awe. Sometimes, as Americans, we take it for granted that our monuments are still standing. Some people travel to Rome and see the remnants of the coliseum. Others visit the ruins of time-forgotten places with a sense of nostalgia. But our American edifices to greatness are still in their prime. And if one is hopefully in the right mindset, this is hands down, one of the best reminders of the American spirit. Take some time, stand in silence and just breathe in the history.

The Jefferson Memorial is such a beautiful monument to visit, you would easily sit there for hours as it is so peaceful and relaxing. We visited it just has the sun was setting and the views across the basin were really pretty. There is a little store inside and if you don't fancy walking the basin there is a bus stop right outside too which was only $1.

I love the styling and setting of this monument. One of the great thinkers and statesmen of our history. The location is probably the best for photos during the cherry blossom festival. The statue in the middle is incredible, and the quotes and inscriptions are fantastic to read. There's also a nice gift shop. They've done a nice job making the walk around the basin worth it with this memorial along with the FDR and MLK memorials as you walk around to the west and north.

Daytime visit to this memorial a few years back and the view is fantastic standing on the steps looking out. This return visit we wanted another perspective so did a night tour. The darkness contrasting to the lit memorial was beautiful specially in the distance. The advantage of a night tour is less crowd. Disadvantage is not being able to see the surrounding views. I would recommend visiting both in the daytime and nighttime.

The Jefferson Memorial fittingly honors one of the founding fathers of our nation. As the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson has shaped our own understanding of who we are as a nation since our inception. The Memorial is a powerful witness to the important role that faith in God has played in the founding of our nation, something increasingly relevant as secularism washes out references to God in our history books, public life, and national self-understanding.