3 Must-Dos in DC to Complete Your Washington Trip

Aye aye, Captain America

Recently, I caught the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier at the theatre. The movie, set in Washington D.C., got me reminiscing about my trip to the United States capital.

Washington D.C., commonly referred to as Washington or simply, D.C., is packed with major monuments, memorials and museums, each of them brimming with history and heritage.

I’m no American, but I’d imagine a visit to D.C. would instill in any American a sense of national pride and make him feel patriotic, as much as Captain America did.

Hello, Mr President

I dropped by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to say hi to President Obama. Sadly, he wasn’t home. However, the President and First Lady were kind enough to open the doors of The White House to me (and many other tourists). Prior to planning my trip, I didn’t know that The White House was open to public. After all, it is the residence of one of the most important leaders in the world. Still, that doesn’t mean that anyone can just walk in. Tour requests have to be made no more than six months and at least 21 days in advance. In my case, the request was submitted through the Singapore Embassy in the U.S.

Understandably, no photo-taking is allowed during The White House tour. In fact, items such as bags and cameras were not even allowed inside. I did manage to get my precious shot of the stately building from afar though.

The House is in session

I felt like I was on the set of a politics TV series in face of the United States Capitol. There, right before my eyes, was one of the most symbolically important monuments which I have seen countless times on TV and in movies, standing tall in an imposing grandeur and shining with pristine whiteness in the summer sunshine.

The meeting place of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol also houses an impressive collection of American art. At its heart is the rotunda, which is located right below the dome of the building. Looking up 55 metres from where I was standing, I caught a glimpse of the heavens. To be more precise, I caught George Washington sitting amongst the heavens. Through the oculus of the dome of the rotunda, one can see a large fresco called the ‘Apotheosis of Washington’, done by Italian-American historical painter, Constantino Brumidi.

Sshhh…

The Library of Congress has got to be the most beautiful library in the world. To me, a library is boring; at least, the ones back at home are. I had stepped inside the Library of Congress partly because it happened to be in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol. The façade of the building gives little hint of the breathtaking Renaissance-styled interior of the largest library in the world. Thus, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the classical Ionic columns, statues, stained-glass ceilings and panelled carvings. Based on the Paris Opera House, the interior design of the Library of Congress was constructed of marble, granite, iron, and bronze. It is of little wonder that when the Library opened its doors to the public in 1897, it was hailed as “the largest, the costliest, and the safest” library built in the world.

I have a dream, Mr President

Since I was in the area, I thought I might as well visit another U.S. President. The Lincoln Memorial is a tribute and monument to the 16th President of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln. The building, which reminded me of a Greek temple, houses the seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln. At 5.8 metres tall, the solitary figure was smaller than I expected it to be. Many famous speeches have been delivered at the site of the Lincoln Memorial, one of which was Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.