#133 The Old Post Office Tower

The Old Post Office Tower is located on Pennsylvaina Avenue (At 12th Street) and is part of the Pennsylavia Avenue national Historic Site. The building was completed in 1899 and is the tallest commercial building in downtown Washington, and is third tallest structure. The building itself was only used for 15 years as a Post Office, and probably would have been demolished in the 20s or 30s but was not due to lack of funds caused by the Great Depression. In the early 1970s local citizens rallied to save the building. It was added to The National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and was extensivly rennovated in 1976.

#132 Arlington House

This is actually a picture of Arlington National Cemetery, where Arlington House, once the residence of Robert E. Lee, is located. In an unbelievable oversight, I did not take a picture of the house itself while visiting the cemetery. The Cemetery is a touching place and a living memorial to the thousands of men and woman who have died in defense of our country.

#131 Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial was designed by Henry Bacon and the statue inside was sculpted by Daniel Chester French. Inside the memorial are inscriptions of two of Lincoln's most famous speeches, The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second Inaugural Address. Many famouse speeches and events, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech have happened on the memorial's steps.

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#130 Vietnam Veterans Memorial

This monument is also located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The wall was designed by American Architect Maya Lin and is visited by more than three million people each year.

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#129 Korean War Veterans Memorial

This monument on The National Mall in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to men who served in the Korean War in the 1950s. It was designed by Frank Gaylord, and has a granite wall nearbly reading "Freedom is not Free."

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#128 FDR Memorial

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a presidential memorial dedicated to the memory of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and to the era he represents.
Dedicated on May 2, 1997 by President Bill Clinton, the monument, spread over 7.5 acres (30,000 m2), traces 12 years of the history of the United States through a sequence of four outdoor rooms, one for each of FDR's terms of office. Sculptures inspired by photographs depict the 32nd president alongside his dog Fala. Other sculptures depict scenes from the Great Depression, such as listening to a fireside chat on the radio and waiting in a bread line. A bronze statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt standing before the United Nations emblem honors her dedication to the UN. It is the only presidential memorial to depict a First Lady.
Considering Roosevelt's disability, the memorial's designers intended to create a memorial that would be accessible to those with various physical impairments. Among other features, the memorial includes an area with tactile reliefs with braille writing for people who are blind. However, the memorial faced serious criticism from disabled activists. Some of the braille and reliefs were placed well above the reach of even a very tall person, rendering the braille pointless because no blind person could reach high enough to read it.
The statue of FDR also stirred controversy over the issue of his disability. Designers decided against plans to have FDR shown in a wheelchair. Instead, the statue depicts the president in a chair with a cloak obscuring the chair, showing him as he appeared to the public during his life. Roosevelt's reliance on a wheelchair was not publicized during his life, as there was a stigma of weakness and instability associated with any disability.[2] However, many wanted his disability to be shown to tell the story of what they believed to be the source of his strength. Other disability advocates, while not necessarily against showing him in a wheelchair, were wary of protests about the memorial that leaned toward making Roosevelt a hero because of his disability.
The sculptor added casters to the back of the chair in deference to advocates, making it a symbolic "wheelchair". The casters are only visible behind the statue.
Many disability advocates remained upset with the FDR statue. A group spearheaded by the National Organization on Disability raised $1.65 million over two years to fund the addition of another statue that clearly showed the president in a wheelchair. In January 2001, the additional statue was placed near the memorial entrance showing FDR seated in a wheelchair much like the one he actually used.
Running water is an important physical and metaphoric component of the memorial. Each of the four "rooms" representing Roosevelt's respective terms in office contains a waterfall. As one moves from room to room, the waterfalls become larger and more complex, reflecting the increasing complexity of a presidency marked by the vast upheavals of economic depression and world war. When the memorial first opened, people were encouraged to wade into the fountains and waterfalls. Within a matter of days, the National Park Service prohibited people from entering the water because they were unable to get insurance.

Tour guides describe the symbolism of the five main water areas as:
* A single large drop - The crash of the economy that led to the Great Depression
* Multiple stairstep drops - The Tennessee Valley Authority dam-building project
* Chaotic falls at varying angles - World War II
* A still pool - Roosevelt's death
* A wide array combining the earlier waterfalls - A retrospective of Roosevelt's presidency
Smaller waterfalls and a reflecting pool located between the "rooms" lend continuity to the water theme.
The memorial was designed by Lawrence Halprin, and includes sculptures and works by Leonard Baskin, Neil Estern, Robert Graham, Thomas Hardy, and George Segal. The national memorial is part of National Mall and Memorial Parks. As an historic area managed by the National Park Service, the memorial was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on date of its establishment, May 2, 1997.
Today, more than 2.8 million people visit the memorial each year.

See more of my pictures here.

#127 Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third president of the United States. The neoclassical building was designed by John Russell Pope. It was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain. Construction began in 1939, the building was completed in 1942, and the bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947.When completed, the memorial occupied one of the last significant sites left in the city.

Composed of circular marble steps, a portico, a circular colonnade of Ionic order columns, and a shallow dome, the building is open to the elements. Pope made references to the Roman Pantheon and Jefferson's own design for the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. It is situated in West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River. The Jefferson Memorial, and the White House located directly north, form one of the main anchor points in the area of the National Mall in D.C. The Washington Monument, just east of the axis on the national Mall, was intended to be located at the intersection of the White House and the site for the Jefferson Memorial to the south, but soft swampy ground which defied nineteenth century engineering required it be sited to the east. In 2007, it was ranked fourth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

See the rest of my pictures here.

#126 Washington Monument

See Pictures from the top of this Monument here.

#125 World War II Memorial

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The U.S. National World War II Memorial is a National Memorial dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. Consisting of 56 pillars and a pair of arches surrounding a plaza and fountain, it is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on the former site of the Rainbow Pool at the eastern end of the Reflecting Pool, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

It opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated by President George W. Bush on May 29, 2004, two days before Memorial Day. The memorial is administered by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks group. As of 2009, more than 4.4 million people visit the memorial each year.

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#124 The White House

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#123 Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP

The military park encompasses four major Civil War battlefields: Battle of Fredericksburg, Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. It also preserves four historic buildings associated with them: Chatham Manor, Salem Church, Ellwood, and the house where Stonewall Jackson died. The ruins of the Chancellor family mansion are included. There are two visitor centers staffed by Park Service rangers, one in Fredericksburg near the foot of Marye's Heights, and another at the Chancellorsville site.

Here are Page One and Page Two of pictures.

#122 Manassas NBP

Manassas National Battlefield Park marks the site of two major battles in the Civil War. The first Battle of Bull Run was in July of 1861, and The Second Battle of Bull Run was in August of 1862. Both battles were Confederate victories, but the losses suffered by both sides meant very little ground gained either way.

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#121 Monocacy NB

Monocacy National Battlefield is the site of the 1864 Union victory. The victory is considered "The Battle that Saved Washington".

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#120 Appalachian Trail National Scenic Trail

#119 Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. It was the site of John Brown's famous raid in 1859, where he attempted to raid the arsenal, arm the slaves, and free them. He was defeated and subsequently hanged.

See More Pictures of Harpers Ferry NHS here.

#118 Antietam National Battlefield

Antietam National Battlefield memorializes the September 17th, 1862 battle that remains the single bloodiest day in American history, with over 23,000 casualties. The battle was a draw, but the Union forces held the battlefield upon the ending of the hostilities. President Lincoln wanted Union General George McClellan to follow the drastically weakened confederate army into Northern Virginia, but he refused allowing the Southerners to regroup and prolong the war. The picture above is of Burnside's Bridge.

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#117 Chsapeake & Ohio Canal NHP

Started in 1824, The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal or "The Grand Old Ditch" was a key transportation route for coal from the Appalachian Mountains to Chesapeake Bay. The Canal was discontinued as a transportation route after devastating floods in 1924.
Today the 184 mile long canal has a popular bike and hiking path, as well as visitor centers which explain the canal's importance to early industrial America.
The above picture is of the canal in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C.
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#116 Sleeping Bear Dunes NL

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, located west of Traverse City, Michigan, is a National Park that is very special to me. I spent two summers working at Camp Arcadia in Arcadia, which is about an hour south of the park. The ending of our many canoe trips was a Platte Point, the spot where the Platte River meets Lake Michigan. This spot is located within the park. This picture is from April of 2005, on the first trip I took with the pop-up.

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#115 Shiloh NMP

Shiloh National Military Park marks the site of the first major engagement in the Western Theatre of the Civil War. The bloody two day battle in April of 1862 did not result in victory for either side. The Union forces held the battlefield itself, but failed to pursue the Confederates, who could claim the battle was a success because they were able to stop what had planned to be a much larger invasion. The Confederates did suffer a major loss, General Albert Sidney Johnson, who was considered by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, as the finest military officer in their army.

See More picture of Shiloh here.

#114 Brices Cross NB

This Battlefield site marks the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, where in June of 1864, an outnumbered Confederate force secured their supply lines between Nashville and Chattanooga, delaying an inevitable defeat for a few months longer.

See More Pictures here.