I did more than just stalk celebrities on a recent trip to Washington, D.C.

There will be more to come, but I’m so exhausted.  However, I did want to share with you some of the beauty of the weekend.

First, a night trip to visit Thomas Jefferson. It was about midnight and we were the only people there, except for some security guards whom we apparently surprised.

Thomas Jefferson stands in front of my favorite quotes of all time.

The Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.

A trip to see Martin Luther King, Jr.  This quote will soon be removed from the monument.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. monument in Washington, DC.

More to come from the U.S. Capitol building.  It was just simply amazing to watch government in action.  (or government inaction! HA!)

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

The Iwo Jima/Marine Memorial is simply amazing.  Just so realistic and powerful.

The Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, DC.

The Pentagon Memorial is breathtaking.  It took while to figure out the symbolism of each of the pieces and how it was laid out.

The start of the Pentagon Memorial honoring the victims killed here in the September 11, terror attacks.

This is what you see when you first walk in.  Essentially, the display is laid out on a timeline.  The first little memorial bears the name of the youngest person killed.  Along the outer brick wall are the years they were born and it gets higher, so the oldest person on the flight is in the back.  You see some of the memorials facing different ways.  At the end of each seat-like memorial bears a name.  When you are reading the name, if there is a road behind you, that person was killed on the plane.  If the building is behind them, like in the photo below, then they were killed while working inside the Pentagon.  Pretty amazing and powerful.

You can also see below where the color of the walls change on the Pentagon itself.  That’s where the plane hit.

Honoring those killed in the terror attacks of September 11th at the Pentagon.

There will be more…and of course some crazy stories to share.

What are some of your favorite monuments to visit in Washington, D.C.?