Category Archives: Biking

The National World War II Memorial

Well, it’s official.  At the end of this post about visiting the monuments and memorials on Washington DC’s National Mall, we will officially have visited 50 of the 500 places in Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up.  To celebrate, I’m having a huge giveaway so be sure to check back in tomorrow.

But first, the final post on our Bike and Roll Monument Tour in Washington DC.

The last official “stop” on our tour was at the National World War II Memorial which honors the men and women who died and fought in World War II.  It’s an impressive and huge memorial – much like the war it represents.  Incorporating the existing Rainbow Pool in the center, the memorial has two huge arches on either side representing the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.  Pillars adorned with wreaths represent the US states and territories at the time of the war.

Pillars with wreaths at World War II Memorial

Plaque at entrance to World War II Memorial

They’re easy to miss amid the grandeur of the World War II Memorial.  Plus, it seems that people tend to gravitate toward the more emotional Freedom Wall of gold stars – “The Price of Freedom” – opposite the entrance where each star represents 100 Americans who died or are missing – a total of 4048 stars.

Freedom Wall of gold stars

Strangely, there wasn’t the somberness that I felt at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  Yes, it was emotional when you gazed at the wall of stars and realize how many lost their lives, but in my opinion, stars don’t have the same impact as a list of names or faces etched into a wall.

Biking Our Way Around the National Mall

With four major memorials in Washington DC visited and more still on the agenda, you’d think my kids would be wilting and demanding we stop, but with Bike and Roll’s well-planned Monument tour route (and a welcome snack/drink break) they were cruising through puddles to see how high they could make them splash!

Our next stop on Bike and Roll’s tour was a little unexpected, but so enjoyable to a couple of science geeks like my hubby and I.  Located in front of the National Academy of Sciences is the Albert Einstein Memorial.  In addition to rubbing his nose (apparently it endows you with a genius ability similar to Einstein), there is a unique acoustic effect at the memorial.

Albert Einstein Memorial

There are lines radiating out from his statue and if you stand where the lines meet and say something, you get this weird surround sound effect.  Trust me on this one!

Vietnam War Memorial

Built into the landscape, it was supposed to have no political agenda attached to its design, but when people saw Maya Lin’s black slabs of granite filled with names, some demanded a more traditional honor for the Vietnam Veterans.  The critics got their wish with a traditional statue that was one of the first on the National Mall to depict a Mexican-American and an African-American serviceman.

“Three Servicemen” Statue

I think it complements the more stark Vietnam Veterans Memorial and blends the two styles.

All smiles after our bike tour!

Renting a bike (or taking a bike tour) with Bike and Roll in Washington DC is an efficient and easy way to see the monuments and memorials Washington DC is so famous for.  In three hours, you and your kids can “see it all” and still have a smile on your face – rather than having a meltdown of epic proportions.

Continuing where I left off in yesterday’s post, our next stop on Bike and Roll’s Monuments Bike Tour was the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  The last time I visited Washington DC, this was the memorial that choked me up and I was curious to see my sons’ reactions.

Korean War Memorial

They, like me, were moved by the simplicity of the memorial and its stark facts etched into stone.

In addition, Ben from Bike and Roll added some interesting facts about the Korean War Veterans Memorial that will forever burn in my memory.

Statue at Korean War Memorial

• The 38th Parallel is of special significance in the Korean War – it’s the dividing line between North and South Korea that moved during the “police action” but in the end, didn’t change.  The designer of the memorial wanted to place 38 statues in the pseudo-rice field, but there wasn’t enough space.  So instead, there are 19 – with their ghostly reflections in the black granite wall beside them making it 38.
• The statues are made of stainless steel – making them appear “ghost-like” at night.
• Along the black granite wall, images taken from actual photographs are sandblasted into the wall.  If you stand at a distance, it looks like the mountains of South Korea.

Lincoln Memorial

Unfortunately, the majesty of the memorial was lost with all the shouting people and crowds jostling for pictures, so I didn’t spend much time inside.  But I did search for and locate some of the interesting facts (or perhaps, urban legends) Ben from Bike and Roll mentioned:

• There are 87 steps from the base of the reflecting pool to the base of Lincoln’s statue, representing Lincoln’s famous line from the Gettysburg Address “Four score and seven years ago . . . “
• If you look at Lincoln’s hands, they are signing “A” and “L” in American Sign Language, supposedly referring to Lincoln signing the treaty giving Gallaudet University land to build a university for the deaf. 

Is Lincoln signing A & L?

• There is a special engraving on the steps halfway to the memorial to mark the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Spot at Lincoln Memorial where MLK stood

• Last, but not least, there is a significant mistake in the chamber containing the engraving of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address – the “F” in “future” is an “E” and they covered the mistake by not filling the bottom part in (but you can still see the outline!)

Bike and Roll Touring Company

With so many monuments and memorials worth visiting in Washington DC, the easiest (and most eco-friendly) way to see them is by bike.  Our family chose Bike and Roll’s Monuments Bike Tour, a three hour biking tour with stops at the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Albert Einstein Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, World War II Memorial, and picture ops at the Washington Monument and White House.

Whew!

We checked in around 2:00 for our 2:30 tour, got fitted with bikes and helmets, and tried out our bikes.  Then, led by Ben, our friendly and knowledgable guide, we headed out.

Tandem bikes available from Bike and Roll for younger riders

We kept mainly to the sidewalks with Ben ringing his bike’s bell to clear the path.  The day was beautiful and soon, we were at the Jefferson Memorial (which is one of the loveliest, though farthest out memorial).

The Jefferson Memorial

Before allowing us 10-15 minutes to wander around (about all the time you probably need . . .), Ben gave us some tidbits about the memorial . . .

• The land was originally designated for a memorial to Theodore Roosevelt, but FDR thought it showed poor taste to build a memorial to a relative during the Depression, so he chose to honor Jefferson, our third President and drafter of the Declaration of Independence, instead.
• The Jefferson Memorial is similar in style to Jefferson’s home in Virginia, Monticello.
• The Jefferson Memorial is in a direct line of sight with the White House . . . and FDR supposedly had all the trees removed so he could “keep watch” over the building of the memorial.  

View of the White House from the Jefferson Memorial

Then it was back on our bikes to head over to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, dedicated in 1997.  It’s one of the largest (space-wise) memorials and divided into four “rooms” symbolizing FDR’s four Presidential terms.  Out of respect, we weren’t allowed to ride our bikes through, so we walked backwards in time with Ben explaining the significance of each room.

Waterfalls throughout the FDR Memorial

The theme of water is in each room signifying the importance of water in FDR’s life – his birth along the Hudson River, the TVA Project during the Depression, and the healing waters he took in Georgia to counter the painful effects of his childhood polio.

FDR’s sentiment on World War II

Famous quotes by Roosevelt are scattered throughout the FDR Memorial including his famous “I hate war” from a 1936 speech.

Bread line sculpture in FDR Memorial

Also scattered throughout the FDR Memorial are statues depicting important events in FDR’s presidency, like the bread line sculpture by George Segal above, and a larger-than-life statue of Roosevelt with his dog, Fala.

Fala and FDR statues in FDR Memorial

The above sculpture is also the one that caused the most controversy when the FDR Memorial was dedicated.  Many disabled Americans thought it very important that Roosevelt be depicted in his wheelchair as a way to demonstrate his triumph over adversity, but the designers decided to show FDR with a huge cloak sitting in a chair that has casters visible only from the back of the sculpture.  So in true Washington fashion, another statue (funded by the National Organization on Disability) was added in 2001 showing FDR in a wheelchair he had designed.

More memorials tomorrow!