Not our name, but our passion
The Three Soldiers (also known as The Three Servicemen) is a bronze statue by Frederick Hart. Unveiled on Veterans Day, November 11, 1984, on the National Mall, it is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial commemorating the Vietnam War. It was the first representation of an African American on the National Mall.
The National Mall in Washington was the main destination for Alex’s school trip in Spring of 2022. The National Mall is a landscaped park within the National Mall and Memorial Parks, an official unit of the United States National Park System. It is located near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States, and is administered by the National Park Service. The mall is surrounded by memorials and museums which Alex visited a good many.
Museums surround the mall – Alex’s friend Jaden fending off a shark
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It was named in 1964 as a memorial to assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Opened on September 8, 1971, the center hosts many different genres of performance art, such as theater, dance, orchestras, jazz, pop, psychedelic, and folk music. This was Alex’s first stop for dinner when arriving in Washington, D.C. on his school trip.
Making their way up to the dining area
The rooftop had views of the National Mall and monuments
Back on the bus for further adventures
The Washington Monument is an obelisk towering over the National Mall in Washington, DC. It was one of the very first sights Alex saw on his school trip to Washington, Construction of the presidential memorial began in 1848 and was halted for a period of 23 years, from 1854 to 1877 due to a lack of funds, a struggle for control over the Washington National Monument Society, and the American Civil War. Although the stone structure was completed in 1884, internal ironwork, the knoll, and installation of memorial stones were not completed until 1888. A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet (46 m) or 27% up, shows where construction was halted and later resumed with marble from a different source. The original design was by Robert Mills (1781–1855) of South Carolina, but he did not include his proposed colonnade due to a lack of funds, proceeding only with a bare obelisk. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the first stone was laid atop the unfinished stump on August 7, 1880; the capstone was set on December 6, 1884; the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885; and officially opened October 9, 1888.
First view of the monument through the school bus window
Out of the bus for some up close views
Towering above the other monuments
Beautiful even at night
Ponemah Bog is a Kettle Hole Bog with a small pond at its center. A 0.8-mile boardwalk loop leads through the bog, providing a nice walk in all seasons. The boardwalk features three observation decks over the pond. There is a small parking area with ample signage explaining the bog and the flora within it, walk past this kiosk and begin your walk on the left fork of graded Bog Trail (you will return on the right fork). After 0.1 miles, bear right to stay on the trail as Bypass Trail diverges left. You will quickly come upon an observation deck, from which you can look into the bog. Just past the tower, Bypass Trail rejoins from the left. You will then arrive at the edge of the bog, where you will step out onto the boardwalk. Here, close to the forest, the bushes and plants in the bog grow taller than those in the middle. There are many blueberry bushes along the boardwalk. As you move into the bog, you will start to see some pitcher plants beside the boardwalk. As the boardwalk continues out, the plants get smaller, until finally, you emerge in the open bog. Here, you will see the pond in the center of the bog. In addition to the pitcher plants keep your eyes open for sundews along the trail.
Alex about to start his trek
Information kiosk is in depth
Information pamphlet also available
