After a busy week in New York, we booked Amtrak tickets to Washington, D.C. The official capital of the United States and a nice escape from the city that never sleeps. The journey lasts around three hours passing through Philadelphia and Baltimore before reaching Union Station.

The first thing you see as you step onto the pavement outside is The Capitol, towering above the trees opposite the station, immediately welcoming you to a very different kind of city. Very different sights, sounds, and smells to what we had been used to during our stay in New York. In just a few hours it felt like we had arrived in a completely different world. A world of museums, memorials, and monuments.

The White House

The White House was our first stop. Unfortunately, we couldn't walk up to the gates on either side due to the new blockades and security put in place recently. From the distance you now have to stand, the building itself didn't feel quite as breathtaking as some of the other buildings in the district, even though it's probably the most famous and recognised of them all. One to tick off the bucket list either way!

Most of the many other Monuments and Museums can be found on or near the National Mall.

Spoiler alert: The National Mall is in fact not a mall but a landscaped park spanning nearly two miles from the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial.

Simply walk through the park between those two buildings and you'll get a view of the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and most of the Smithsonian Museums.

If you're not in the city for long this is one of the best ways to get the most out of your stay. Or at least how we did it!

The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an obelisk built to commemorate George Washington, the first President of the United States. 

As you walk up to the obelisk and look to your left you'll spot the beautiful Capitol Building in the distance. To your right, the World War II and Lincoln Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial

We were fortunate enough to reach the Lincoln Memorial just in time for sunset. As the sky turned yellow and the wind died down, we took a seat at the end of the Reflecting Pool and watched as the light faded. It was one of the most peaceful evenings so far. Though probably because we were at this end of the pool and not the other. If you look closely at the photos you can see the crowded steps of the Memorial opposite us!

P.S. wait for the lights to turn on!

As we walked back towards our hotel, we passed by another view of The Capitol Building. It was framed by the fifty American flags that fly 24 hours a day around the Washington Monument.

Mr Lincoln

The next morning, we finally made our way to the other side of the Reflecting Pool to see the inside of the Memorial and a close-up of Mr Lincoln.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

We sat on the steps outside the Memorial and watched the beautiful reflection of the Washington Monument centered nicely in the Reflecting Pool.

A very different vibe to New York. Both have their own unique charm and beauty about them, but Washington, D.C. felt a lot more peaceful and calm. It's somewhere that you can slowly walk around and really take in the sights and learn of the history that surrounds you.