Friday Night with the Memorials, Part III

As darkness set in, I wandered over to the Korean War Veterans memorial. It is quite a sight, with multiple statues of soldiers spread out through some brush. In the fading light, they appear as apparitions.

This is what happens when you don't use a flash as night falls on the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Ghostly Korean War Veterans.

I continued my stroll to the FDR Memorial, which I had heard was really cool at night. It is comprised of a series of scenes from the man's life, with statues of bread lines during the Great Depression, to him sitting with his dog. These scenes alternate with some lovely fountains and waterfalls, all glowing green in the darkness. It was quite lovely.

FDR sitting in his chair.

The memorials are situated around an inlet of the Potomac River called the Tidal Basin. Along with the Reflecting Pool, much of the Tidal Basin and parts of the Jefferson Memorial are under construction. As a ranger at the Jefferson Memorial explained to me, the land surrounding the memorials is all fill, and over time it has settled unevenly. Parts of the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial are essentially sliding into the water, so some of the stimulus money has been put to work to anchor the sites down to the bedrock with pylons. A worthy project, but it made some of my pictures rather unsightly.

Looking at the Washington Monument from across the Tidal Basin as I walked to the Jefferson Memorial.

One of the amazing sights of my evening was watching the moon rise over the Jefferson Memorial as I approached in on the path around the Tidal Basin. It was so large and bright, and paired with the brightly-lit memorial, served as a beacon drawing me to my final destination for the evening.

The Jefferson Memorial is quite possibly my favorite one. Visiting it so late at night, I avoided the usual crowds and was pleased with the opportunity to sit on a bench inside the dome and quitely contemplate the man, his life, and his words. It is a regal structure, and one that instills the weight of history and this great, great man.

The Jefferson Memorial, with the stairs partially roped off due to the aforementioned construction.

T.J.!

I love the domed ceiling of the Jefferson Memorial, the magnitude of which is difficult to capture with a camera.