D.C.

Washington D.C. was one of our favorite cities. We were able to stay very close to the city, in Kensington (only a few minutes by train) thanks to cousin MaryBelle, who graciously offered us room and board for the duration of our D.C. leg.
First thing about Washington: Stepping off the subway and onto the national mall, you cannot help but be struck by the history of the place. Turn your head one way and you see the Capitol Building, where presidents are sworn into the nation's highest office. Turn your head the other way and there stands the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr famously delivered his "I have a dream" speech. History is everywhere in D.C. and it really is palpable.
Second thing about Washington: The monuments and Smithsonian museums are fantastic and, fantastically, they are free. We went to the National Galleries (great collections filled with impressionists, Rodin sculptures, and much too much to list) as well as the Air and Space Museum (see the module that landed on the moon and marvel at the fact that it looks like someone put it together with aluminum foil for an art class), the American Indian Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, American History Museum (where you can see, among other things, the hat that Lincoln was wearing when he was shot, Julia Child's kitchen, and the Watergate file cabinets), Botanical Gardens, and Natural History Museum. They do a great job on all of these, and if you have the time, there's no excuse not to go to them.
As for the monuments, they are a must-see as well. Washington Monument is the tallest structure in D.C., the World War II Memorial is beautiful, the Korean War Memorial is haunting with its statues and faces carved into walls, and Lincoln Memorial was a highlight for us. We walked along the reflecting pool just as the sun was setting behind the Lincoln Memorial. Because of that, we couldn't see him initially, but as we made our way up the steps, the Great Emancipator slowly came into view, until we found ourselves standing in front of that most famous statue. We marveled and then turned around to sit on the steps with the glittering reflecting pool at our feet and the setting sun lighting up the Capitol Building in the distance.
I don't care what those Tea Party-ers say...Washington is awesome.