It’s practically unthinkable to mention Memorial Day in the same sentence as Washington, D.C., without undertaking the monumental task of listing the holiday’s sights and sounds along the Mall and other historical paths.
Yet there are so many ways to honor America’s past, kick off the outdoor season and treat the children to unique, unforgettable sleepovers.
A top-rated city for bikers and for walkers, D.C. has plenty of must-see venues for older folks who might prefer to view flora and fauna beyond the Mall, as Lady Bird Johnson Park is a sight to behold. Perhaps the entire family might be inquisitive enough to see up close how and where leaders of the free world lived before Pennsylvania Avenue became “America’s Main Street” and 1600 Pennsylvania became “America’s House.”
It’s hardly our place to encourage visitors to ignore the obligatory sites, including the World War II, D.C. War and Vietnam veterans memorials.
Arlington National Cemetery, for another, is no mere graveyard: It is sacred ground that stands as testament to America’s commitment to pay homage to its military dead as well as the War Between the States, as Robert E. Lee, who owned the original property, conceded the deep loss of his Arlington home to his wife in a letter that read, in part: “It is better to make up our minds to a general loss. They cannot take away the remembrance of the spot, and the memories of those that to us rendered it sacred.”
Other sights off the beaten path:
A night at the museum
Three Smithsonian sites participate in the handicapped-accessible Smithsonian Sleepovers program: the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of Natural History. Neither Theodore Roosevelt (in the image of Robin Williams) nor Sacagawea guides the overnight tours, but children 8 to 14 should have a blast anyway. The sleepovers are held through late summer, and the museums offer activities and adhere to a strict set of rules. For example, parents shouldn’t think they can drop off their children at the Smithsonian and head to their own overnight adventures. There are lots of stipulations involving chaperones, the size of groups, registration, jammies and the such. (SmithsonianSleepovers.org/index.shtm)
Houses of worship
• St. Patrick Catholic Church: Now in its third century of spiritual, cultural and community service, St. Patrick’s is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in Washington, founded in 1794 to minister the stonemasons building the White House and the U.S. Capitol. The rectory is scheduled to be closed on Memorial Day, but a noon Mass is scheduled.
• Metropolitan AME Church: Founded in 1838, Metropolitan has been a place of worship for several presidents, including William Howard Taft and Bill Clinton. Both held pre-inaugural prayer services there. Notable speakers featured at Metropolitan include Paul Laurence Dunbar, Eleanor Roosevelt and Dorothy I. Height. Metropolitan also hosted the national memorial service for Rosa Parks. (MetropolitanAMEC.org/index.asp)
• Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul: Commonly called the Washington National Cathedral, it has served as the site for the interfaith National Day of Prayer and for funerals and attendant events for presidents dating back to Woodrow Wilson. Its 230-plus stained glass windows are wondrous. The cathedral also is home to peal and carillon bells. (https://www.cathedral.org/)
• The National Presbyterian Church: Like the National Cathedral, National Presbyterian was damaged during the 2011 earthquake, but its historical roots are a mainstay. Its origins date to 1795 and Scottish stonemasons who were helping build the White House. In the next century, it began opening its doors for Frederick Douglass, the former slave who read the Bible to overcome illiteracy. In the 20th century, its senior pastor became chaplain of the U.S. Senate, President Eisenhower was baptized there, and the church became a worship site for such visitors as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and Norman Vincent Peale. The neo-Gothic cathedral is adorned with Tiffany stained glass. (NationalPres.org/)
Flora and fauna
• Delight all five senses at the National Arboretum, “where science meets beauty” (USNA.USDA.gov/), and the U.S. Botanic Garden, a splendid showcase where a child’s curiosity can take hold and a cook’s curiosity can take stock of all that mint, sage and parsley you’ve potted on the terrace. You can take tours at the Botanic Garden and attend cooking demonstrations. You also can simply stop and smell the roses. (USBG.gov/)
• Make a day of it at Rock Creek Park, home to ponies and pandas and picnics, oh my. Children 2 and older get the guided-tour treatment at the Rock Creek Park Horse Center. (RockCreekHorseCenter.com/index.html) Other park gems include the planetarium, where telescopes and ranger-led tours take children and the young-at-heart on explorations of the solar system. In the nature center, delightful-smelling woodland trails offer birders self-guided tours and kiddies can feed the many critters. There also are wheelchair-accessible charms and an array of water. The Carter Barron Amphitheatre and the park’s tennis courts are popular draws, while the breathtaking landscape and flora at Dumbarton Oaks invite solitude and quiet walks. (NPS.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/places-to-go.htm)
• Every day is panda day at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. The giant panda habitat is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and keep in mind that baby Bao Bao and her parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, are hugely popular. You don’t have to travel to Sea World to see seals and sea lions; their feedings occur mornings at the National Zoo. In the afternoon, check out the feeding of the beautiful black-crowned night herons — stocky wild birds that return to the zoo each year and sound a little like ducks. (NationalZoo.si.edu/Visit)
• Deborah Simmons can be reached at dsimmons@washingtontimes.com.
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