Just off the National Mall are lesser-known, but still important monuments and memorials approved…read moreby Congress. An example is the Simon Bolivar Memorial funded by the Venezuelan government. It's one of five "Statues of the Liberators" in the area. Other things to do next to this memorial is the Department of Interior's free New Deal mural tour at 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursday pre-pandemic. Also, the Art Museum of the Americas, the country's oldest museum dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean art, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday free of charge. Their large outdoor sculpture garden is open 24/7.

I honestly had to do some research after visiting this statue. There is little information at the…read morestatue aside from what is on the statue itself. But, see, that's what you need to do. If you do not know something, educate yourself so that you are not ignorant. I knew I had heard the name Simon Bolivar before, and until a recent re-watching of a certain show on Netflix, that is my basic knowledge. Thankfully we have a library at our disposal in our hands. It was nice to find out that Simon Bolivar was truly a liberator like the name says. That's enough, I'm not going to hammer in a history lesson. Like another reviewer has stated, this is a lesser known of the many monuments in the DC area. I honestly had no idea about it until I happened to walk by it. It is a nice little respite if you decide to just walk about the city aimlessly. As another reviewer has stated there really isn't any place to sit, but it is nice to just stand in one place and not be pushed along. The stature itself is huge and impressive. Definitely worth a look if you are in the area, but not a necessary stop if you are in DC.

Here is yet another obscure memorial that's in DC. It was made to honor those in the Second…read moreDivision in World War I who died. This is pretty impressive. Close to the White House. You should be able to get a good look. A few other memorials are close by. It doesn't take long to get to from the National Mall. This is just across Constitution Avenue on the north side. It's on the Ellipse. This is in front of the White House. Simple elegance. This is a nice tribute. It sure is a simple but nice memorial those who didn't make it back home. It's just across from the National Mall. This is something that takes a few minutes to look at but it's important for remembering those who died in wars.

Great place to reflect on the obvious. Go there & pay your respect. It's very humbling.read more

This memorial has been through a lot. It was given to the United States after the sinking of the…read moreUSS Maine in the Havana Harbor during the time Cuba was trying to seek independence from Spanish control. The USS Maine was sent from Key West to protect the US citizens living in Cuba at the time. Unfortunately, there was a massive explosion on the ship that was supposedly not caused by anything other than a gun magazine explosion killing nearly 270 people. A few days later, it was believed Spain was in fact to blame. America declared war on Spain it turn beginning the Spanish-American War. Cuba was thankful towards the United States and erected the Urn as a means of appreciation to the US and to pay tribute to the lives lost on the USS Maine. It stood a top two columns in Havana for 28 years until a hurricane in 1926 knocked if off its pedestal. In 1928, it was refurbished and given to US as a present with President Calvin Coolidge accepting it. The Urn sat in front of the Cuban Embassy from 1928-1959. Relations went sour when Fidel Castro took presidency in Cuba. The Urn was quickly removed only to be lost for over 3 decades. It was eventually recovered inside of one of the National Park Service warehouses some time later in 1992 so says the National Park Service. After being refurbished again for a second time; it was placed in its current location next to a parking lot in East Potomac Park underneath the 14th Street Bridge, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a pretty obscure and one of the much lesser known memorials in DC. For a 7 foot urn that has been through as much as it has; it has an interesting history. How do you lose an urn anyway?

Another obscure memorial in DC. If you go along the Potomac past the Lincoln Memorial you'll find…read moreit. The John Ericsson Memorial is dedicated to an obscure but important person. He was important in military history. One thing he invented helped the USA in the Civil War. He was a Swedish American inventor. In the Civil War he was important for the Navy. The important invention of his was the USS Monitor, a ship. It helped guard the Naval stations from the Confederates. This was made of metal and was almost indestructible. By now most people have never heard of him. The memorial is often forgotten about because it's in a traffic circle and most people don't care enough to get closer and look. If you like Civil War history you should find this interesting. It doesn't take long to look at but it's also between some other memorials. This is a good stop along the way.

A lesser-known memorial on the National Mall is the John Ericsson Memorial along the Potomac River…read morenear the Lincoln Memorial in honor of the Swedish-American inventor/engineer who designed the USS Monitor, the ship that ensured Union naval dominance during the Civil War. It was dedicated in 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge and Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. The entire memorial cost only $60,000 and is made from pink granite. It's a statue of John Ericsson with three figures representing adventure, labor, and vision. There's a crosswalk and steps that take you to get a closer look.

This statue is of Edmund Burke, a writer, philosopher, and politician who is widely credited as the…read morefounder of the cultural and political philosophy of conservatism. It is located in a US park, and there is metered street parking around the park's perimeter. This statue is a cast of the original that is located in Bristol, England, created by British artist James Havard Thomas. The original was made in 1894, and the cast in DC was made in 1922. Because the park is owned by the federal government, the statue is maintained by the National Park Service. The statue stands 8 feet tall, depicts him waving his right hand, and in his left hand he is holding a three-cornered hat at his side. He is wearing a long jacket with a vest. The sculpture sits upon a rectangular granite base that measures 6 feet tall. The front side of the base is inscribed with: BVRKE 1729-1797 "MAGNANIMITY IN POLITICS IS NOT SELDOM THE TRVEST WISDOM" The back side of the base is inscribed with: THIS STATVE A COPY OF THE WORK OF HAVARD THOMAS IN THE CITY OF BRISTOL ENGLAND WAS PRESENT- ED THROVGH THE SVL- GRAVE INSTITVTION TO THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA BY SIR CHARLES CHEERS WAKEFIELD BARONET FORMERLY LORD MAYOR OF LONDON ERECTED A.D. 1922 You may notice that the "U's" are replaced by "V's" in the inscriptions. That is because it is written using the ancient Roman Latin alphabet, which used the single letter V for both vowel and consonant sounds. This is not a destination piece, and Burke is not a household name, but this is worth a peek if you are in the area. It will also definitely not be a long stop, so it would be beneficial if a visit to see the statue was part of a larger itinerary.

We passed by a small park with this statue today on the walk from the Convention Center to the car…read more There was also an anti war protest going on in Penn Quarter so I asked some protesters to pose in front of the statue. Little did I know how appropriate that was.. Edmund Burke was British, but he was a great ally to the US during the Revolutionary War. He is known by many historians as a founding father of the modern conservative movement. Burke supported the original American colonies in their quest to separate from Britain. One notable thing about the inscription on the statue is that a "v" replaces the "u" in Burke's name. This is because it is done in an old Latin style, which also does not use a man's first name.

Great sculpture featuring three soldiers/servicemen located in the Vietnam War Veteran Memorial.read more

The Three Soldiers Statue is located near the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial quite near…read morethe Reflecting Pool. It's a very nice statue@ Tony stayed seated on the park bench to rest his weary legs.

Walking my way towards the Capitol, I was a little surprised by the chimes of the carillon going…read moreoff at 2:00 PM. So now I'm interested. The Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon is named for the Senator from Ohio who served in the Senate from 1938 to 1953. Senator Taft was the oldest son of William Howard Taft, who was the 27th President of the United States who served from 1909 to 1913 and then was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930. The tower is 100 feet high and has a fountain at the base. On this November morning, the fountain was drained for the winter. Atop the memorial, a 10-foot tall statue of the Senator stands. Definitely try to by nearby when the carillon rings every quarter hour. [Review 14286 overall, 1610 of 2020, number 97 in Washington.]

Every time I visit DC I always end up staying near this memorial. In all honesty I just thought of…read moreit as a bell tower and nothing more, that's what my colleagues would always refer to it as, a bell tower. So the past few years when I was nearby I wouldn't give it a second thought. I actually had to do some research on this one. When I saw the name Taft attached to the memorial I automatically thought of the past president. Close, but no cigar. Robert was the son of the former president. He was at one point the Senate Majority Leader, author of several bills and had a few failed presidential bids. For more information on him do yourself a Google search. The memorial itself is actually one that is peaceful. Especially in such a busy section of DC. Adjacent to the Capitol, it's kind of like an extension of the grounds. You can sit and enjoy your solitude if you prefer or come to listen to the bells. I always use this as a place marker for where I'm at while in DC. It kind of resets me, especially with the bells chiming. It's a nice feature to have in the city, but do yourself a favor and take in the memorial, it is quite beautiful, even on a gloomy day.

Alexander Hamilton (sculpted by James Fraser) - This statue particularly appealed to me because of…read moreits realistic and dignified portrayal of Alexander Hamilton. It feels natural and blends harmoniously into its surroundings. In a subtle way, it commemorates an important figure in American history. A place especially appreciated by those interested in history.