National Mall Run

The Anskys were visiting friends in Rockville, MD for a few days last week and weekend. We saw a lot of cool things including going to to the top of the Washington Monument, touring the Supreme Court, and seeing the original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. I did run while I was down there as well. Once in and around the National Zoo, once around my friend's neighborhood and on the last morning we there, around the National Mall. For those of you that don't know, the National Mall is not some sprawling structure in Washington, D.C. featuring a Sears, Best Buy, Macy's, etc.....The National Mall is the area in Washington that houses many of the famous monuments, memorials, and museums.

One of my favorite things to do when visiting new cities is run through them. It's a great way to explore the city you're visiting. The National Mall did not disappoint. In the interest of full disclosure, I did run the Mall once before, during the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon. For obvious reasons I did not take the time to appreciate all of the sites around me. This past Sunday, I brought my camera and played tourist. There were tons of other runners out, many of whom probably incorporate the Mall into their regular runs just as many New Yorkers run in Central Park or on its bridges.

Without further adieu, here is my run in pictures:

The run started at Smithsonian Metro station facing the Washington Monument:

The next stop on my tour was the World War II memorial

Next up: The Lincoln Memorial

I then followed some runners over the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Arlington National Cemetery

Back on the Mall, I stopped at the Federal Reserve

The Vietnam Memorial

Then it was time to tackle Capitol Hill

At the top of Capitol Hill is the Supreme Court

I saw many other sites along the after the Supreme Court but my camera malfunctioned until I ended the tour where I started at Smithsonian Metro Station. I like this shot because you can see both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.