When she was very small, Ally called the Washington Monument, "The Giant Pencil;"
We arrive at the World War II Memorial

I am happy to say that there was a big crowd at the Memorial, with many wreaths laid

Going there reminded me of my friend Bill Hughes, who was like a father to me and was the best man at my wedding.
Bill was from Boston and flew missions as a flight engineer on B-29s in the Pacific Theater. Bill passed away in 1997.
My kids never got to meet him, but he was an incredible man. Someday, I'll have to tell you more about him.

Feeding the ducks on the Reflecting Pool, in front of the Lincoln Memorial

The gardens outside the Smithsonian Institution Building ("the Castle")

Some of the displays inside "the Castle": Kristi Yamaguchi's skates and Franco Harris' helmet; 
helmet and gloves from the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team; a giant bird-eating spider (Ally loves spiders)

Posing with Shiva (Nataraja) at the Freer Gallery
(I'm fascinated by Hindu culture);
Ally and a portrait of her heroine, Mulan

The famous Peacock Room, painted by James Whistler