Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Visit

Monday, April 19, 2013 | Washington, DC –  If you haven’t already made your way to visit the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in the District of Columbia, I highly, highly encourage you to make a stop there the next time you’re in the nation’s capitol.

I had the pleasure of going with one of my marathon teammates the day after the first inaugural DC Nike Women’s Marathon and I’m sure glad I did! Although it was raining the day Veronica and I went, I’m sure I speak for the both of us that it was worth every minute. A few raindrops pales in comparison to what he and his contemporaries sacrificed for us to be there that day, decades later.

The Memorial is situated along the water, in a serene garden, almost Buddhist-like landscape. Along the entrance of the outdoor exhibit is a memorial wall engraved with some of Dr. King’s most famous quotes. Standing omnipotently in the middle is a massive carving of Dr. King overlooking the water, arms crossed, and beautifully content.

Some quick pointers on getting to the monument itself… if you are staying in the DC vicinity, it is not in walking distance of hotels or residences, so you’re better off driving, biking, or taking a cab like we had. It was a little difficult hailing a cab on the way back only because the main street adjacent to the monument does not have a stopping area for cabs to pick you up….safely. Eventually a cab stopped but he had to enter a one-way going in the opposite direction and make a U-turn so we could hop in.

Other than that, there’s no reason whatsoever to not visit this monument. I’m definitely going to go back when skies are clearer so I can enjoy reading a book in all the Monument’s splendor.