I don’t say this enough on my blog, but I love to travel! With summer fast approaching, it means that many people will be traveling or going on vacations soon. When on such travels, you might visit national places or places of national and/or international importance like monuments and memorials. This leads to two questions I am wondering today.

Do you have a favorite monument that you love to visit? Is there a memorial that always gets you emotionally when you visit it?

I have a few favorites that come to mind. It’s hard for me though to just decide on one. I love all the monuments and memorials that line and are near the National Mall in Washington D.C. They all tell and remind of great stories of leadership, love, and sacrifice. It’s hard not to be in awe of President Lincoln sitting on his chair, or to be stunned by the beauty of the Jefferson Memorial. I love the history and way the stories are told at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials. The way the Washington Monument stands alone is awe inspiring. It’s also impossible not to get emotional in observing the Vietnam Veterans and Korean War memorials.

The memorial though that is probably my favorite is the World War II Memorial. You see, my grandpa served in that war (as did thousands of others’ grandparents and family) and so I have a connection there. But, I also love the beauty of the way it is designed with a pillar for every state. There is something beautiful in how it is laid out reminding us of our connections and dependence on each others as states and people. It reminds of what is possible in terms of collaboration, but also how much we all need to be able to collaborate together.

If you have been to Washington D.C. what memorials or monuments stand out to you and why?

In thinking outside of the Nation’s Capital, my favorite monument might actually be the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Maybe you didn’t know that there are such things. It’s the first monument I remember ever visiting as a little guy. Given the importance that mountain has to my home state, and to this day both its historical and natural significance, its something to really behold. It can only be done in person. So if you have never looked into the crater, please go and do. It will give you a new appreciation for both the destruction potential and beauty of nature and creation.

Now it’s your turn. So what monuments and memorials do you love to visit? What are your travel plans for this summer? What stories will you learn or recall by these travels and what memories do you hope to make?

Image Credits: World War II Memorial at night; Mt. St. Helens