At the end of a work trip this month, I had a free morning with a coworker in DC before we flew out. With only a few hours we wanted to make the most of the time we had. I knew some about the National Mall, but after some research, found out about the Peace Trail. So we decided to make a giant loop before heading to the airport.
Peace Trail
We got a tip to park in the Tidal Basin area of DC. Using Spot Hero, we were able to reserve a parking spot at the Salamander Hotel and from there it was fairly easy to walk to a starting point of the Peace Trail.
I also downloaded the THE PEACE TRAIL ON THE NATIONAL MALL MOBILE APP. The app acts as a tour guide of the Peace Trail, giving history and information on all of the monuments that make up the trail.
It really was incredible to see all these monuments and memorials. Below are some of the spots we were able to stop on our walk.
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Martin Luther King Jr Memorial
- US Park Police Horse Stables
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- World War II Memorial
National Mall
We had enough time when we finished the Peace Trail to walk the rest of the National Mall. A lot of the buildings were under construction, but I was able to get a few pictures on our walk.
- Washington Monument
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Museum of Natural History
- United States Capitol
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Smithsonian Castle
Route
In total by the time we made it back to the hotel, we walked 7.5 miles (18,000 steps) in 3 hours. It would have been so easy to spend days in the National Mall area. Hopefully in the future, I will be able to go back and visit some of the museums.
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