There are still more cherry trees at the Washington Monument, not far away. The obelisk – the tall, slender column of marble -- honors the United States’ first president. George Washington also led the Continental Army that won the country’s independence from Britain.

Unfortunately, the inside of the Washington Monument is closed for repairs because of damage from a 5.8-strength earthquake in August 2011. Scaffolds are being built on the outside so the work can be done. But there are other things to do outside the monument.

The breezes near the stone column show great energy. They blow so hard that you can hear them as they toss the American flags that surround the monument. They represent the country’s 50 states and its six territories.

Higher up against the skies are colorful kites.

Some have colorful designs or pictures of animals. A few seem to be on their way to low hanging clouds. Men, women and even young children raise their cellphones and cameras and take pictures.

After seeing Washington’s memorial, walk to the Lincoln Memorial. Many people consider Abraham Lincoln to have been America’s greatest president. His monument contains a larger-than-life statue of him seated in a chair. The statue is more than five and one half meters high.

Some of his most famous words appear on the monument – the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Lincoln guided the country through the Civil War. He saved the Union from dividing into two nations – North and South -- and ended slavery.