Doing the best I can to stay fit, I jog the National Mall a few days a week. I start out early in the morning, typically before the sun has peaked over the horizon. Running, which I’ve found is the best way to keep my weight in check, has also become therapeutic for me. I usually run alone and without any music. I like to take in the sights and sounds of the majestic scenery; of a capital city waking up.
One of my favorite monuments is the Lincoln Memorial. Jogging west from the Capitol Building, it’s about 2 miles to the Lincoln Memorial at the far end of the Mall. The classical Greek Temple structure sits near the banks of the Potomac river. The Lincoln Memorial, being one of the most recognized structures in the world probably, attracts a lot of visitors. Even in the early morning pre-dawn light you’ll almost always see a few people, sometimes even a group, sitting on its steps or wandering among its Greek Columns. I usually climb the temple steps and stand in reverential silence before the grand statue of Lincoln. I always tell people it’s a spiritual experience.
At about 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning as I approached the Lincoln Memorial I stopped and took this picture with my iPhone:
Jeff Wills 