On our most recent DC-focused excursion, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts and I visited the (relatively new, by my standards at least) Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial.
Now, the kids (Tikkanen, Jokinen, and Lakkanen) have developed a fondness for presidents. If you go up to them and ask “who was the <insert number here> president?” they will tell you (unless shyness takes over.)
They have also accumulated a wide base of facts about the presidents (who the first to live in the White House was, who was so overweight he required a new bathtub, and more).
So, together with my sister, Dina and her husband and son, we took a Sunday morning visit to this new type of memorial.
Instead of “one place” like the Lincoln or Jefferson, this one is a “walk-in” and “walk-through” experience, taking you through FDR’s four terms. Each segment has a theme, inspired quotes, and a physical/visual element to complement the theme.
For example, the WWII section has rocks strewn about, representing the destruction of war and the 4th term has the new world order emerging.
As with most of these excursions, the objective wasn’t to have them memorize a set of facts about FDR, it was to help them appreciate the wonderful city in which we live, develop a sense of curiosity, appreciate the importance of history, and of course, have some family bonding.
This was my first visit to the FDR memorial and I enjoyed it a lot. Even more because of the company, the experience, and the memory.
Next time, we’re going to try and make the Lincoln Memorial.