The only vessel designed specifically to travel beneath the historic bridges spanning the Potomac, Odyssey offers exclusive river views of the nation's greatest monuments from every table. At times when wind and tide conditions prevent navigation to the Kennedy Center and Georgetown, an alternate route south on the Potomac and past historical Old Town Alexandria will be taken.
1. Jefferson Memorial
A beautiful columned rotunda, this memorial honors the nation's third president, brilliant statesman, author of the Declaration of Independence and founder of the University of Virginia. Unable to find a site that conformed to L'Enfant's plan for the capital, city planners created one by reclaiming land from the Potomac River, land that would become known as the Tidal Basin. A 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson stands beneath the rotunda, which is inscribed with inspiring passages from his writings.
2. Lincoln Memorial
Built to honor assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, the memorial has 36 Doric columns, one for each state at the time of Lincoln's death. Abraham Lincoln appears to be looking contemplatively over the broad expanse of the Mall from this neoclassical structure reminiscent of the Parthenon. The Gettysburg and Lincoln's Second Inaugural addresses are inscribed on the limestone walls that flank the statue.
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3. Washington Monument
Standing 555 feet, the gleaming marble obelisk, known as the Washington Monument, is the city's most visible landmark and the tallest freestanding masonry structure in the world. The cornerstone was laid in 1848, but the Civil War brought construction to a halt, leaving an unsightly 150-foot stump until 1878, when President Grant approved the completion of the project. But by that time, the old marble did not match the new; you can see the color change.
4. Watergate Hotel
Home to the now infamous Scandal in which former CIA employees were caught trying to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee. Ultimately the scandal forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Now it is home to a luxury hotel and residential apartments.
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