Constitution Gardens

"Richard's Constitution I’m very lucky. I get to spend my days in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! One thing that makes D.C. so special is the amount of green space that we have in the city. Constitution Gardens is just a few blocks from my office, and it’s often my lunchtime escape destination. This time of year, the Canada geese are frequent visitors. I love going down to the pond to watch them and the last of the out-of-town tourists wander by. Paved paths gently meander through the park, and there are always people jogging and bicycling. It’s a popular place for both locals and tourists. From my favorite spot, I can see the Washington Monument to my left and the Jefferson Memorial to my right. Nearby are the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. When you stroll through this 50-acre spot of greenery, it’s hard to imagine that it was once underneath the water of the Potomac River. It took the US Army Corps of Engineers several years to dredge up the land to create the park. Around the time of World War I, the US government used the land for “temporary” office buildings for the US Navy. The buildings remained on the site until the 1970s when President Richard Nixon ordered that the structures be removed and the area reclaimed as a U.S. national park. (D.C.’s not a state, so there are no state parks here.) From one who often retreats to this pretty oasis in the city, thank you, Richard Nixon!"