Every time I’m in Washington, D.C. I like to visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Of the memorials in D.C., I think it’s my favorite… if its possible to have such a thing. His words, which are engraved inside the monument are just as relevant and inspirational today as they were when he spoke them. Plus, it’s pretty darn picturesque!

I thought I’d try something new this time, and since Holly and I stayed in Crystal City this go around, it was easy enough to get to by bicycle (it was about a 30 minute ride from our hotel). I’ve never tried shooting sunrise there before, so I gave it a go. The colors of the sunrise didn’t pan out, but I did love the way everything looked at first light. All the lights were reflecting in the water, with only a thin line of light showing up on the horizon.

It was also an awesome time to be out and about. I shot this from the Inlet Bridge on Ohio Dr, SW, and I was literally the only person out there for the longest time. As the sun started to climb above the horizon, all the runners and bikers showed up, but even then it was very peaceful. I decided to join in the fun and ended up riding around the memorial and along the path where all the cherry trees are. I definitely need to make it there sometime in the spring when everything is in bloom!

–Dan Thompson

Thomas Jefferson Memorial