Washington DC

Aslan's first big travels took him to Washington DC. Washington DC is our nation's capitol, it is where our President lives and where Congress meets. There are many historic monuments in Washington DC, to remember our founding fathers, wars we have fought, and important moments in our nation's history.

Aslan was very excited to check out the city. The first thing he noticed were there were lots of people! He wasn't used to that many people. He also wasn't used to all the cars and taxis and traffic. Washington DC is certainly a very busy place!

Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day. Martin Luther King Jr was an important figure in our history. He believed that all men were created equal and worked to see everyone treated fairly. He gave a very important speech titled " I Have A Dream" on the steps of the Lincoln monument in 1963. Each year, to remember the important work that Mr. King did and to remember the importance of treating everyone fairly and equally, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day. Aslan joined in the festivities by standing in the same spot Mr. King did 48 years ago:

He felt very important.

His next stop was to visit Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He was president during a very difficult time in our country's history, there was a civil war and our country was almost split in two. He is known for being very honest, and his face is on the penny.

He was also very tall! Aslan was a bit scared of him. He had never seen a person so big! After Aslan sniffed him, he realized it was just a statue. He was still a little nervous though! He decided to scurry away and see some more sights.

Aslan came across the biggest water bowl he had ever seen. It was so big he thought about diving in and swimming a few laps. Then someone told him that it was called the Reflecting Pool and it was part of something called the National Mall. Aslan was pretty excited about a mall, he was hoping it might have a pet store with some fun new toys.

It turns out the National Mall is not a bunch of stores, but an open area surrounded by monuments and museums. Aslan was slightly disappointed that there was no place to buy cat treats at, but he was quite intrigued by the monuments. He especially liked the Washington Monument. It is very tall, 555 feet to be exact. That's about 555 times taller than Aslan! There is an elevator that goes all the way up to an observation deck, but Aslan was a little scared of heights. He decided he better stay with his feet right on the ground.

He headed to the other end of the Reflecting Pool to a great big fountain. When he got closer he realized the fountain was part of the World War II Memorial. There were 56 big pillars, each with the name of a state or territory. Aslan quickly spotted a familiar word:

He had found a tiny slice of home all the way in Washington DC! Aslan stopped for a minute and remembered all the brave soldiers, those who fought back in World War II and those who still serve today.

After so much exploring, Aslan was very tired. He decided it was time for a little cat nap. Washington DC is a very exciting and busy place, but little kitties still need their beauty sleep!