From far away, they look like pointy claws or giant tentacles emerging from the ground. Get a little closer, and you’ll peer skyward as your eyes follow the base of the silver spear to its sloping, pointy end. This is what it feels like to look at the United States Air Force Memorial for the first time. The shape of the Memorial is made to look like a trio of fighter jets in formation, soaring upward into the sky. On a bright day, the Memorial reflects the sun in a way that’s truly magnificent.

While you’re there already, it’s best to just venture a short ways down the hill from the Air Force Memorial to the Pentagon Memorial. An important note to remember: there is no place in the Pentagon parking lot for visitors to park while they tour the Memorial, so unless you know someone who has a parking pass for this lot, we offer this alternative. Drive down the hill from the Air Force Memorial (on Columbia Pike) and turn left at the light onto Southgate Rd. There is a little parking lot there where you can park briefly (30 minutes to an hour) as you tour the Memorial. From this lot, walk down Columbia Pike on the sidewalk towards the Pentagon, and once you go under the bridge, the entrance to the memorial will be on your left.

By this point in your tour, if you’re anything like Brent and me, your stomach is starting to growl. Here you have two options. First, you could head down Columbia Pike for a mouthful of flavor. The Pike is brimming with fun, vintage staples of the old town like the Arlington Drafthouse and long standing Bob & Edith’s Diner (breakfast 24/7!). The second choice is to swing by The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City Mall. The Mall is metro accessible from the blue line, and is bursting with 170 shops and eateries to entertain you for hours. Prepare to nom!

Written by Cat Miller, Management Intern

Posted by Catherine Miller on February 01, 2012 | Permalink