Washington DC and surroundings
The national Mall! Visiting Lincoln Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial....
A fox on the Mall
.... and the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and Franklin Delano Roosvelt Memorial. It is impossible not to be touched by the lives once lived, the stories and the history carried by these monuments!
The national Mall, Lincoln memorial, the White House, Capitol Hill, Washington monument. The grandeur and power of these buildings and monuments are hard to capture in a photograph, but you feel it immediately and deeply when you’re there.
the White House
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill
Pop-up statue
The Smithsonian Muesums. With limited time, you sometimes have to make choices. From the wide range of museums offered by the Smithsonian Institution, we chose the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. Both museums are vast, and it’s worth setting aside plenty of time for each visit. Two museums well worth seeing, each with a fascinating history to explore. We were grateful they were open, especially as a federal government shutdown had just begun in the United States.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
National Museum of the American Indian
Luray Caverns, Skyline drive in Shenandoah National Park, Harpers Ferry, Antietam National Battlefield.
We also had the privilege of venturing beyond Washington, DC—exploring the Luray Caverns, driving along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, and stopping at Harpers Ferry and the Antietam National Battlefield. It’s hard to put into words—and even harder to capture in photographs. The landscapes are simply stunning and the history it holds invites reflection, leaving a strong impression that stays with you long after you’ve moved on.
Arlington Cemetery and Iwo Jima Memorial (US Marine Corps War Memorial).
So many lives—you can’t help but be moved. The atmosphere is one of deep respect, and despite the crowds, the subdued tone makes the visit quietly powerful. It’s a place that makes the significance of peace unmistakably clear.
Washington DC by night!
Mount Vernon
View over the Swedish Embassy.
The Embassy of Sweden, beautifully located by the Potomac River, where Rock Creek meets the water.
Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware.
As a Swede, it felt special to see the replica of the Kalmar Nyckel in Wilmington, where Fort Christina once stood. This was where New Sweden began, after the ship’s arrival in 1638.
This was a stop along our drive from Washington, DC to New York.
We also managed a quick stop in Philadelphia where we saw the Liberty Bell and the iconic Rocky statue.
New York
Crossing into Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel, heading for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The Statue of Liberty stands out beautifully against a grey, overcast sky—and if you need protection from the rain, the ponchos sold on site are surprisingly good. Seeing the Statue of Liberty in real life is a special experience, one that genuinely feels essential.
Visiting Ellis Island brought a quieter sense of reflection. It was hard not to think of ancestors who, not all that long ago, left Sweden behind and must have passed through this vast arrival hall—tired, uncertain, and hopeful at the same time—before being allowed to continue their journey in North America. Standing there, the scale of their decision becomes tangible, and the distance between past and present suddenly feels much shorter.
"Ground Zero", World Trade Center site
Our next visit was to Ground Zero, the 9/11 Memorial Pools, and the World Trade Center site. The shift from Ellis Island and the early history of the United States to a more recent past—one that has shaped not only the country itself but also left its mark on our shared reality—makes a strong impression. The site is beautiful and, in a way, quiet, honouring those who lost their lives and the bravery of the emergency responders, while inviting reflection on humanity.
Little Island and a walk on High Line.
We left the One World Trade Center and followed the waterfront north along the western side of Manhattan. After a while, we reached Little Island, a playfully designed artificial island extending from Pier 54. It is a fascinating structure, with winding paths and open spaces that invite exploration. From the island, there are fine views towards southern Manhattan and New Jersey.
A delightful detail along the way is Water’s Soul on the waterfront in Jersey City, by Jaume Plensa. A related sculpture, Anna, also by Plensa, can be found on the island of Tjörn in Sweden at the Pilane Heritage Museum. In the photograph taken from Little Island, the sculpture appears as a small white dot on the right-hand side of the view.
From there, we continued north along the High Line, a park created on a former railway line, elevated some ten metres above street level, offering shifting views of the city as it unfolds below.
UN Headquarters and the sculpture "Hope"
The day began at the United Nations Headquarters and the nearby located sculpture "Hope", honored to Raoul Wallenberg. His actions during the Second World War stand as a powerful reminder of individual courage and moral clarity in the face of immense danger. The sculpture invites reflection on how one person’s choices can make a decisive difference, far beyond their own time and place.
New York church of Sweden
We then followed East 48th Street towards Rockefeller Center, passing the Swedish Church in New York between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue. The church is housed in the Talcott Building, where Gothic elements create an imaginative architectural contrast. Unfortunately, the church was closed, so we had to settle for viewing it from the outside.
Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock
Once you reach the Top of the Rock, it becomes difficult to leave. The view is phenomenal, offering a clear and wide-ranging perspective over both the well-known, and perhaps not so known, landmarks and parts of New York.
Fifth avenue
Continuing along Fifth Avenue towards Central Park, passing, among other things, the striking Louis Vuitton trunk and other familiar features of the cityscape
Central Park
Walking through Central Park and in contrast to the city’s constant movement, the park offers a moment of calm. We visited places familiar from films, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain and Strawberry Fields.
The New York public library, Grand Central Terminal
On our way to Times Square, we took the opportunity to visit the New York Public Library. Among many other things, they were displaying the original stuffed animals that inspired A. A. Milne in the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. We also stopped by Grand Central Terminal, including the Whispering Gallery.
Times Square
Times Square delivered— bright, loud, beyond expectations, and even more striking to experience in person.
Brooklyn and DUMBO
A perfect ending with a visit to Brooklyn and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), and the chance to capture one of New York’s most photographed views—where the Empire State Building appears framed beneath the Manhattan Bridge
....one last look at New York beforea it was time to say goodbye and head to the airport.
