DC Trip–Day 4–Part 2

 

Because of the rain and delays at the cemetery, I had to take a taxi back to the hotel in order to get back and packed before check-out time.  I also had to dry my pants.  And I said goodbye to this lovely table and chair where I could sit and look out at the city.

                               

I checked out and went to the closing luncheon of the conference.  After the awards (for people about whom I knew nothing), we had a speaker, Deb Gruen.  She is a Paralympic swimmer.  She has also studied at several major universities and is currently at Georgetown.  She was born with Spina Bifida which is why I was interested in hearing her speak.   I was able to meet her and get a picture after her presentation.

After the lunch, Damaris picked me up to do some more sightseeing.  She really was awesome to take me around everywhere and help me have such a great experience. 

We started by going to the Jefferson Memorial.  She had her cute kids with her this time, so she dropped me off then found a place to wait for me.  Again, because of the weather and the time, the place was deserted.  I was the only one for most of the time.  I had never really had much interest in going there but it was my favorite of all the memorials and sites.  Maybe it was the rain and solitude, but there was a strong feeling of reverence inside the memorial. 

                              

We also stopped at the new Martin Luther  King, Jr. Memorial.  

 

We then went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where I spent way too much time.  I thought things were neat, but I probably should have walked faster, because I didn’t make it to the Library of Congress before it closed.  Seriously, why does everything have to close so early!?

Of everything in that museum, I think this was my favorite:  The little details of peoples’ lives from the past.  I found it fascinating.

 

I did get to see the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta, but they will not let you take pictures, so I got a quick shot of the building from the outside.

Damaris also drove me through some other neat areas of the city like China town and the park that has been destroyed by the Occupy people.

         

She also took me to Georgetown Cupcakes, which was really fun.  She dropped me off up the street a little and since there wasn’t much of a wait, just drove around to come pick me up again.  But I didn’t see her drive by because I was looking at all of the cool buildings, so she had to go around the block again.  There was a cop on the corner, probably for traffic control and safety, and he looked and shook his finger saying not to stop where she was.  We were laughing at the whole situation as we went by him again and he looked at us and smiled and shook his head.  It was pretty entertaining.  I really appreciate Damaris going out of her way to do so many things with me.  I thought the cupcakes were good and it was fun to go somewhere that’s on TV.

 

We also drove past the big Washington National Cathedral, which was really pretty.  I didn’t get a great picture, but that’s okay.

We finally arrived at the Washington DC Temple and that was a great way to end the day.  It was beautiful and lit up the night.  It was still raining, so we just stayed in the car and drove around. 

Damaris then took me to their home where she made a yummy dinner (I need her to remind me of the recipe again!) and we went to bed.

DC Trip - Day 4 - Part 1 (Arlington)

I had planned on visiting Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday morning and woke up to heavy rain.  I asked the hotel where I could buy an umbrella and they just lent me one to use.  I took the Metro to the Cemetery and got pretty wet just walking to the station and from the station up to the cemetery.  By the time I got home, my feet were swimming in both shoes and I had to dry my pants because they were wet almost to the knees.  I ended up throwing my shoes away because they never got dried out well and were gross by the time I got home.  Good thing they were pretty old anyway.

At the cemetery visitor center, they had the Lost Heroes Art Quilt.  I just stood there and bawled as I saw the pictures of kids around the same age as my oldest.  It was very moving.

 

         

I stayed so long that I missed one tour bus and had to wait a while for the next. When it came, I was the sole passenger and received a personal tour.  Because the windows were foggy and had rain and we were moving, I didn’t really get a good picture of the cemetery overall, but it is.

    

At the stop to go see JFK’s tomb, the magnolia trees were starting to bloom.  I have always wanted to see a magnolia tree!

As we were headed up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we were stopped because of a funeral procession.  It was very large and the tour guide said that it was a full honors procession so it meant it was for someone important.  The horse was pulling the casket and the line of cars was so long that we had to wait for ten minutes.  That meant that I missed the changing of the guard at the Unknown Soldier, but this was a really neat thing to see as well.  When I flew out the next day, the man I sat next to had a newspaper telling about it and he gave it to me.  The funeral was for the highest-ranking officer to have died in Afghanistan, but he actually died of natural causes while over there. 

I got to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier just as they were finishing the Changing of the Guard, but they also performed a ceremony to replace the flowers that were there.  It was very impressive and I can’t imagine how they must feel in such adverse weather conditions for long periods of time.

  

         

The visit to the cemetery was moving, eye-opening and emotional. It made me feel even more grateful for the blessings we enjoy in this beautiful country thanks to the many men and women who have served in the military and even given their lives for this, the cause of freedom.