Washington DC is a beautiful and fascinating place. However, Spring Break might not be the best time for a visit, because every teen and pre-teen in Creation is there on a school trip! Well, add four more people to the mix anyway!
We had a wonderful trip with only one little hang-up at the end. We flew in on the morning of April 1, got our rental car, and headed into the city. We drove by the Pentagon, the side where the plane crashed standing out in the sun with its lighter-colored brick. It was very early, so we found some breakfast on Pennsylvania Avenue. We then walked down to the White House. They were making preparations for a news conference, and the boys were amazed to see snipers on the roof of the White House itself. We wandered around until the meter ran out on our car, and then started out through the city. We had not even gone a block when we saw Marine 1 landing with the President on the White House grounds. They boys were excited about that! So, off we went for more adventures. Parking was not an easy task because not only was it Spring Break, but also the prime weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival. We parked down below the Jefferson Memorial among the clouds of pink trees along the basin and walked up into the city. We visited the Smithsonian Castle and the Natural History Museum. What a place! Daniel got to see more dinosaur bones than he could have imagined. Aaron got to see the Hope Diamond. I got to see a real
moai, one of the giant stone heads from Easter Island. We walked and walked until the boys were sure their legs were going to drop off. We didn't get to go into the Washington Monument, but we saw some college kids doing something and had to do it too. The boys lay down on their backs with their feet against the monument's base and took pictures looking straight up at it. It made some cool photos! We also met three kids who just finished the same forum Aaron was headed to the next day, and they told us how wonderful it was. Talking to their moms made me feel better about leaving my baby with strangers!
The next morning we got Aaron, the International Man of Mystery, ready to go to the People To People World Leadership Forum. Armed with a cell phone and more money in his pocket than he'd ever had in his life, Ambassador Long reported to his hotel in Maryland to check in. Boy we sure missed that squirt all week! After getting him settled, we headed back into DC. When we passed the National Cathedral we just had to stop. It was gorgeous! We spent all afternoon exploring the massive building, crypts, and gardens. Daniel loved it. He said it was like being in a castle. He really was intrigued by the black squirrels we saw on the grounds. Finally we continued our trip into the city. We parked as the sun set, and went walking to some of the memorials. The Lincoln Memorial is so beautiful at night. Daniel was amazed at how large Lincoln's statue is. He also got to stand when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr gave his "I have a dream" speech and where Marian Anderson sang. He had just read about those events for Black History Month. We continued around the reflecting pool and visited the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Wall. I had not seen those before, and they were incredible. We walked to the end where the Capitol is to visit the World War II Memorial. It was just breathtaking. I took the most beautiful picture of Barry and Daniel there silhouetted by a fountain in the dark. We headed back down to the Vietnam Wall because the crowds were pretty much gone. We did rubbings of Bobby Jones and Joseph Stine, but Thomas Okerlund's name was too high on the wall to reach. Joseph Stine's name was up almost as high, but Daniel was able to reach it on Barry's shoulders. Once again we staggered into our hotel totally exhausted.
Wow, we're only up to day three here! Today was bright, sunny, and warm, so after lunch in Pentagon City we headed to Arlington National Cemetery. The cherry trees and daffodils were a bright and cheery contrast to the rows and rows of white stones. We watched two cycles of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was just as moving and impressive as I remembered when I saw it at 12 years old. We also went to the Women In Military Service Memorial, which is in the old gateway to Arlington. There is an exhibit of portraits of those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. Barry saw way too many that he knew. In talking with one of the guides, I found out that I am eligible to be listed at the monument due to my service in the State Defense Force. She even took us in to the director of the memorial, who called a general and verified that I was eligible. I took the forms home to fill out and submit. Aaron called, and so far he had been to the Capitol, the office of his Congressman, the Library of Congress, and the FDR Memorial. He was having a great time!
Wednesday we roamed the streets of DC once again. This time we visited Ford's Theater, the Hard Rock Cafe, and the International Spy Museum. That was cool! We got to see a James Bond car and crawl through an air duct! We also took the Metro down to Union Station for supper. Thursday morning we awoke to snow on the ground! Boy were we glad we bought sweatshirts! We went to the White House Visitors' Center where Daniel got to participate in some of the Easter activities. We also went back to the Museum of Natural History to see the mummies. We ended the day at the Holocaust Memorial. I didn't know whether I was going to like that one or not, but it was very well-done. It was touching and sobering. Even Daniel got something out of it. It is amazing how awful people can be to one another. Aaron went up to Gettysburg for the day to see the battlefield. He also got to go to Eisenhower Farm and tour the former President's home and museum.
Friday we took in both Air and Space Museums. The one out in Virginia was not crowded and was really cool to walk around in. The original one on the Mall was a different story, but still great. Since the Museum of American History is closed for renovations, the have 150 of America's "treasures" on display in a gallery at the Air and Space Museum. That was great!!! They had everything from Lincoln's top hat, Ali's boxing gloves, and the chairs used at the Appomattox Surrender, to Dorothy's ruby slippers and the Lone Ranger's mask. Very cool!!! From there we did a whirlwind tour of the Museum of the American Indian. Oh I could spend days there! Aaron visited Jamestown and Williamsburg. He was so impressed with it that he encouraged us to take Daniel there. That evening he went to a dinner at the Chinese Embassy. What an experience for a 12 year old boy!
Saturday we took Aaron's advice and drove to Jamestown and Williamsburg. We got to go on ships that brought the colonists to Virginia, and wander through the fort and the Indian village nearby. We also walked the cobblestone streets of Williamsburg. Many places were closed, but it was still lots of fun. Aaron visited Arlington and several of the monuments. They did a wreath-laying at the WWII Memorial. They concluded their week with a dinner/dance cruise on the Potomac River. He said he stopped counting after dancing with seven different girls. How about that guy!
Sunday morning we picked up Aaron, and he chattered non-stop about his week. We checked out of our hotel, and headed into the city once again. He had not gotten to see as much of the Smithsonian as we had, so we re-visited the Treasures of American History exhibit and the Museum of the American Indian. There was a dance going on , so we got to listen to the drumming while we munched frybread. The restaurant there was unique, as it served native dishes from 5 regions of the Americas. I want to go back just to eat there! We walked to the Capitol and also went to the National Botanical Garden. Finally we headed to the airport for our trip home - or so we thought.
We checked in at the airport at a little before 7 PM, only to find that our flight had been delayed until 10:40. At the gate the time kept getting pushed later and later. Finally we were taken outside to board the plane. After standing in the cold for 15 minutes we got aboard the plane. The crew completed the pre-flight checks and everything looked good. Wrong! We were all then told to gather our things and return to the terminal. It seems they couldn't find our pilot! Finally they reissued the boarding passes, and we waited some more. Sometime around midnight they cancelled the flight. All the passengers had to get in line to see about re-booking their flights. After that huge line, we had to wait in another to get vouchers for hotels, meals, and taxis. The baggage carousels were closed, so we didn't have our luggage. The shops in that end of the airport were all closed, so people were hungry. We finally got into the hotel near the airport around 2 AM. Guess who would not be at work and school that day! So back to the airport we go at 11:30 AM for a 1:30 PM flight - only to discover that United didn't put us on the Delta flight, but instead put us standby! We were so mad! At last the Delta lady said she had us confirmed on the flight and I felt much better. Delta's service beat the socks off United! We finally landed in Atlanta and spent an hour playing "Where did United hide our luggage?" At last we found everything and made it home. We discovered one bag had been opened and searched by TSA, and had a good laugh when we realized why. Along with clothes, this one had two small umbrellas, miles of charger cords for cell phones and video games, and a pair a metal handcuffs Daniel bought at the Spy Museum. They had to wonder what in the world we were up to!
It was a trip we will never forget.
