We pulled out of our driveway way too early for my taste but it was necessary...or so Mark tells me. The kids weren't too keen on the idea either but, hey, we didn't have to drive!
We actually have an oddity in our family (ok, more than one). My kids seem to get along better when we are trapped in the car driving across country together. So driving to our vacation destinations has never really been a problem. They seem to enjoy each other and make the best of the situation. It's a great time!
We stopped by and said 'hey' to Elvis on our way through Memphis.
The kids were underwhelmed but at least we got to get out and stretch our legs. We went from Memphis to Knoxville to stay the night with Mark's brother, Matt (free lodging!) and spent some time with his sister and her girls while there. The next morning, after Krispy Kreme Donuts, we were off again. Thank goodness it wasn't as early. The drive was very beautiful and we had a lot of beautiful scenery to look at as we drove.
We arrived in DC around 8:30p on Sunday and began our wait for my parents and my sister and her family to get back from the beach. We gave up on them around midnight and went to bed.
Bright and early Monday morning we were up to head out to our tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. After breakfast and an early morning shock for my parents (we surprised them by coming in a day early) we were off to catch the Metro to make our 8:45a tour appointment. The Bureau was facinating and the kids loved the gift shop! Darn those stupid gift shops...they ruin a perfectly good vacation!
When we got the kiddos attitudes straightened out after telling them they couldn't get a souvenier yet we walked outside and there, right in front of our eyes, was the Washington Monument! Of course, the thing is so huge it's almost always 'right in front of your eyes'! Well, Drake went nuts! After all, that was the number one thing he wanted to see and the reason we planned this whole trip in the first place...he was very happy!
So off we went to take a look! And we walked (and sweat...it was really hot that day) to the Washington and Lincoln Memorials and the War Memorials. Very moving...very amazing! I can't begin to say how glad I am that my kids got to see and experience all of these tributes to our countries leaders and heroes. It's an incredible experience!I will take this moment to tell you of a rule that I have established for my weather loving husband. No one in my family is allowed to talk about the actual degree of temperature outside. I feel that if one says, "WOW! It's 152 degrees out here!" that it will only make matters worse. It begins to feel hotter than 152 degrees and I will get very cranky. If someone says, "Did you know it's 20 degrees below zero?", I will begin to cry...and my tears would freeze because it's so cold. So, they are only aloud to say, "It's hot/cold", "It's very hot/cold" or "It's really hot/cold". This way I can agree and move on without incident. If you want to know how hot it really was, ask Mark. In my estimation it was really, really hot!
We had a tour of the Capitol that day as well. We loved the Capitol. It has marble floors, marble walls and marble ceilings and it was air conditioned too! It was really cold in that building. Drake laid down on the floor in the middle of the hallway...I didn't make him get up, it was really, really hot that day. I was watching him wishing that I could join him while squishing my face against the wall...it was really cold and felt great after being outside where it was really, really hot!
Oh! And the building itself was really cool too. They have underground tunnels between the buildings so that the Congressman and such won't have to go outside into the really, really hot weather.
Our White House tour was on Tuesday. Drake was very excited, again. This was his second most desired thing to see while in DC. He was very disappointed that we didn't get to see President Bush...he got over it. It was neat just walking up to the place. We learned a lot about the history of the house and saw different things that belonged to the Presidents over the years.
The Library of Congress was a facinating place and we almost didn't see it! We were all ok with not going but we had time to fill so we went. I'm so glad that we did! It is beautiful! All of the ceilings were either painted with gorgeous scenery, historic scenes or other interesting things or they were covered with beautiful mosaics. All of the staircases were marble (very cold!) and had art carved into the marble banisters. We saw the main reading room which was awe inspiring. The size alone is intimidating. We also got to see the Gutenberg Bible.
I'm not sure which day we saw Ford's theatre, things started to run together after a while. Anyway, that was pretty cool too. They have the box seats where Lincoln was sitting decorated with the presidential 'garb', I can only assume it's like it was when he was there. I can't explain how it felt to stand in a place that Abraham Lincoln stood and was shot. They have a museum set up in the basement of the theatre. Along with the facts about the people involved in the assassination (more than I was aware of) they had artifacts that belonged to Lincoln and to John Wilkes Boothe. The one thing that I love about history (yes, only one, there are no others) is old stuff. We saw the coat, not a replica, that Lincoln was wearing the night he was shot, the gun that was used and a host of other things. It's just fascinating to me!
Wednesday was the Smithsonian. There was so much to see that we broke it down into just the areas that interested us. Drake wanted to see the Dinosaurs & a Star Wars exhibit (which was not there anymore and he was very dissapointed!), McKenna wanted to see the Ruby Slippers & Kermit the Frog and Reese & Mark were interested in the Air & Space museum. We saw it all, including my choices which were the Star Spangled Banner and Lincoln's top hat. We also spent time in the Museum of National Art and the Botanical Gardens.
Thursday we went to Arlington National Cemetary and decided to ride their shuttle to The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was a 20 minute walk and it was really hot. The cemetary and the Tomb were incredible! My absolute favorite thing of the whole trip! It was very moving to see all of the headstones representing the men and women who have died for my freedom! And to know that there are still young men out there who will sacrifice and give themselves to guard the tomb of someone they don't even know for 24 hrs a day in all kinds of weather (really, really cold, really, really hot and really, really wet) is something I take comfort in and am proud of.
We went back to see the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is right outside the cemetary, that night. It is so HUGE! McKenna tripped and fell on the steps while we were there and we had to do some triage. It looked pretty bad but she pulled through. We went to the Jefferson Memorial after that. Also HUGE! Very inspiring to stand in the middle of that building and read what he had to say to the leaders of our country. Our forefathers really knew what they were doing!
Friday we pulled out to start back home. We went through Gettysburg, PA to see the battle ground. My sister and I thought it would be neat for the kids to see a place that a battle had been fought and somewhere they had read and learned about in school. It's the funniest thing to me that it's in the middle of a corn field...I guess I never thought about that before. It's not like they cleared a field for the battle like they clear a field for football or baseball! There's corn and then there's monuments all over the fields...right in the middle of the field. So interesting!
When we left there we had to say goodbye to my Mom & Dad and my sister and her family. We started out for St Louis. Mark wanted to take the kids to see and go up in the Gateway Arch. Be sure and ask McKenna for a list of all the states we were in this summer!
We had what they call 'rain' as we drove through West Virginia. It was wet and smelled nice.
We stopped along the road at a fruit stand and bought some fruit that had been grown in local orchards. Momma Mia! It was deelish!
God even took the time to teach us all a wonderful lesson in faith and prayer while we were on the road! Apparently, there had been some horrible storms in Missouri before we got there and it left parts of the state without power. We needed to stop for gas but discovered we couldn't pump any when we stopped. We had to drive quite a way on faith and prayer! The kids learned that God is good and He takes care of us! When we arrived in the next town only half of the town had power and we were able to fill up! Go God!
We all had a great time going up in the Arch. It was cool to be at 630feet and look down on a crowd in the park below. Mark had arranged for our tickets to be at sunset and we got to see a beautiful sky while up there.
We had a pretty uneventful rest of the way home. We were all very glad to be home. We had a great time but we were so glad to be back in our own beds. Beans was very, very glad that we were home. He couldn't make up his mind who to go to first! Reese says next vacation we go someplace where all we have to do is hurry up and do nothin'! I agree...
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