Tying up loose ends...

I can't believe that it is my last day in DC. I have truly, whole heartedly loved this vacation. I had a list of so many things to see and do while I was here, and although I didn't get to see them all or do them all, I knew that was a risk I was taking with such a wealth of things to experience. The weather has been absolutely amazing. In the 70's and 80's. I couldn't have asked for better. I've gotten sunburned, even with the aide of sunscreen. This was the first time I have vacationed, essentially alone, and overall didn't mind it. In some ways I sort of prefered it as I could take my time and not worry about if I was boring my travel partner. I was odd taking pictures by myself, but that wasn't a big deal. It was nice having Josh meet me in DC after work or to meet him in Silver Spring and have someone to be around in the evenings. Josh and I were talking and decided to vacation completely alone would indeed be lonely, but I wasn't alone in the evenings. I am thankful for the good times I have spent with my brother and for being able to see things I'd always dreamed of seeing. I have already started my list of things to see next time I come that I missed this time.

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I went by the White House Visitor Center, which was fascinating and stored a wealth of knowledge. I also saw President Obama's motorcade once more, fitting to see it the first and last day of my trip. He was on his way to the Nationals opening day baseball game.

I did go by Ford's Theatre. I wasn't able to go on any tours as they were sold out. On the list for next time.

Across the street from the theatre...
...also on the list for next time...
...the Peterson House, where Abe Lincoln died in the morning hours after being shot.

After going by the theatre and house, it was fitting that I go to the only Smithsonian Museum that I would set foot in during this trip (besides the Castle-turned visitor center), the National Museum of American History, to see Lincoln's Top Hat.

I also saw the original sculpture memorial to George Washington.

My last stop during my very short, 30-45 minute trip to this museum, was that of the kitchen of Julia Child. It has become a very popular exhibit after the recent movie release of Julie and Julia.

After seeing the few things I had the stamina to see I was done. I told DC, "peace out, I am going home." I never have gotten to the point where I was ready to be home in Portland, but I am most definitely done with all the people that I have been around for the past six days. Like I said earlier, "I saw a lot. I have a lot more to see." Shortly, to celebrate my last night here, Josh and I are headed to a restraunt to watch the championship college basketball game and enjoy some nachos and the last night of each others company in some non-tourist normalcy that this trip has been peppered with, for which I am grateful. It has been a grand time, but as I must, I will return to real life in anticipation of my next great vacation, whether it be back here to this wonderful, historic and thought provoking place, or another place just as grand.

Thanks for following my adventures. Hope you are having some of your own!

"I have sworn upon the altar of God...

...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was our 3rd President. Before that he drafted the Declaration of Independence and was known as the "silent member" of Congress. The Memorial dedicated to his memory and influence in this country is directly south of the White House on the Tidal Basin. Josh and I didn't make it far enough around the Tidal Basin on Saturday to see it, so I decided to go back today to see it.

It is amazing that most of the beautiful cherry blossoms had fluttered away because of the heat by the time I made it back over to the basin. Below you can see that the trees are almost all decked out in their greenery, rather than the soft pink of their blossoms.

It amazed me how low the planes came in to land at Reagan Airport. In the picture below you can see a plane coming in to land.

There are beautiful inscriptions on the interior walls of the memorial that are from Jefferson's writings. They are powerful words.

I got really good at taking pictures of myself with things in the background...

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is one of over 100 National Cemeteries. It is by far the most famous National Cemetery. Arlington and the U.S. Soldiers' & Airmen's Home National Cemetery are the only two National Cemeteries maintained by the Department of Army National Cemeteries. There are also handfuls of National Cemeteries that are maintained by other organizations such as the National Park Service. I thought this was interesting. I couldn't find out why exactly this was the case, but alas, it is. There are approximately 4 million visitors each year to the cemetery and over 310,000 people buried with a range from the Revolutionary War dead to those that have died in Iraq and Afganistan. There are also many notable civilian figures buried in the cemetery.

I decided we were going to cheat and take the tourmobile around the cemetery. I think it was one of the best decisions I made, that day anyways. Don't get me wrong, there will be a day I walk the cemetery, but it wasn't going to be that next to last day of a vacation where I'd walked between 7 and 10 miles each day already. Below you can see Josh in the mirror while we were waiting for the bus to fill up.


Even though I've seen hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of the cemetery and headstone, it doesn't feel real until you see it with your own eyes. I was in awe of the row and rows and that expanse of land that these headstones were spread out on. I was also surprised to see headstones that differed from the typical white ones you see below. There are many in certain sections that aren't this size and shape.

One of the most visited graves in the world is that of President John F. Kennedy. He was buried at Arlington three days after being shot and killed while in Dallas, TX. He is only one of two US Presidents to be buried in the cemetery, the other being Taft. President Kennedy is buried with his wife Jackie O and two children, one son who died two days after birth and a daughter that was stillborn. This is the location of the Eternal Flame requested by Jackie Kennedy and inspired by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris.

View of the Arlington House, also where Robert E Lee and Mary Custis, the step great-granddaughter of George Washington lived. The house has an interesting history, much of which I can't recall from the tour, but that you and I can read here. We eventually ran out of time to go to see Arlington House and the Robert E Lee Memorial...something to add to my list for the next time I visit DC. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful building to see from below at the JFK gravesite.

The Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

While visiting we witnessed the changing of the guards twice. It was an interesting moving ceremony to see. The Tomb has been guarded by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year since July 2, 1937.

The Memorial Ampitheatre

Memorials to the Columbia, the USS Maine, and the Challenger.

The Tomb of the Unknowns from below it.

Josh and I with Arlington, the Washington Monument and Capitol Building in the background.

After spending some time, but not enough time to see everything, at Arlington, we headed over to the Marine Corp War Memorial, aka Iwo Jima Memorial. It depicts 6 Marines raising the US Flag at Iwo Jima. To read more about the flag raisers click here.

After the Iwo Jima Memorial we headed back to Josh's for Easter dinner, his request-corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots. Yummm....it was delicious.

Spy: (verb) : to watch secretly usually for hostile purposes

I wouldn't readily, or openly admit this to my brother and dad. At least not a few years ago, but alas, here I am in a public venue declaring..."yes, I like James Bond." That is a direct quote, from me, by me, and in the future it can and will be used against me. You see, when we (brother and me) were younger he and my dad would have James Bond movie marathon weekends. I refused to watch. I didn't like Bond (or told myself that). A few years went by and voila, I was in college and you know what?! I decided to take summer courses one year and I took a class all about James Bond...yes it was a college level class. Surprised? I was too. That class, during which we watched a James Bond movie 4 nights a week for 3 weeks (minus one or two evenings when we'd watch documentaries on Ian Fleming or espionage) fostered my appreciation for James Bond. I would sort of like to read some of Flemings work...I didn't do that for the class and wish I would have.

Imagine my brothers surprise when I asked him if we could go to the International Spy Museum while I am here in D.C.! Because of his work schedule, we were restricted to the weekend to do things together. So, we started off our Easter morning by hopping on the Metro and making our way to the Spy Museum. We arrived early and they let us in early. This was great. The same thing happened at the Washington Monument. Timing worked well for both.

While we were at the Spy Museum we saw all kinds of cool spy gadgets. There were bugs, lock pickers, cameras, and disguises. You can see the handy pigeon camera and lipstick pistol below.

We spent a substantial amount of time in the museum and I in particular learned a lot. I was reminded of the Cambridge Spies, which I had learned about in that James Bond class. I think I even wrote a paper about them. There were exhibits about Renaissance espionage, women in espionage and the influence that espionage has had on pop culture. It was a fascinating time and I will most definitely go back at some time. As I said with the Holocaust Museum, there is just too much to see in one visit. I also imagine I will do some reading on espionage and learn some more about some of the people I read about while we were there. This museum comes recommended by me. It also appears in 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die.

Makes me want to go watch James Bond now...

"Today is history. Today will be remembered...

...Years from now the young will ask with wonder about this day. Today is history and you are part of it. Six hundred years ago when elsewhere they were footing the blame for the Black Death, Casimir the Great - so called - told the Jews they could come to Krakow. They came. They trundled their belongings into the city. They settled. They took hold. They prospered in business, science, education, the arts. With nothing they came and with nothing they flourished. For six centuries there has been a Jewish Krakow. By this evening those six centuries will be a rumor. They never happened. Today is history." ~Amon Goeth: From Schindler's List (1993)
After spending time at the Washington Monument we headed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was a very moving tribute. We both picked up little booklets that told who we were for the exhibit and we both lived through the end of the war and moved to the United States. The woman who took our tickets was a survivor of the Holocaust. She was a sweet lady.

The shoes, brushes and kitchen utensils in part of the exhibit were haunting. The video footage was mesmerizing. The photos and information about countries not wanting to aide the the people suffering during that time were surreal and sickening. The number of people at the exhibit was overwhelming. Josh made it about half-way, I made it about three fourths of the way. Then we were both done. There was so much to see, to read and only so many people we could both handle. I have decided that there are just certain museums that require multiple visits and each visit needs to be dedicated to a floor or wing. Indeed. I will go back again and start midway through and go to the end. I highly recommend going when you have a chance. Another recommendation--get tickets online before you go. It will save you massive amounts of time, it did for us!