Over Spring Break, George and I had got to go to our nation's capital with his school. we traveled by bus to Midway in Chicago to fly into Reagan.
He was a bit nervous about flying for the first time but I will never forget to look on his face when the wheels left the ground.
Day One: We couldn't get to close to the the Supreme Court due to some protesting but we did get to go inside the Capitol.
Every state sends two statues to the Capitol to be displayed. This is astronaut and senator John Swigert.
He died before he could take office, so his statue is where he can see the Capitol dome.
Our tour guide was great and British. Ironically, he also wore a red coat.
Here some photos but not all.
We were lucky enough to be in DC before the cherry blossoms fell.
George and Martha's tomb.
MLK Memorial.
At the FDR Memorial, George decided to join the bread line.
Good doggo!
This is Stumpy. He should have died long ago but during the pandemic, he continued to bloom. The water level in DC is rising so he will have to be removed. But don't worry, his clippings will be planted around and Stumpy will live on.
Day Two: It was wet but we sill managed to see a lot. Here we are at Ford's Theater, where there is a production of "Little Shop of Horrors" going on at night.
Lincoln's booth.
I love the bluntness of this sign.
Where Lincoln died.
As we left this little house across from Ford's, there was this amazing tower of books, each about Lincoln.
We continue our journey in Arlington National Cemetery.
We were fortune to see the "Changing of the Guard"
Lincoln, Korean War, and Vietnam Memorials that evening.
This is for the women who were nursing during the Vietnam War. I asked what was with all the hair tights and was told the nurses always carried extras with them to share with each other. The Parks Department doesn't like it but I think its fitting.
Day Three: Not as wet but chilly. Here is the Marquis Lafayette in the park named for him next to the White House.
This is the world's longest protest. There has been someone there everyday since the Vietnam War because no end date was issued on the permit. They even more the protest to another part of the park when they need room for presidential viewings.
World War II Memorial.
The National Cathedral.
This was our tour guide. He didn't give us his name and the gentlemen kept forgetting things. But it was clear that he knew a lot.
Good old George is all over DC.
This window has bend glass so the colors change throughout the day. It is mostly blue in the morning and becomes gold by sunset.
This is St. Joseph's chapel below the main floor.
We dove by many embassies, this is the Vatican's.
We also went to some of the Smithsonian and saw some cool stuff,
Honestly, I excepted the Hope Dimond to be a lot bigger.
Harry the Elephant.
The flag that inspired the Star-Spangled Banner.
The adults on the trip all agreed that the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon was the most moving, probably because we can remember that one. There is a bench for each person killed lined up to a wall that starts at 3in (for the youngest) up to 60-something (for the oldest). As you stand in front of each bench and read the name plate, you would be facing that person that morning. So if they were on the plane, you would be looking out over a hotel, if they were in the Pentagon, you would be looking at the building.
That's about it. One last selfie to show that we were tough enough to make it through those 3-4 days. We arrived back at school at 1AM Friday morning. I'm so glad George asked me to go with him on this trip and hope he enjoyed nerd-ing out with me as much as I did.
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