CD Trip - Day Five/Six

Dear Children,

Yesterday, the weather was torture here. In DC they broke a few heat records and we were out in the thick of it. It doesn't get much hotter here than in Salt Lake, but the humidity here makes it seem much hotter. After Dad finished his last day at his conference we went to the National Museum of Natural History.


The best part of this museum was all the different kinds of displayed Animals (dead and stuffed) that live throughout the world. And also the beautiful diamonds.


We then walked back to the hotel and we were too hot to go any where else. So we sat in our hotel room and watched a little TV.

Today, was another FULL day of exploring. This time we rented a little car and went outside the DC area. Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery. Quite a sight to behold. All those graves and all the wars associated with why those graves are there, kind of hard to wrap your mind around sometimes.


We visited the "tomb of the unknown soldier" where we arrived just in time to see the changing of the guard. This special tomb is where the remains of a WW I soldier are buried and it is a symbol to all those who have fought and died in war and were never identified. The inscription on the tomb reads,

"Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God"

So true are these words. And because this is such a sacred and honored tomb it is guarded by military men on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.


We also saw the memorial tombstone for the members of the Challenger Space Shuttle who of course died when the Shuttle blew up just after lift off. It probably doesn't mean much to you but this tragedy happened on my birthday and I saw the whole thing play out on TV as my school class was walking through the Library at my Elementary School. Every since then it has meant something more to me than just another piece of history.


We then saw Arlington House. Arlington plantation was the original purpose of the land. George W.P. Custis, grandson of Martha Washington (George's wife) inherited this land back in 1802. He built the house for his family and also helped to memorialize the nation's first President and the man who raised him as a son, George Washington.


Later on Custis's only surviving child Mary married Robert E. Lee in the Arlington House. And the two lived there in the house for over 30 years until 1861 when due to the Civil War they had to leave the home. Does that name ring a bell? Robert E. Lee. He was the leader of what Army?


That was a new bit of History that I learned today. That two important and influential families were joined together by that marriage. The Washington family and the Lee family.


The second place that we visited today was Mount Vernon.


Which your Dad would say was THE BEST PLACE we have visited on this entire trip. Mt. Vernon was the home of George Washington. Did you know that he was an avid farmer, that he liked to dance but couldn't play a musical instrument, that one of his first jobs was as a land surveyor and that he was only 11 years old when his father died, thus the end of his formal education and every thing else he learned he did so by reading books. I didn't know any of that either. He was a fascinating man, an honorable man, a humble man -that I already knew.


Mount Vernon is peaceful, beautiful and it sits just up from the Potomac River. It is the place Washington asked to be buried, even though others wanted to honor him and bury him the Capitol Building. Your Dad and I could easily see why he would choose a place like Mount Vernon over the Capitol.


Dad is excited to one day bring you all to see Mount Vernon but not in the middle of summer and not during record breaking heat ;).

PS - The answer to the last post was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And for this post Robert E. Lee was in command of the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

This will be my last post to you as we will be flying home tomorrow night. We will be in late so we won't see you until early Monday morning but I am looking forward to seeing your smiling faces and catching up with you all.

Love,

Mom

DC Trip - Day Three/Four

Dear Children,

I am sorry I didn't write to you yesterday. I think my lack of sleep is finally catching up to me and so last night I crashed and feel asleep early.

Today and yesterday your Dad has been attending the work conference which brought us here in the first place. It isn't all day long but we haven't been able to explore the city as much as the previous days.

Here is the Postal Museum, the building in which your Dad goes to attend his conference.


Right next to it is this neat building called Union Station. It is a transportation hub, especially for Amtrak trains. But I think the best part of this building is it's exterior.


Just look at these statues that are at the top of this building.


It is amazing to me that there are so many buildings here in DC that have the Greek architecture look to them. Such buildings have statues on them that look very similar to Greek Gods. I told your Dad this and of course he had an answer to my wanderings-he is such a well educated man.

He said that it was in old Greece that the idea of a democratic government first was imagined. With some of the great thinkers like Aristotle and Plato. I did not know that, but now I do.

Just in front of Union Station is this statue and tribute to Christopher Columbus. Honoring him for helping to find this new world.


Later in the evening we took a long walk to go see the Jefferson Memorial.


It is by the Potomac River that kind of pools into what looks like a lake. We walked around the lake and found another memorial, honoring another President. So my question for you is do you know who this President is?


I'll give you a hint. He was President during World War II and he was elected FOUR times to serve as President. Which isn't allowed anymore, TWO terms is the most a person today can serve as President of the United States. He was also confined to a wheel chair and his nickname was FDR.

Just beyond this monument and on our walk back to the hotel we saw the Lincoln Memorial all lit up.


And then a little further on we saw the front of the White House.


These monuments and buildings are amazing to look at but in the evening when they are all lit up and just glow they seem to be even more spectacular.

Today Dad went to his conference again and around lunch time we met and walked through the National Art Museum but I didn't take any pictures.

This evening while out looking for a place to eat for dinner we walked by this little known place.


Ever hear of it? Can you remember what happened here? This is the Theater in which Abraham Lincoln was shot. And then just across the street is the house where he was taken while others tried to care for him. Early the next morning Lincoln died in this house.


It is amazing all the history that is here. I get to see all the places and items I learned about in school.

But today I really started missing you all. I saw a few kids walking on the street with their mom and it made me wish that you were all here with me. A few more days and I will get to see you and kiss on you and tuck you into bed.

Love You All,

Mom

DC Trip - Day Two

Dear Children,

Today Dad and I did some more wandering around Downtown DC, but this time we attempted using the Metro-an underground train transportation system. It is a confusing system to understand but we managed to get where we needed to go.

Our first stop was the Capital Building.

We went on a tour of the inside of the Capital Building and it started out with us meeting our tour guide by this awesome statue of the First King of Hawaii.


This next statue is the plaster mold that was used to make the statue that is on top of the Capital. It is the Statue of Freedom and she faces East so that the sun never sets on her face.


Inside the Capital, Dad and I stood on this star which is the center of DC. It is from this point that all the streets in the city are based. Similar to how Temple Square is the center of the Salt Lake Valley.


The Rotunda is one of the most awesome places within the Capitol. This is the picture painted on the top of the domed ceiling. I can't even begin to explain everything it represents but it has to do with George Washington and different events early on in our nation's history.


Right below that picture is a mural that circles the dome that looks like it is in 3D. It is a mural painted with plaster so that it has more depth to it.

In the Rotunda there are also huge paintings of important events in the early years of our Country. Like I said it is an AWESOME room.


Our next stop was the Air and Space Museum, where there were lots of HUGE old airplanes, and warplanes hanging from the ceiling.


And also a lot of artifacts from the different trips into space our country has taken. This space suit is from when Armstrong first stepped on the moon.


In the evening, just before the sun began to set, we went to see the Washington Monument.


And the Lincoln Memorial. Which is a very respectful, peaceful place which made me reflect on what a big responsibility and honor it is to be the President of the United States.


On our walk back to our hotel, we saw the Washington Monument all lit up and reflecting off this pond. A beautiful sight.


And a nice end to our day.

I hope you are all enjoying your time with Cindy and Grandma. Your Dad and I talked today about hopefully one day bringing you all here to show you all these wonderful places.

I am grateful for the chance to be able to learn more and see more about our Country's history and to be able to share it with you each night.

Sleep well. I will blog some more tomorrow.

Love,

Mom

DC Trip - Day One

Dear Children,

Early this morning as we started to land in Atlanta this was the view outside my window. Pretty FANTASTIC I must say!


When we arrived in DC we explored downtown for a little while and look what we found - The White House.

You know where the President lives and where he does his Presidential Work.


The next place we visited had a few items that you might recognize.



Lots of fun Pop Culture items. Do you know where we went to find these?

It was the National Museum of American History. There were a lot of interesting facts and pictures and items to look at.

My favorite part of the museum was the early American History Artifacts like this one.


The original desk which was used to write one of the MOST important documents in our History - The Declaration of Independence.

I also really enjoyed learning more about one of my favorite American Heroes - Mr. George Washington.


Our last stop for the day was this place, recognize it?

I didn't think you would.
This is the National Archives Building.

Now here is your history quiz question of the day. This building contains the Original Documents of the three papers that make up what is known as the Charters of Freedom. What are the names of these three documents?

Children, remember I love you and I miss you and now I must get some sleep because traveling on the red-eye flight with a lay-over and flight transfer doesn't allow me much opportunity to do so.

PS - The answer to the question is...

The Declaration of Independence
The Constitution of the United States
The Bill of Rights

Can you believe that we saw these actual documents that helped form our country. Amazing to think about what it would have been like back then when these documents were written. Unfortunately, no picture taking was allowed inside the Archives Building.

Good night.
I'll write to you again tomorrow.

Love,

Mom