Our final day in DC was spent touring around the city, trying to fit in the things that we had missed. This Masonic Temple was right outside our motel room...it was an impressive structure.
From the motel we took the Metro into downtown. Finally, by the last day, we had the the ticket buying, the picking out the right line to take, etc. all figured out. Smooth sailing.
First stop, the Smithsonian castle. Billy is saying "we are here." Whatever.
We wandered on but realized the boys weren't behind us. We turned to see where they had gone and found this...Billy taking a picture of a young couple standing where we had just taken the picture. Billy looks so serious. Brian is looking a little shy...and is chuckling a little.
She says "Thanks
SOOO much!" Billy's like,
ummm, yeah, whatever, no big deal. Brian's thinking, I'm glad they asked you and not me! It struck me as funny and really cute all at once.
After the Smithsonian it was back on the bus. We ventured back to the FDR memorial since Billy and my Mom had missed it. It is really a peaceful place and was worth a second look.
I wish the pictures could show the sound of the water falling...that was the best part.
Then we took the bus to Arlington. The buses were handy but it took a lot more time than we had anticipated to get from one place to the next. The boys saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We couldn't make the walk in time, so we just went as far as
John F. Kennedy's grave.
So many years ago, but it still seems like it is a part of our current history somehow. Maybe it's just because I was alive when it happened. It was a moving experience to be there. Even the flame was impressive.
The sheer number of white markers at Arlington make a person pause. While in DC we saw so many Memorials and markers of lives lost or changed because of war. Sons, daughters, husbands, wives. They need to be remembered, we need to be reminded. But it is hard to see so many.
I think that the quote on the wall at the Korean War Memorial said it best. "Freedom is not free." So true.
From the motel we took the Metro into downtown. Finally, by the last day, we had the the ticket buying, the picking out the right line to take, etc. all figured out. Smooth sailing.
First stop, the Smithsonian castle. Billy is saying "we are here." Whatever.
We wandered on but realized the boys weren't behind us. We turned to see where they had gone and found this...Billy taking a picture of a young couple standing where we had just taken the picture. Billy looks so serious. Brian is looking a little shy...and is chuckling a little.
She says "Thanks SOOO much!" Billy's like, ummm, yeah, whatever, no big deal. Brian's thinking, I'm glad they asked you and not me! It struck me as funny and really cute all at once.
After the Smithsonian it was back on the bus. We ventured back to the FDR memorial since Billy and my Mom had missed it. It is really a peaceful place and was worth a second look.
I wish the pictures could show the sound of the water falling...that was the best part.
Then we took the bus to Arlington. The buses were handy but it took a lot more time than we had anticipated to get from one place to the next. The boys saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We couldn't make the walk in time, so we just went as far as John F. Kennedy's grave.
So many years ago, but it still seems like it is a part of our current history somehow. Maybe it's just because I was alive when it happened. It was a moving experience to be there. Even the flame was impressive.
The sheer number of white markers at Arlington make a person pause. While in DC we saw so many Memorials and markers of lives lost or changed because of war. Sons, daughters, husbands, wives. They need to be remembered, we need to be reminded. But it is hard to see so many.
I think that the quote on the wall at the Korean War Memorial said it best. "Freedom is not free." So true.
No comments:
Post a Comment