Great to Go and Greater to Come Home

Last Monday on the 26th of March, we left for Washington DC. It had been a long time since we went on a touring vacation. We looked forward to leaving for several weeks and as the time came closer, the anticipation mounted. We left home about five oclock in the morning and drove until we were within fifty miles of DC. The exit sign proclaimed we were eight miles from the Antietem Civil War battleground. As we road through the grounds it seemed incredulous that we were driving over ground that Civil War soldiers had fought upon and where others lost their lives. It was a beautiful late afternoon and the sun was setting in the west casting a purple glow over the acres of hallowed ground. After we had driven around and stopped at many of the signs of history, we traveled back to the turnpike exchange and took a hotel there. As it turned out it was the only hotel we had during the week that provided an indoor pool and hot tub. We slept well and began early to cover uncharted territory for us; the entrance into DC. We had heard horror stories about traffic there. We weren't disappointed. It took a long time to travel around the city and get to our hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. While we traveled around the city we came across Arlington Nat. Cemetary. We started to walk to the JFK resting place and decide quickly we were walking up hill and knew it wouldn't work so we turned around and caught a tour. We enjoyed hearing the history of the Arlington House on the hill. Much of the grounds had been owned at one time by Robert E. Lee. The house was once inhabited by President Washington's grandaughter. After we arrived at the hotel and had rested a bit we prepared to take the Metro back into the city for a night tour of the monuments. It was the best decision we made. We took the Tourmobile and while it isn't a luxurious bus, it is very affordable and plenty adequate. Our tour guide was an older gentlemen who was very knowledgable of history and supplied us with many details we had not heard before. We visited the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, FDR Memorial, World War ll Memorial, Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. We returned to our hotel at midnight feeling we had accomplished much that day.

On Wednesday we took a tour of the capitol building. We met our tour guide at Representative Peter Visclovsky's office in the Raybourn building. A perky young lady by the name of Blythe took us to the capitol. It was a very impressive tour but also physically taxing. Both my husband's legs and my legs took a couple of days to recover from all the steps we walked up and down. As we watched the senate and house in session, we were impressed with the tactics involved and the slowness of the turning of the wheel of progress. Politics is truly a game people play. We ate lunch in the Raybourn Building cafeteria. We found there wonderful food, a beautiful environment and resonable prices. We then returned to our hotel and took a car trip to Old Alexandria. This town has become a tourist trap with many a boutik to tempt one to spend money.

Thursday, my husband chose to stay at the hotel for the day because of the soreness of his feet. My grandson and I went into town early and got tickets to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The tour was so similar to the one I had attended about forty five years ago. There were more modern observation walkways but I felt very at home there. The Holocast Museum was next on our list of to dos. That was a very heavy view. An appreciation for those that built that museum welled up in me and it came to me that perhaps because of this very museum the risk of this type of atrosity will be diminished. There were several school girls that clung to each other as they walked through and some that sat on sofas hugging each other and shedding tears. To think people actually suffered to that degree is almost inconcievable.

Friday morning we went to a nine o'clock tour of the White House. It is a stately building but for the most part rather plain from the outside. The inside is chuck full of historic artifacts and beautiful rugs, furniture and other treasures. I will not forget the red room, green room, blue room, and the state dining room. What a beautiful treasure we Americans own. We then found the Ford Theatre. After standing in line to enter which took about 45 minutes, we went into the theatre and were told the story of Lincoln's assassination by a national park ranger. It was enlightening and interesting. It was back to the hotel to travel to Wilmington, Deleware to visit Ken's biological cousin. My husband was adopted at 19 days old and hadn't met any of his family until seven years ago when we met two female cousins. It was with one of these cousins we spent Friday night and Saturday. She and her husband took us to Philadelphia where we visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross house, Christ Church, and the Quaker House.

Saturday night we left Wilmington at 6 o'clock. We had not intended to drive far but the roads were so clear and travel so enjoyable, we drove all night until we got to some friends in North East Indiana. We called them at 5:45 a m and said we were on our way there. They were excited to welcome us. Good friends are such treasures. We returned home at about three on Sunday afternoon.