Taps

Sunday, June 3rd Sunday, we woke up and headed to Arlington National Cemetery. This was probably what I wanted to see the most. Ever since 5th grade, when I first learned about the Civil War, I have wanted to go to Arlington. I was not Disappointed! I LOVED Arlington. We started out in the visitor center, then made our way up the cemetery paths (and yes, I mean up, Arlington is NOT flat, it is a series of Hills) We First saw President John F. Kennedy's grave, along with his wife, and their two small children. President Kennedy's tomb is cool for two reasons, there is a wall with quotes from him, that have a Great picture moment with the Washington Monument, and he has the "eternal flame" It was really awesome to see (It was also cool to see, since we have been to Dallas to see where he was Shot and killed- then to see his final resting place) We also saw other members of the Kennedy family, like Robert F. Kennedy on our way up to the Tomb of the Unknowns. (If you have never been to Arlington, then this is a MUST see) When we arrived at the tomb, I immediately became emotional. There is a guard there 24/7 and has been since 1930. I wanted to add some interesting facts about this amazing site so you can get an idea of how amazing this place really is. Q: How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? A: 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. Q: How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? A: 21 seconds, for the same reason as answer number 1. Q: Why are his gloves wet? A: His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle. Q: Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not? A: No, he carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder. Q: How often are the guards changed? A: Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. They cannot swear in public FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After TWO YEARS, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first SIX MONTHS of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends FIVE HOURS A DAY getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. The Sentinels Creed: My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who commands the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance. It is considered one of the highest honors to serve as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Fewer than 20 percent of all volunteers are accepted for training and of those only a fraction pass training to become full-fledged Tomb Guards. This attrition rate has made the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge the second least-awarded decoration of the United States Military (the first being the Army Astronaut Badge, no longer being issued). "HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD"- Inscription on the tomb of the unknowns We were able to see the changing of the guard, as well as a wreath ceremony which included a BEAUTIFUL rendition of taps played on a bugle by a guard. I bawled the WHOLE time! After the tomb of the unknowns, we went into a little museum with military medals, and then headed to the Tomb of the Unknowns amphitheater. After that, we headed back to the visitor center. There is a lot more to see at Arlington, but when you are walking all the hills, its hot and humid, and you are 6 months pregnant, you get uncomfortable pretty fast. On our way down, we were able to see a grave with the last name Carter (We made it a game of sorts trying to find one.) Arlington is such an amazing, sacred place. It really puts into prospective the sacrifice American Soldiers have made, and continue to make to make this country what it is today. Graves going up Robert E. Lee's Home President John F. Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy Sign More Graves Tomb of the Unknowns Museum Amphitheater More Graves on the way down Our next stop was a Smithsonian. We went to his American History museum. I had NO idea how big this place was. (And after Arlington, my body was so achy) but it was cool to see some of the exhibits, we missed one or two, but in our 3+ hours here, I think we saw a good part of it. Outside the American History Museum Dumbo Wizard of Oz (Scarecrows shoes and Hat, and Dorthy's Ruby Slippers from the movie) Pop Culture (First Kermit puppit, Original Superman costume worn by George Reeves, Harry Potter uniform from year 1) Sports (autographed baseball by lue Garage, Babe Ruth, Signed Ali Boxing Gloves) Presidents Truman Inauguration outfit Clinton's briefcase, also known as "The football" Eisenhower's uniform Nixon's uniform Teddy Roosevelt's Chaps Grace Cooledge's Dress Harding's silk pajamas Chess board belonging to John Quincy Adams Lincoln's top hat he wore when he was assassinated, and the flag that flew on the funeral train Washington's Camp equipment Andrew Jackson's uniform Civil War Other Random Things (Pieces of the Berlin wall, Sun stone from the Navoo temple, Commemorative plate from Navoo, Apple II computer) After the Smithsonian, we stopped at a street vendor to get a snack. This was my firs street vendor EVER, I got a hot dog, and it was pretty Good! After a much needed snack, we went across the street to the Archives and saw the Decoration of Independence. Cameras were not allowed, so all we have is a picture of the outside. Our final stop for the day was T.C. Williams High School. This is the home of the Titans. (From the Disney movie Remember the Titans- One of our favorite movies. We just happened to stumble across the school in the morning, and decided to stop on our way back. It is in Alexandria Virginia, about 10 minutes from our Hotel)

Take me out to the ball game!

Saturday, June 2nd: Rob and I woke up pretty early so we could make it to Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon is/was the home of Founding father, and first president of the United States, George Washington. The estate is located just off of the Potomac River. We arrived and started our self guided tour starting in the visitor center, then you go past the slave quarters, Blacksmith's shop, and Martha Washington's gardens. (Side note, we went June 2nd, which is Martha Washington's 281st birthday) We were then lined bu to view the estate. I was sad to see that we Could not take pictures in the main house. George Washington received a key to the Bastille in France, and it is hung in his entry way, and I really wanted a picture of it. (I love the French Revolution) In the tour, we got to see a number of beautiful old rooms, as well as the bedroom of George and Martha Washington, and the Bed that President Washington Died in. It was pretty awesome! After the main house, you are led out to the back yard, which is HUGE, and it has a beautiful view of the Potomac River. (Boy, did George know how to pick some property!) After the yard, we walked down past the kitchen, Bath house, stable, and carriage house. From there, we went to the banks of the river, and went to the doc, then to the old vault. One of our last stops was George Washington's tomb. From then, we made our way back up to the education center, where they have some museums, We got to see a lot of really cool things, including George Washington's wood dentures. We are lunch in the cafeteria, then walked around the gift shops and then headed to our next stop. If anyone is Ever in the area, you NEED to see Mount Vernon. It was one of our favorite things we did on this trip! Walkway leading to the estate View walking to the estate First Glimpse of the estate Gardens Woman's Slave Quarters Shoemaker Shop Stove Room (this room has a series of underground pipes that leads to the estates, and keeps it warm in the winter) Men's slave quarters Blacksmith's shop Overseer's house Mount Vernon Estate George Washington's Carriage Stable Old Vault (this was the first resting place of President Washington until the new tomb was constructed per his last will and testament. He and 20 Family members were entombed here) Doc at Mount Vernon Finial Resting place for Founding father and firs president George washington, and first lady Martha Washington. After Mount Vernon, we headed to Nationals Park. We got to the stadium in time to watch batting practice. It was super hot, so I spent most of this time in a shady spot in the general area. Rob and I decided to walk to the team store and get his mini bat (He gets one at ever stadium) and he was able to get it signed by a nations picture. I believe it was Zimmerman. One good thing about the storm the night before, was that the game was canceled, so we got to see Stephen Strausburg pitch, Rob and I were both happy about that. The Nats beat the Atlanta Braves 1 to 0. There was a concert after the game, it was supposed to be Dierks Bentley, but due to a death in the family, it was changed to Big and Rich at the last minute, so we decided not to stay. The game was fun, even with the heat. It looked like it was a sold out game. After the game, we headed to Old Town Alexandria, we found a place to eat. It was Called Bugsy's sports Bar, It was the BEST pizza I have ever had. I loved it. After dinner, we went and got an ice cream cone, and then walked back to our car and headed back to our hotel. (we were in our hotel every night pretty early- DC takes a lot out of you!) Pizza