I'm back!

Just wanted to stop in and let you know that we got back yesterday afternoon.
It was a long hard journey. :)
Anytime you head out with someone else on vacation........ it would be VERY wise to see if they are planning for a relaxing time or they are out to tackle all of Virginia.
The former was true of our time. :)
Oh my aching feet!
We arrived in D.C. around 4 on Friday............and by 5:30
we were on the metro heading to downtown.
From there it was a 5 hour race. Note to self...don't wear flip flops when running a race.
Of course if I had known I was going to be running a race....tennis shoes would have been worn.
Our first stop was at the White house.
We told someone we had a meeting with the Obama's but it seems that they did not get that memo......so we had to settle for an outside view.
From there we raced around the corner to head for the Washington Monument.
It was beautiful. The wind was blowing so hard that it was rough getting pictures. The guys had fun lying down on the benches at the bottom of the monument and looking up. Seems it gives the allusion that the monument is moving....a little much for my stomach.
From there we headed off by foot to see the World War 2 memorial.
It really was so powerful. I guess the thing that amazed me the most was the silence around all these memorials. Occasionally we would see where people had left little things in memory of loved ones.
I hope you can read what is on the wall above....we do indeed have an obligation to remember what these people gave for our freedom. I know that often unless we had family involved in these wars they can feel like they happened on another world.
I loved hearing Paw Paw talk about his time in the military.....it really opened up history for me. We need to make sure these memories don't get lost.
This is my brother and his boys...the young guys were pretty excited to be seeing things they had learned about in school and had seen on t.v.

From here we went to see Mr Lincoln.
This was the first time I had been to this monument.
If you saw Forest Gump.....this was in the background of one of the scenes.
They asked for silence while there.....I was amazed that so many people could be to quiet.
It was about 9 by this time and the place was packed. Hmmm, maybe they were as tired as us. :)

From here it was on to the Vietnam memorial.
It was too dark to take pictures........ but what an incredible experience.
I don't know if you have ever been there....but the wall starts with one name...the first person to die. And then the height of the wall begins to grow until it is at least 8 feet tall....and then begins to drop slowly till it is down to only one name...the last person to die in the war.
Looking at all the names listed you would really think they were giving all the names of those who fought in the war.....instead of just those who died.
It was amazing......and sad.
Our children need to know the countless number of men and women who died for our country.
And that those men and women considered it an honor.
We must never forget the freedom we have because of all these individuals.

From there we headed back to the Metro....what a walk!
We got back to our room at 12.....seems they were doing some work on the line. But at least my feet got a break. Tomorrow I would be wearing my walking shoes!

I'll stop here and tomorrow I will share our experience with the walk on the Capital.
We have a voice.....this is our nation.....we must never settle for silence.