Here are a couple views of DC from the top of the Washington Monument. I am glad that we weren't up there during an earthquake.
Here we are standing next to the Washington Monument.
We were lucky enough out there to see my cousin, Janna, her husband, Kemper, and baby Alice. They took us out to dinner and to see a couple more monuments that our poor, tired feet couldn't drag us to. Here is the Iwo Jima monument.
Some last pictures at the Capitol.
The day we were scheduled to fly out of DC we had some time in the morning and mom needed to go see some orchids, so we went to the National Botanical Garden.
Here are some pictures of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. Every 30 minutes there is a small ceremony called The Changing of the Guards that takes place there. I remember seeing it the last time I was there but didn't fully appreciate it. Now that I had learned some new and interesting facts about it I couldn't wait to take Jason to see it. Here is a picture and some facts about the whole ceremony.
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.
Q: What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
A: For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30".
Other requirements of the Guard:
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.
Pretty amazing information! It really is hard to describe how amazing Washington DC is and how you feel when you are traveling around touring the sites. You get a huge sense of pride for our country and a new found respect for those that serve our country. We loved seeing DC and can't wait to visit again!
Also, before it gets too late, here are our numbers from DC:
# of plane rides: 4
# of Metro rides: so many
# of museums visited: 7
# of monuments/ memorials seen: 15
# of tours taken: 5
# of miles walked: oh my gosh, I can't even begin to count!
# of blisters: 0 (yeah!!)
# of books in the Library of Congress: WOW! Let's just say a lot!
# of library cards obtained at the LOC: 2
Jason's favorite Smithsonian Museum: The American History Smithsonian
Lisa's favorite Smithsonian Museum: The Natural History Smithsonian
Jason's favorite monument: The Lincoln Memorial
Lisa's favorite memorial: WWII
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