Friday morning began at 9 am by boarding the buses and heading down to Mt. Vernon. Two large ones were needed and each had a tour guide to point out all the good things we passed. Mount Vernon, being the home of George Washington, is very impressive. You can see how they lived so many years ago. Included at the site is an educational center, a museum and two movie theaters. Before one begins the tour you see a 20 minute movie on his career from 1757 through the revolution. Very good. If you have not been in recent years, you owe yourself a visit.
After lunch (on our own) we boarded the buses and headed for Arlington National Cemetery. Here we all boarded our private tram for the trip to the Kennedy grave site and the Eternal Flame. Other special grave sites were pointed out during the ride. After this we went to the Tomb of the Unknowns for the Changing of the Guard, followed by a wreath laying ceremony with the Army Guards and the HPRA Officers (George Baker, Steve Singlar, Wade Botsford and Ken Quenstedt). This was quite impressive and moving. Prior to the ceremony, our Officers had to check in for inspection by the Sargent of the Guard. All of the guards are Army enlisted personnel and must adhere to a strict clean way of life. The ceremony included the wreath laying and taps by an army bugler. (There will be video on the Videos page soon.)
Saturday we once again boarded the buses at 9 am for the trip in to Washington D.C. The main part of this tour was to see the war memorials - the new WW II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. What a site. The sites listed here are links so you can read about them. We were able to roam around until 12:30, as we were basically in the mall area (the reflecting pool was not reflecting as it is being overhauled).
After the memorial tour, we boarded the buses again and headed to the Navy Memorial in D.C. across from the National Archives building. There are some interesting displays there and a computer setup to view your navy service. (Click on "Navy Memorial" above to access this.) Some found what they were looking for, many did not. There is a way to add your information with this link. Lunch was available here at a local deli, good food, busy place.If
you would like more information on
what is available for you to see and do in the Virginia area, go the
following website for more information:
www.virginia.org/newsletter/HistoryJan2011.htm
Also, the following
web site gives more information on what to see and do in DC...
If you are planning a visit, here are some of the sites. There is just way to much to see and do in the DC area than what we could ever cover with our two tour days. You could spend weeks in the many different Smithsonian Museum buildings. (Each following underlined item is a link to their web page.) They have the Anacostia Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Arts & Industries Building, Freer Gallery of Art, Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, National Air & Space Museum, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of American History, National Museum of American Art, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Portrait Gallery, National Postal Museum, National Zoological Park.