#5 (that's "number", not "hashtag)
I'm not quite sure how many times one would need to visit Washington D.C. and vicinity to say, "I've seen it all" or even, "I've seen all that I want to see." I can testify that five trips doesn't meet that criteria. During my high school days, traveling three consecutive years to DC stamped a love in my heart for, and a map in mind of, our nation's capital. Finally, in 2010, my family got a brief visit to DC. But, that included a conference and simply wasn't enough time to even get an adequate overview. This is the background for a return trip. Well, this and the fact that the Washington Nationals were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals and I needed to knock #14 off my list of stadiums!
Although we still haven't seen it all, we did manage to cross off all our goals for this trip and then some, despite having to maneuver around teens more like they were field mines rather than field groups! Perhaps we haven't seen it all but what we saw, we saw with them all! Along with field groups, our sanctification was put to the test with much waiting, walking, and standing! Should you ever go to DC, be prepared! Might I recommend that you consider going in October or November (mild temps, least precipitation, fewest visitors) rather than following our example of joining millions of visitors in the days leading to Memorial Day? No matter when, it is worth it and I will attempt to give an account of our most recent excursion.
Please note that we saw the major Smithsonians (not nearly all of them since there are 19 and a 20th is slated to open in September of this year), the monuments and memorials, Arlington Cemetery, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress during the 2010 visit.
Day 1 - The Holocaust Museum.
We arrived at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, just after noon. The hotel shuttle was running behind (little did we know then that this was typical). By the time we checked into the hotel and walked to lunch, Scott and Kim had very little time for their late-afternoon, scheduled tour of the Holocaust Museum. I chose to stay back. The pictures, movies, and descriptions from books of this atrocity are firmly etched in my mind. I am grateful that the historical reality of the holocaust is witnessed through this exhibit and others like it (in St. Louis, see here) and do not wish to ignore what happened. However, this sounded overwhelming.
When Scott and Kim returned, we walked to Haute Dogs for supper. Scott discovered grilled Sauer kraut - this alone may have made the entire trip worth it for him. As I type this, I realize the irony of their museum tour and our supper choice. I would like to think this symbolizes that we've come a long way in our world but it wouldn't take a comprehensive media search to verify otherwise. New outrages arise daily and yet "there is nothing new under the sun" (Eccl. 1.9).
Wednesday ended on a rather sad note - a sad BLUES note. We watched the action from sea to shining sea:
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