Monuments & Memorials

 

I have some catching up to do.  Yesterday we spent all day doing the "sight-seeing" of all the monuments and memorials.  We started with Arlington National Cemetery and were fortunate enough to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which happens every hour on the hour. 

 

 

 

The National Cemetery was neat to see and put things into perspective.  Alot of people throughout our history have given their life for their country.  There were grave sites dating back to the Civil War.  Some of the more prominent grave sites are the Kennedy's.  President Kennedy is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery along with his wife Jacqueline and two children that died early in life.  There is an eternal flame that is by their graves.  Ted Kennedy who died in 2009 is also buried at Arlington.

 

 

 

 

As we we left Arlington and headed across the Potomac River towards the monuments we saw the Presidents helicopters.  It was pretty cool to see.  The President always has 2-5 helicopters that travel with him to act as decoys.  They flew right up the Potomac, by the Lincoln Memorial and landed at the White House.  Pretty cool to see them.

 

 

 

There is a little lake that you can walk around and see alot of the memorials.  We started with the Lincoln Memorial.  The reflecting pool is right outside where you can also get a view of the Washington Monument

 

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As stated we started at the Lincoln Monument where "Four Score and Seven Years Ago..."

 

 

 

Martin Luther King Jr. also gave his speech here with the Lincoln Memorial as his back drop and the Washington Monument in the forefront.

 

 

After the Lincoln Monument we actually went to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.  This is a new memorial that opened in 2011. 

"I Have a Dream..."

 

 

Next, we were on to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.

"The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself"

 

 

 Last stop was the Jefferson Memorial...

"We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident: That All Men Are Created Equally"

 

 

 

 We did alot of walking yesterday.  We were exhausted after such a long day.  Today we got up and went and saw the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum along with with the dinosaurs and the origins of Humans.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we head back to Minnesota.  However, before we go we are going to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial in the morning.  The President gave a speech to the families today at the Pentagon Memorial so it was closed.  I have had a great time in D.C. and love it out here.  Its been a great trip!