Our trip part 5-did you think I forgot?

So like I said, we were able to catch the trolley to DC from Arlington.

Our first stop was Lincoln Memorial.

Hannah was most excited to see this one. All day she kept saying she couldn't wait to see the memorial and get her picture with Abe Lincoln.

The stairs look daunting but really it was an easy climb. Mary thought she was going to have to stop a few times on the way up but she was a trooper and made it up with out stopping.

Inside the noise level was deafening despite the signs to be respectful and quiet. Along the walls were 2 speeches by Mr. Lincoln. One was his famous "Four score and twenty yeas ago" speech and the other was his inaugural speech.

This was the thing that Hannah wanted to see most. She couldn't wait to get her picture taken with President Lincoln.

 

I was so excited to be there, I made all the kids go up and get their picture taken LOL

From the top of the steps at the Lincoln Memorial, you could see a beautiful view of the Washington Monuments and the reflecting pool. Directly in front of the Washington Monument is the World War II War Memorial.

We were planning on taking the trolley to our next destination but the kids wanted to walk to length of the pool and we could catch the trolley on the other side. That pool is way longer than you think LOL. About 1/3rd of the way down the pool it started raining...nothing we could do at that point so we got a little wet :) Because we got a little wet my $1500 camera set up stayed in the waterproof backpack so no pics of us walking down the reflecting pool :)

*edited to add-I think I may have taken some with my point and shoot but those are with Tom in MD :)

*Why I took my big set up with me to DC is another post entirely LOL

SO, there we were getting wet, walking down the length of the reflecting pool and not really caring that we were getting wet because WE WERE GETTING WET IN FRIGGIN WASHINGTON DC!

Well at least that was my attitude, the kids were not to keen on getting wet along the reflecting pool. Then I had to remind them that walking down the length of the reflecting pool, dodging raindrops and duck poop was their idea :D

So at the end of the pool is the World War II Memorial. A very neat memorial honoring each state. I wanted to go and find IL but my posse said it was time to move on. Move on toward eating because the kids were about to hit the wall.

*These pics I think were on the point and shoot that is now residing in MD with Tom.

Instead of waiting at the VERY long line at Subway we opted for a street vendor who had the best beef sausage I have ever tasted. Maybe it was the best because we were all starved?

Anyway we caught the next trolley to the Nation Archives. Now we waited in a long line by midwestern standards but our Trolley Guide assured us that it was THE shortest line he had ever seen at the Archives! This was my "thing" I couldn't wait to lay eyes on the documents that shaped our country.

 

Really to stand and look at something that our founding fathers wrote. THE ACTUAL PAPER!! I still get goosebumps when I think of seeing those documents. Must be the scrapbooker in me I guess {shrug}!

We had to stand in another line just to get into the gallery that held the documents which (the gallery) is quite impressive I think. The lighting in this room is VERY VERY VERY dim. Which is why I am soooooo glad I brought my $1500 camera set up with me. (For those photog buffs I used my 20D with a 28-75 f2.8 lens set to aperture priority you could try to use your nifty 50 1.8 but you really need a wide angle to get it all in and not be 6 feet away). Really this is the VERY reason I brought it. They don't let you use flash photography and to try to take pics of the documents with a point and shoot with out a flash...just be ready for a yellow blur.  Honestly I really could have stayed there allllllll day and read every document in that joint but we had a tight schedule to keep if we still wanted to see other monuments.

this is the gallery ....

Bill of Rights

Declaration of Independence

Page One of the Constitution

My overall feeling at this point was AWE. Sheer AWE. I absorbed every ounce of historical value from every stop we made. I know I am a big dork but to quote Grey's Anatomy. Seriously? Seriously.

Next stop...the WHITE HOUSE which was Mary's thing.

to be continued.....

  Edited: YES we did see National Treasure and I have pics of Jake and Hanna pretending to "open" the secret door (as soon as I get home I will post pics) :) As far as I know it was the real deal but then again this is the govt. we are talking about and they may not be truthful about it LOL

Comments

[k]

have you seen National Treasure? maybe that's not REALLY the Declaration! ;)

[jenn]

didn't tom get a pic with the washington monument? why isn't that one posted? hmmm. we need to see the pic! LMAO!!