DC Trip-Day 4

After our three fun-filled days in Philadelphia with the Thomas's it was time to head to D.C., meet up with Brian and finish the rest of our trip. Lori and the kids were kind enough to drive us to DC and spend some more time with us.

Crossing into Maryland.

We planned to tour the Holocaust Museum, but the alloted tickets for the day were gone. So we looked around the museum and decided to come back early Friday and try again.

Abby and Ben saying hi to the Obamas!

Bri and I

The front of the White House; technically speaking, there is no back of the White House. Guess it's not dignified for the President to come out the back of the house, so they have two fronts. Go figure.

After our walk around DC, stopped for lunch at a restaurant a few blocks away. It was a pretty fancy place; everyone was in suits and business attire.

Saying bye to Emma-They have been friends their entire life. We miss you; come to Utah soon!

Had to get a picture of Ben in front of a statue of Ben Franklin. Lots of statues and memorials in the city.

We ended our first day in DC with a bike ride to the monuments. I think this was the highlight of the trip for all of us. We were able to see the monuments at dusk, sunset or dark. Loved pedaling through the city. Thanks Amy for telling us about this fun activity.

The kids ready to bike and roll......

Quick stop to the Washington Monument. Typical teens, didn't want picture with the orange vests!

Statue of soliders of the Vietnam War Memorial. My picture does not do it justice; the look on their faces is just amazing.

Vietnam War Memorial. Every soldier's name who lost his or her life in the battle or as a result of the war is engraved on this solid black panel. Simple, but very moving.

On to the Lincoln Memorial. This is where Martin Luther King stood when he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream Speech". The reflecting pool is under construction so no photos of that.

I could not believe how big the Lincoln Memorial was. The Gettysburg Address and other Lincoln quotes were on the walls surrounding the memorial. So glad we could see this.

For me, the most moving memorial was the Korean War Memorial. I just thought of my dad, a young man of 18 going off to war.

Again, my camera just didn't do justice to the expressions on the faces of the soldiers. The memorial is on a area of grass with soldiers in the act of marching. Very humbling experience to be able to be able to see it. We also saw the World War II memorial which was huge and the pictures didn't turn out so great and the FDR memorial which was cool but not great photos.

Last memorial stop was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. His memorial faces the White House and we were told it was so that he could always keep an eye on the governement. We loved seeing all the memorials and learning about these great men.

My step count at the end of day 1 in DC!