Mount Vernon & the Journey Home

Sadly today is the last day of the tour. But there was still plenty of time before the afternoon flight for some more sightseeing.
After boarding our limo bus(!), we began with a short visit to the Marine Corps Memorial.
Next we traveled south, passing through historic Alexandria again, to George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. We had the whole morning at the estate so visited the mansion, explored the grounds, & visited the museum. We even had a chance to see the First President's false teeth!
Then it was back to the airport, where this visit to Washington D.C began, to check-in for the flight home to Texas after a great few days in the Nation's Capital.

NB: The group's flight to Houston left 5 minutes early! They will arrive into Hpuston at 5:31pm.

Maryland & West Virginia

Today we took a trip outside the DC area, into Maryland & West Virginia.
Our first stop was at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park, just north of Washington in Maryland.  Here we had some time to walk by the canal & see the Visitors Center, then we boarded a replica 19th century canal boat for a 1 hour guided boat ride, learning about the history of the canal & the lives of those who lived & worked along it.
Next we traveled north to West Virginia & the town of Harpers Ferry.  Throughout American history important figures have passed through here, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Meriwether Lewis, John Brown, Robert E. Lee, & many more.
There was time for lunch first, then we had 2 hours to complete individual & team scavenger hunts, with prizes for the winners of each.
Finally we returned to the D.C area to have dinner in Old Town Alexandria, in Virginia.  After dinner we returned to our hotel for our final night. :(

Day at the Museums

Today we spent the majority of our time visiting the Smithsonian Museums.
We began the day by riding the metrorail into the city, despite long delays caused by an earlier breakdown!  But once we arrived in the city center we walked to the White House to view the South Front & lawn.  Then we walked, via the Boy Scout & Washington monuments, to the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
Here we divided into smaller groups to visit the exhibits, including the Star-Spangled Banner, the First Ladies' inaugural ball gowns, etc.  We met-up inside later for lunch.
For the afternoon we divided into groups to visit the other museums - some went to the Air & Space Museum, some to the Natural History Museum, some to both, & a small group visited the National Gallery of Art to see the only Leonardo da Vinci in the USA plus other works by Botticelli, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne & Van Gogh.
In the late afternoon we met-up once more in the National Sculpture Garden, then went to see the 'Charters of Freedom' in the National Archives:  the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, & the Bill of Rights.
The walk to our dinner restaurant took us via the Navy Memorial & the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum (where the most popular exhibit is always the license plate Preamble to the Constitution!).  Dinner was at a restaurant in Chinatown where we enjoyed a great meal with lots of choices.
Finally, at the end of a long & tiring day we rode the metrorail 'home' to our hotel.
Tomorrow we head to Maryland & West Virginia as we travel outside the Washington D.C. area to visit two important historical sites:  the C&O Canal & Harpers Ferry.

Washington D.C. in Depth

We spent the entire day in Washington D.C. today, getting to know the city better as we visited some of its most iconic & famous sights.
After breakfast we traveled into the city by metrorail, mixing with the city's commuters as we squeezed into the crowded trains at rush hour!
Our first stop was the United States Capitol Building.  We had to pass the rigorous security check first, but then we watched a short movie about the history of Congress & the Capitol building before taking a 30 minute tour of the public spaces inside - the 'Crypt', the Rotunda, & the Hall of Statues.  Along the way we saw one of Texas' two state statues, Sam Houston.
After our tour we had time to make a short visit to the nearby Library of Congress's Jefferson Building to view the ornate & beautiful Great Hall & Main Reading Room.
Then it was time to meet Congressman Bill Flores, on the steps of the House of Representatives.  Congressman Flores greeted everybody individually, shaking everybody's hand personally & taking photos with us, then answered some questions before heading off to his offices.
We rode the metrorail again, to Metro Center, where we enjoyed plenty of time for souvenir shopping & lunch before our next visit - to Ford's Theatre, the site where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th, 1865.  A National Park ranger talked about the assassination, then we crossed the road to the Peterson Boarding House to see the bedroom where the president died 9 hours later.
A 15 minute walk took us across the National Mall to our last visit of the day, the National Holocaust Museum & Memorial.  This museum tells the terrible story of how the Nazis first persecuted & later attempted to wipe out Europe's jewish population in the 1930s & 40s.  It isn't an enjoyable visit as such, but it is powerful & meaningful.
From the museum we traveled back to our hotel by metrorail, arriving in time for an earlier dinner & an earlier night to bed!
It was another great day & there is still lots more to see.  Tomorrow we hit the Smithsonian Museums, the National Archives, & the World War II, Navy & Washington memorials/monuments.

Welcome to Washington - NEW photos added!

Our tour got off to good start today, with the group's flight to Washington DC arrived early.
So, after quick introductions to Declan (our tour leader) & Dean (our driver for today), we headed for the nearest food court for a quick lunch/snack.
First stop on our sightseeing itinerary was Arlington National Cemetery, home to the graves of over 290,000 United States veterans.  We toured the cemetery by "Tourmobile", enjoying a guided commentary as well as the Spring sunshine.  Highlight of the visit was undoubtedly the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Leaving Arlington we also left Virginia & drove across the Potomac River into the District of Columbia & Washington.
After a short dinner break at Union Station we began our evening tour of the monuments & memorials along the National Mall, including the Jefferson Memorial, FDR & MLK Memorials, Korean War & Vietnam Veterans Memorials, & of the course the iconic Lincoln Memorial.  It was a cold evening, & I'm sure many of the group were tired by the time we finished at 10:15pm, but a smooth first day & plenty seen already.
Tomorrow morning we travel into the capital by metrorail to begin our sightseeing with a tour of the United States Capitol Building.

Viewing the Kennedy grave site

Gathering in Arlington National Cemetery

Walking to the Space Shuttle & Iran Rescue Memorials

Arlington's Memorial Amphitheater

Viewing the Changing of the Guard

Viewing the Changing of the Guard #2

Viewing the Changing of the Guard #3

The Jefferson Memorial

Remembering Eleanor Roosevelt