That’s a Wrap (on DC)

It’s hard to believe we have been in Maryland/DC since March 30th.  When we leave on Sunday May 1st, we will have been here for 33 days!  We are so glad we decided to stay here as long as we did.  To say we are a bit overwhelmed and oversaturated is an understatement.  

We had no idea all of the history we DID NOT know.  As I mentioned last week, you are never too old to learn.  History is definitely wasted on the young as we saw all over DC with the kids on school trips.  We were not surprised to see so many of them just hanging in the lobbies of different museums staring at their phones, looking completely bored out of their minds.  I actually heard a grandmother say to her grandson when he told her he was bored and wanted to go home, “someday when you are not so self-absorbed, you might really learn something”.  I laughed out loud!  

We were so surprised to see so many 8-10 year olds at Mt. Vernon running and yelling, playing chase all over the property.   Teaching history to children is very important, but maybe wait until they are older?  Not sure the answer, but from our personal experience, realizing all that we did not remember from our schooling, we highly recommend every adult taking a trip to DC, if you can, and learn about our country.  The good and not so good.  We will be leaving DC with so much more knowledge about our history. 

Last Sunday as we got off the train at the Navy Memorial/Archives station, there were quite a few Marines standing around.  Jerry asked what was going on.  The Honor Flight Veterans from Northern CA were there to experience the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team performance.  We just happened upon this!  It truly was one of the highlights of this trip.  We were so fortunate enough to have been there from the very start to the very end.  It brought tears to us both.  There was 1 WWII Vet, 5 Korean Vets, and 11 Vietnam Vets.  This was incredibly emotional. Make sure to check out our social media to see what we’re talking about!

I insisted that we visit Mt. Vernon as I remember going there in 1964 with my family.  I was 7 years old, but I remember how much my father loved this place.  Of course the mansion is the same, but there are so many more exhibits, and an educational center.  The highlight for me was the orientation film.  One of my dearest friends, Deb D. is a voice over actor and was the narrator for this film.  It was so amazing watching this movie and hearing my friend!  I, of course, filmed some of it for her and sent her a video of the theater where it is shown.  She was so excited!!!  

Incredible to think we still had one more museum to visit on the National Mall.  We finished up with the African American History and Cultural Museum.  This museum is fairly new.  It opened in 2016.  We loved this museum.  It is so well laid out on 4 floors.  Incredibly moving, educational and emotional.  Another MUST see!

Afterwards we had tickets to the Washington Monument Tour where you take an elevator and go to the top which is 500 feet. The total height is 555’. The view from there is unbelievable.  They have lookout windows from every angle.  We had the best view of the Whitehouse from there.  It’s a free tour that lasts about ½ hour.  You can stay up there as long as you want!  We are so glad we did this!  

We finished up DC with the tour of the Capitol.  We had the best tour guide, Matthew, who is interning for our South Dakota Congressman, Dusty Johnson.  He is the one that arranged for our tour.  Matthew told us interesting tidbits that happened on Jan 6th, 2021, and the aftermath of that day, along with the history of the different rooms, statues, paintings, etc. in the Capitol.  Another highlight of our trip and a GREAT way to end our time in DC.  If you are interested in touring the Capitol or White House, the only way is through your Congressman.  Suggestion, reach out at least 3 months in advance.  

Another highlight for me personally, was visiting with friends I hadn’t seen in years.  Being able to have lunch with Sally and her friend (my new friend) Karen twice was beyond awesome.  Meeting my friend, Mark, at the Trump Hotel for lunch was a treat.  The Trump Hotel is being closed and taken over by the Waldorf Astoria.  We saw it the last day before it closed.   

We will forever have these incredible memories of our time in Maryland/DC.  Living this lifestyle has allowed us to experience the area in a way we would have never imagined.  We are so thankful! We definitely encourage you to check out our last three vlogs on YouTube, and this week’s as well as we wrap up our tour of DC!

To recap our visit, here are a few statistics and facts that might interest you.

1. We walked over 250,000 steps, which is the equivalent to 108.67 miles
2. Visited 11 Smithsonian Museums
3. Experienced over 50 different memorials (possibly more)
4. Went on 8 tours which included: The night tour of DC, and tours of Arlington, Georgetown, National Cathedral, Ford Theater, Mt Vernon, Gettysburg and the Capitol.
5. Spent $24.00 each for a Metro pass which lasted us until the very last day with each of our cards having a little over a dollar left.   We went to DC at least 3-5 days per week.
6. We experienced rain, hail, snow and heat all in 1 month.

Just One More……step (We are taking break for a couple of days)