LAST DAY IN OUR NATIONS CAPITOL

TODAY WE GOT AN EARLY START AS WE KNEW WE WANTED TO BE OUT OF TOWN PRETTY EARLY . WE TOOK THE TROLLEY TO THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL THEN HOPPED ON ANOTHER TROLLEY TO GO TO ARLINGTON CEMETERY . BY THE TIME WE GOT OUT THERE IT WAS ALREADY REALLY HOT AND REALLY STEAMY !
KEVIN HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD ( AND THE KIDS FOUND A BIT OF ENJOYMENT - AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHILE STANDING IN THE HOT HOT SUN ) WE ALSO SAW THE KENNEDY BROTHER TOMBS AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT - IT WAS SO CROWDED AND SO SWELTERING THAT THE KIDS WERE STARTING TO HAVE THE USUAL HEAT INDUCED MELT DOWNS !

ONE THING I SAW THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTRIGUING WAS A FUNERAL PROCESSION . I AM GUESSING IT WAS STAGED (NOT REAL). THERE WAS A LARGE MARCHING BAND OF MEN DRESSED IN MILITARY UNIFORMS AND A HORSE DRAWN HEARST - W/ A COFFIN DRAPED IN AN AMERICAN FLAG. VERY MOVING !VERY HUMBLING !

AFTER OUR TRIP TO THE CEMETERY WE WENT TO THE NATIONAL ZOO . WE TOOK THE TROLLEY OUT TO THE ZOO . THE TROLLEY STOP WAS ABOUT 7 BLOCKS FROM THE ZOO AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL - SO WE HAD TO WALK 7 MILES UPHILL - BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE TOP OF THE HILL WE WERE READY TO GO ! - THANKFULLY THERE WAS A 7-11 RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO SO AFTER WE WENT IN TO SEE THE WORLD FAMOUS PANDAS WE STOPPED TO GET A SUPER BIG GULP AND SOME SLURPEES!

ON THE WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL FROM THE ZOO WE TOOK THE TROLLEY THRU EMBASSY ROW AND GEORGETOWN .ANDREW GOT THE LAST SEAT ON THE TROLLEY -RIGHT UP IN FRONT NEXT TO BUS DRIVER . THE RIDE THRU EMBASSY ROW WAS ENTERTAINING - THE DRIVER WAS TALKING SO FAST - POINTING OUT ALL THE HOMES OF POLITICIANS AND EMBASSIES -ON THE LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT , LEFT,RIGHT, RIGHT - SUPER FAST - SUPER FUNNY! WE WERE DIZZY WHEN WE GOT OFF THAT ROUTE!

ON THE WAY OUT OF DC WE MADE A PIT STOP AT RECOLLECTIONS SCRAPBOOK STORE - IT WAS DEVINE ! LOVED IT ! WAY BETTER THAN AND ARCHIVERS! :D