After our stop at the USAF museum, I hopped back in the car and drove for a few miles, stopping at Columbus, OH. So, this far into the trip, I had a little over 400 miles to go and two days to do this in.
The next night, I stopped in Hagerstown, MD, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do the next day - drive on to Washington or visit Gettysburg? In the end, I decided to head straight to DC. This was a good call.
I arrived in DC around noon. I couldn't check into the apartment where I'll be staying with Grant and his children until late in the afternoon, so I had some open time ahead of me. This was a Sunday afternoon, and the best option that came to mind was a visit to the Arlington National Cemetery.
This is holy ground.
Though I've been here a few times before, this time I visited Arlington House, the home of General Robert E Lee, as well as the memorial for John F Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Arlington House
JFK Memorial
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Silence and respect are expected at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While I was there, the changing of the guard took place. Shortly after that ceremony, the mood among the group broke, and people started talking and even laughing. When this happened, the guard on duty stepped off of the guard path, faced the people who were there, and, in a loud command voice, said, "Everyone will show silence and respect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier!" This cowed everyone, and you could hear a pin drop! Good for him!
Today was my first day with two of my grandchildren. I'm in DC to spend time with them/watch them while my son receives prep and training for his next posting in The State Department.
The main outing for the day was a trip to the DC LEGO Discovery Center. That was fun! And there were some incredible builds, and lots of fun things to do. Here are a few examples of what you can see there:
Stay tuned for more adventures of Big Al and the Mud Dragons in Washington, DC!
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