Washington D.C. part 2

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We didn't have daycare for Karlie yesterday which meant we couldn't go into D.C. so we decided to go to a DDD's (15th) in Baltimore. I plugged it into the GPS and away we went. We drove past Camden Yards and there was an Orioles game being played. The area is very neat. They have all kinds of restaurants and shops in this area and they were all hopping because of the game. Suprisingly the traffic wasn't bad at all. Right next to Camden Yards is where the Ravens play so we got to see both stadiums. Pretty neat. We drove right through downtown Baltimore and thankfully it was Sunday so there wasn't any traffic at all. Then we had to drive right through the "Projects". Boy was that an eye opener. I have never seen an area like this before except for on TV. It is very depressing to see it in real life. They don't have anywhere to sit except for on their steps because there is no grass or yards. Their doors literally open onto the sidewalk on the street and the houses are all connected one right next to the other. They were all just hanging out in the streets because it just seemed like there wasn't much for them to do. Very sad! We finally made it to our DDD's and it was in an interesting place too. The parking lot was shared with a "Gentleman's Club". I guess it works because they are a sandwich shop and only open during the day when the "Club" isn't open so there is no problem with shared parking..... The DDD's is called Chaps' Pit Beef. It was very good but what we went through to get there made it one we will not forget. As we got ready to leave and I was going to take my pictures there was a torrential downpour. Hence the picture you will see of the place.

Monday we took the shuttle to D.C. again and then we took the tram so that we could go to Arlington which is all the way at the other end of the Mall. I knew I wouldn't be able to walk it so with the tram we can get on and off any time we want throughout the day. As I said we started at Arlington Cemetery. This whole day was very emotional for me. When we rounded the corner and you get your first glimpse of white headstones as far as the eye can see it literally gives you a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. It is unfathomable that these are actually people who are buried here. They take you up to John and Jackie Kennedy's graves with the eternal flame. While I am not a Democrat I still have a tremendous amount of respect for Jackie and think that she was a very classy woman. The Kennedy's where such a big part of our history and were hit with such tragedy that you just can't help but be fascinated by them. From there we went to the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Now that did make me cry with pride. These men that do this are just young guys and their commitment is so unbelievable. If you aren't patriotic and respectful of this country then you need to be slapped or get the heck out of here and go somewhere else! When you are standing at the Tomb and looking over all the graves and these young men are guarding the Tomb rain or shine, then you really feel that freedom isn't free and feel the sacrifices that the men and women have made for us to live the life that we are able to live. We have a lot to be thankful for and you should always thank the military for their service whenever you see a person in uniform. Ok, I'll jump down off my soap box now. From there we went to the Vietnam Memorial Wall which is a somber place as well. I knew it would be so I was prepared. While I don't really remember the soldiers coming back I do know people we went to Vietnam and how much it changed their lives. It is very sad to see all the names on the wall knowing that they are the ones who did not come back. From there we went to the Korean War Memorial as my Uncle Don and Phyllis' husband Keith both fought in that war. It is a very nice tribute and I took a lot of pictures which I am posting.

We now finished with the war memorials and moved on to the Lincoln Memorial. It is HUGE and very striking. It is at the end of what they call the "Mall". When you look back from the Memorial you see the Washington Memorial and it is a breathtaking site. I had to just stand there for a minute to take it all in to have it all sink in that I am finally here, in Washington D.C. where all this history has taken place. It is overwhelming and hard to believe really. I still hadn't seen the White House so that was what I was needing to see to make my trip complete. So we boarded the tram and off we went. I knew that we weren't far and I kept peeking through the trees trying to get a glimpse and finally anround the turn there it was. The White House. It was smaller than I imagined and it was not as spectacular as I had imagined. I don't know what I was expecting but I just thought it was going to be something different. It didn't really do much for me so I took a couple of pictures and was ready to board the tram back to the Capitol.

After a full day again we were all tired and ready for a good nights sleep. Karlie made a friend at day care. His name is Leo and he is a black and white spotted Great Dane. It is hilarious to see them play together but they love each other. I tried to get a picture of him but his owner had picked him up before we got there. Maybe they can be pen pals? We are just hanging out today doing laundry and cleaning the rig. NOt sure what we going to do tomorrow. We will be leaving here on Thursday heading to Virginia to see Wayne & Rhonda, Necia's brother and sister-in-law. Miss you all 😊K

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Photos

Ravens Stadium
This is where the Baltimore Ravens play football. Trent Dilfer was quarterback here guys and took them to the super bowl! Go Bulldogs!

Camden Field
This is where the Orioles play. There was a game being played that day.

DDD
This is our 15th DDD's. Unfortunately there was a big downpour so I couldn't get a good picture. The food was really good.

Coming Into Arlington
This is the road into Arlington.

Arlington Shot
This is just an overview of the cemetery. The markers are as far as the eye can see. Sad........

Arlington Shot
Another view.

Clovis Grave
As I was standing waiting for the tram I happened to glance over and see this grave. Notice the name. What a coincidence huh?

Kennedys Eternal Flame
This is John and Jackie Kennedy's grave site with the eternal flame. They have two infant children buried on each side of them. A little boy who died after 3 days and a little girl who died at birth.

Tomb Unknown Soldier
This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Guard is to your left but I wanted to get a close up of the tomb for you.

Guards Creed
This is the Guards Creed. Thought it would explain how committed they are.

Changing of Guards
Here is the soldier before the changing.

Changing Guards
The Sargeant is going out to relieve the soldier.

Changing of Guards 3 Attention
Here are the three during the changing the soldier stadning on the black strip is the Sargeant. The soldier to the right is the one that is coming on duty and the one on the left is going off.

Changing of Guards Single
This is the fresh soldier beginning his 30 minute duty.

Overlook of Mall
This is the look at the "Mall" from the Lincoln Memorial steps.

Lincoln Memorial
This is the Lincoln Memorial. It is so massive and it is hard to tell by the picture but look how small the people look.

Don & I @ Mall
Here we are at the bottom of the steps to the Lincoln Memorial looking back to the Washington Monument. Yes, we are really here!

Jefferson Memorial
This is the Jefferson Memorial and if you look really close you will see the giant statues of Jefferson in the center of the rotunda.

Washington Mon
An up close picture of the Washington Monument. You can actually get tickets to climb to the top. Uh, no we didn't.

Vietnam Wall Long Shot
Here is the Vietnam Wall. Enough said.

Vietnam Wall Distance
I tried to get a complete shot of the Vietnam Wall. This almost gets the whole thing.

Comments

[NickiChandler]

You almost made me cry!
your blog was very informative. The pictures were great.Love that new camera!

[Teresa]

Amazing Pictures!
The trip to DC looked amazing! I love all the pictures you took of the monuments. I could actually imagine being there and sharing in the experience. I can't wait until we can take road trips to fabulous destinations like the two of you are doing while you are young and still enjoying life. Keep the pix coming--love em! Be safe, take care and have fun! T. :-)