Subways, Monuments, Memorials, Presidents, Libraries, Statues - Washington, DC - Day 16

Day 16 - September 5, 2014 Friday

Today was one of those days that I will always remember. It was the day we were to go to Washington, DC. I knew that American history if not something that our children really get, but I am well aware that the monuments and landmarks of America are well known around the world, and I wanted to take them to see them all.

Bright and early, at 5:15 AM, the children and I were up, dressed, and in the van before Denise and Kenzie were ready to go. I like to be on time, and I figured the kids could sleep in the van on the way! We swiftly headed out, and Denise led the way to the Metro station in Shady Grove, Maryland. Poor Denise, ended up with a speeding ticket, just as we were exiting the interstate, due to poor signage. The ironic thing is the last time she got a ticket as when I was visiting when either Courage or Brandon was a baby. That child would not stop screaming in the car, and just as the cop pulled us over, the child was silent. Typical!! I think it is rather interesting. We have something else to mark our visits by!

 Once we got to the station it was simple, as we had received our tickets in the mail to make things easier, so it was just a matter of waving the tickets past the wickets and then climbing on board the train.

In Washington, DC

The first thing we had to do was try out the bikes that they rent out in the city!! The kids don’t know it but I have plans to rent bikes at some point in our journey!

The Extra Mile is a block in Washington, DC paying tribute to people who have made a difference.

Denise had an appointment at the White House at 10:30, and so we were intending to use this time to do the “Mall”. That turned out to be just fine as we all are interested in different things. The children and I wandered down the Mall and took many pictures. First, we saw the White House, where we were a bit disappointed because we thought we would see snipers on the roof, but perhaps since Obama is away they are absent.

There was a moment that was quite funny! I had my camera and just as a joke, but certainly not expecting the kids to believe me, I was zooming in on the White House, and I said, “Oh! I can see him!”

And the kids said, “Who?” And then I said, “Obama’s going to the bathroom!”

And then they were saying, “Where, where, where!” They were crowding around me, so they could see, and I said,

“SUCKERS!!” and bust a gut laughing, as I walked off laughing at them! I love teasing my kids!!

"Can't You See Him? Look Very Carefully in the Window With the Dark Shadows."

Then it was off to Washington’s Monument. That is an incredibly tall structure that we see all the time on television. Some of the kids felt it necessary to touch it - I didn’t. I figure my bucket list is getting completed since I merely saw the thing - no touch necessary! But I did also do what I wanted and expose my children to the great monuments of the United States of America.

After the monument we followed the comfortable path through the grassy lawns and over to the World War II Memorial. That was phenomenal. I am a little surprised to find that it was only built in 2004! It is beautiful and the tributes are very profound!

We took the opportunity of having access to the names of all the States to have the children line up in front of each state name in a somewhat creative manner.

My hat is off to my husband who was given the task of taking a picture in front of each state sign that he and the children passed as they travelled across America in 2006. I had no idea how difficult this would be until I tried to do it myself. I missed pretty much them all!! So I give the Framer *all* the credit for managing to provide me with the pictures I requested! I, being much more useless, opted to use the state signs from the memorial for our book - much easier! It was rather fun until we were told we could not climb on the wall. (laugh)

The day was super hot with temperatures lately being quite regularly in the 90s, and so you can imagine how hot and sweaty we were! As I headed for the big memorial, Cooper pointed out to me that there was no wading. Well, I didn’t say I wanted to *wade* - just get my feet wet. ;)  So off we went with no refreshment. How sad! You raise your kids right, and they keep you law-abiding. ;)

It wasn’t long before we came to a memorial of a man I have not heard of before. The wee little pool around the base of the statue was rather green and there were leaves floating in it, so I figured I was probably safe with my decision to cool my toes a little.

It was lovely!! We sat there for a while, and then the phone rang, and it was Denise, telling us that she was out of her tour of the White House, and she would make her way towards us. It took a bit, but we soon saw her, and we hurried to join her, as we were all going to the Lincoln Memorial

Oh, my goodness!! When I saw the long ‘river’ of water that runs in a straight line towards the Lincoln Memorial, I was reminded of the many, many times I had seen this same structure on television! There is something pretty remarkable when you see your children in a photo with a national monument.

The Gettysburg Address

When we entered the Memorial, I saw a boy sitting on the ground writing out the words to the Gettysburg Address. As I leant up against the pillar behind me, I said to him, “There’s nothing like writing up the Gettysburg address, here, right where it was printed by Lincoln, is there!”

He agreed with me, and told me he had flown 19 hours from South Korea to come to America. I told him I had *driven* 59 hours to get to Washington, DC. ;)  He decided that was a pretty mean feat!! I agree!! I shared with him that I had had boys from South Korea staying with me for a few months at a time in 2012, and he asked me how old. I said 12-15, and he told me he had come to America for a year at the age of fifteen. I might have had six birth sons, but I considered Jun to be my seventh son, and he was one of my Korean kids.

The Washington Monument

The Smithsonian was next on our list. We took a few minutes to stop at the cafeteria and have a slice of pizza and for me, a very large glass of Coke, and for the children, about six glasses of ice water. We were thirsty!!

I envy the people who live in these cities and have access to the amazing museums and parks!!! They are truly gorgeous! I can only imagine how it would be if we could ride the subway from the country in to the cities to study the arts, sciences, histories, and more!! We only had limited time, so we did the American History Museum. Some of the things that caught our eye were the shoes that Dorothy wore in the Wizard of Oz, and then we saw all the dresses of the First Ladies, and their china and more. But what was truly significant to me was the section on slavery. Ayana has been learning about the civil rights movement, slavery, and how it all affects us today, and so going into the sections with Abraham Lincoln and learning what he believed in and how the war started was very interesting!

I will say that the most profound thing to me was the “Sit In” at Woolworth’s. We were part of a demonstration at a live theatrical production. It was remarkable. Instead of telling us how things went, the young actor had a Socratic discussion with us and made us figure out what exactly was wrong with segregation. The final answer was that it made us angry because we could not sit with our family members, if we were a cross-cultural family, or friends, if we had friends of other races.

At one point, we were to stand directly behind the four young people who were chosen to be the ‘sit in’ students, and there was a time when I felt the tears well up in my throat. It was incredibly powerful, and I am not sure if I was feeling it for the people at the counter, or for my girls who are the Brown people they are representing! Ayana later told me she felt intimidated. Even though she was depicting an oppressive White person, it felt very intimidating to her. She was not sure if it was because she was Brown.

He had us chanting a song as the people in the Sit In. He spoke to us as if we were in the 1960's and told us what to wear at a Sit In: Sunday clothes, no high heels, clip on ties, no earrings, and how to handle the attitude and physical reactions of the people. We were taught that a Sit In is a sign of Strength and Power.

We then headed on back to the American history museum where we saw a horse that was actually preserved! The museum of Transportation was next on our list and it was totally fascinating! They had a ‘road trip’ across America showing how transportation had changed over the years. Considering how we had taken the Metra in Chicago, it was cool for the kids to get in the replica of an old Metra subway.

The Hat Lincoln Was Wearing at His Assassination

This Horse Was Stuffed! A Real Heros War Horse

 Another interesting point was the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Now, as a Canadian, the Pennsylvania Turnpike seems like something that would meander through the country-side. Not so!! The turnpike is one of the fastest and craziest roads out there!! And I survived it!! Through rain, road construction, and dead of night conditions!

By this time in the day, Denise and Kenzie were heading to the Capitol, and so the kids and I hung around the Smithsonian a little longer, and then we went outside. I asked a man how to get to the Capitol, and he took a moment to show me how simple it would be to walk. He was right. Directly in front of us was the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial, and if I followed this I would eventually hit the Capitol! I didn’t realize this before. So we headed off, but as we went with the sun beating down on us, it became necessary to stop at the ice-cream truck and buy something cold!! This we did and then we headed to the Capitol to sit on the lawn and wait for Denise and Kenzie.



We were really hoping we had not missed her and she would shortly call us to tell us she had already left the Capitol and gone back to the Smithsonian. We were in luck. Courage, my secretary, took the phone she had brought for us, and dialed her number. He told her where we were and asked where she was. Denise had discovered a tunnel that ran from the Capitol to the Library of Congress, and she had been fortunate enough to see around a little.

We got oriented and then traipsed around the huge building until we found the landmarks that would help us identify where she and Kenzie were. The Gutenberg Bible was in the museum and it was a ‘must see’ according to Denise. So off we went, with the intention of only being gone for a short time because we were also to catch the subway to Arlington Cemetery, and then off to Dukem restaurant for 7:30. Very busy!!

The Gutenberg Bible was well preserved and it was kept in a special temperature controlled glass case. Once a month they would turn a page to keep the pages moving. I asked the tour guide if we only had a few minutes what did she suggest? She asked if we had seen the Reading Room, and I said, No. We followed quickly behind her to the room and had a chance to see the beautiful area. Only twice a year are the public allowed in this room, but for the rest of the year you have to have a patron’s library card and then you are welcome to study in the library. When we got to the Reading Room there was a tour in process. She had a word with the other guide and told him that she had ‘an important family - a very important family’ with her and she needed to get into the tour. He allowed us in, and the marblework etc was outstandng. The architecture was gorgeous. It was modeled after Italian styles. It made me remember why I want to go back to Italy one day!!

The Reading Room

Following seeing the Reading Room the woman took us to see the first map that was every printed with the word America on it. It had been hidden for many years in a book in Germany, and one day, after three hundred years of searching for it, it was found! They museum paid $10,000,000 for it from the family that found it. There is only one copy in the world, and our guide, Jennifer told us that the Library of Congress had it! And we saw it! We could not take pictures.

From here we had to run to catch the Metro to Arlington Cemetery. It was hilarious what happened next! We walked into a train car from the stifling, humid heat of the outdoors, just to find the inside was just as stuffy. It was rather surreal. We took seats, and then the conductor came on stating he had seen people making mass exoduses from one train car to another, and was there one that was hot. Well, guess what! We had the hot one! Denise was hilarious because she does not swear and when she got on the intercom she said, “Yeah, and it feels like Hell.”  And she meant it quite literally!! It was hot!

This man had a bag with the name RAINE on it. I told him it was Raine's name and he said he would have given it to us if he had something to put his things in. I wish I had thought to offer him my backpack! ;)

Arlington Cemetery was profound. I have always found cemetery’s solemn and liked reading the headstones to understand a little about a person, but this cemetery was different. It was like when I went to Flanders Fields in Europe. That was memorable. So was this.

John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy were buried there with a torch that never goes out. We also saw the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That was familiar to me because Colt did this when he was in cadets. It did not take away from it though!! It was still very sobering.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a tribute to the soldiers who have died. There is a guard every minute around the clock. Every thirty minutes they have a changing of the guard ceremony. We viewed it and it was familiar to me because of Colt and Dane learning this in Cadets. It was sobering to watch. I have more pictures but they are in a friend's camera.

The final part of our day was our trip to Dukem’s Ethiopian restaurant. The food we ended up ordering was divine!  We ate until we could eat no more, and we learned about a whole new selection of foods that we had not made before when we made Ethiopian foods. I shall go home and do some research!!

Having another adult with me gave me the opportunity to go for a walk downtown after dinner. This was wonderful because there is nothing like the colours of the lights against the dark sky and the intrigue of the people of the streets.

It was time for the day to close. We had had a wonderfully enjoyable day, but now it was time to go home. We headed to the subway station and found we had to hustle to make our train. We ended up on the wrong track and had to run like mad up the stairs, across the tracks, and then on to the correct station. We were getting our work-out, that’s for sure!!

The next train is where the trouble lie. I had a teenager who felt the need to dawdle, and the children were running to catch up with Denise. I was bringing up the rear: barking at the slow poke to catch up, and also trying to get the group to move faster so as to get on the train before it left.

As we ran towards the Metro car, the door shut with Denise inside! You know those movies where the one person is speaking in slow motion and disaster if falling? Well, this felt like that moment. Denise’s mouth opened up wide and she spoke words that I could only hope to understand. And suddenly, as the train left the station with her inside and me on the tracks with six children - it was all very clear . I was alone in Washington, DC, with no idea what to do.