So happy to wake up to a bright sunny morning today! The rain yesterday did bring in a cold front so it was significantly colder today with wind chills in the 30's, brrr, but at least it was dry and we had the sun to warm us up!
First, we walked over to the White House to view the south side and to go to the Visitor's Center. We were able to watch a video that gave a tour of the entire White House and explained the history and significance of the different rooms and furnishings.
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| On the south side of the White House |
Next, we walked over to the
Newseum. This museum shows American history through the yes of the news. There were newspapers from the 1500's! We saw the headlines of most of the major events from the last few centuries as well as newscasts of major news events of the past century. There were some interesting exhibits on the Berlin Wall, the major cases from the FBI files, and a very moving exhibit from 9/11 showing not just news, but actual artifacts recovered from the scenes as well. It was a very interesting museum.
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The antenna from atop one of the World Trade Center towers. The wall behind shows the front pages of newspapers from around the world with the 9/11 headlines.
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| Flat Tucker in front of Oklahoma's front page headlines from today! |
After touring the Newseum we took the subway out to
Arlington National Cemetery and took a tram tour. The tour stopped at the grave site of the
Kennedy family where President John F. Kennedy is buried along with his wife, and two children. This grave site contains an eternal flame, a flame that was lit by his wife at his funeral and remains lighted at all times. It is hooked to a special gas line to ensure it stays lit even in rain and bad weather. President Kennedy's brothers Senator Robert Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy are buried nearby as well.
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| President John F. Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy grave site at Arlington National Cemetery |
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| Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier |
We also visited the site of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which honors soldiers lost at war from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This tomb is guarded 24/7 by the "Old Guard" unit of the Army and the guard is changed every 30 minutes to hour based on the time of year in a
changing of the guard ceremony. This is a very cool and honorable ceremony to witness. The crowd is eerily silent and respectful and the dedication and precision of the servicemen is very admirable.
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| The changing of the guard ceremony |
We made our way back to the subway to take us back to the hotel after touring the cemetery. Picked up a pizza on the way in and settled in to rest up for our last full day. Going to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and tour the Pentagon tomorrow!
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