« Happy New Year! | Main | Summer is Here »
April 19, 2008
Four Days in Washington, D.C.
I returned last night from a four day trip to Washington, D.C. where myself and a large group of Minnesotans visited the major sights. Our trip coincided with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States and, although our group was not able to secure tickets to the mass at Nationals Stadium, several members of our group saw his motorcade from a distance while we were visiting the Jefferson Memorial and we also happened to be at the top of the Washington Monument while the Holy Father was being received by President Bush on the south lawn of the White House.
We also saw several things at Arlington National Cemetery that were not on our itinerary. While we were on our way to the Tomb of the Unknowns we found the path blocked by guards who had secured the road because the President of South Korea was laying a wreath at the tomb. Fortunately, we were waiting right next to three WWII-era artillery pieces which the The Old Guard used to fire a 21 gun salute as the President was leaving the cemetery. Then, after watching the changing of the guard at the tomb, we encountered a full honor funeral procession which passed by us on the road, complete with a horse-drawn caisson carrying a flag-draped coffin and preceded by a military band and honor guard.
It had been several years since I'd been to the Nation's Capital so there were a number of places that I hadn't seen before. The 4,000 stars at the World War II Memorial, each representing 100 deaths, is a touching tribute to those who lost their lives in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of the war. The National Museum of the American Indian has fantastic exhibits curated by members of tribal communities around the country and is a well-designed building containing no right angles because most native tribes believe evil lurks in corners. The recently opened Newseum is a fantastic interactive museum of journalism. Finally, our group marveled at the mosaics at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
I realize that the above paragraph just seems like a laundry list of sights but after four days of whirlwind sightseeing and being responsible for making everything run smoothly, I'm pretty wiped out. But have no fear because I'll be posting photos sporadically throughout the week and I'll be writing about my summer plans in an upcoming entry.
Posted on April 19, 2008 at 4:44 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.manyhighways.com/admin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/320