Day Four

We had another busy day today in Warshington. We still haven't heard back from the Canadian Government about our official duties at the Ford funeral, but I'm sure it won't be long before they contact us. Maybe it was Secret Service at the door this morning and thought my name was Dave

We started the day with Angie bringing us Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the room. We took the Metro (subway) to Arlington Cemetery to see all the graves. We hiked up the hill to see JFK's grave first and the eternal flame. It was very moving as was his brother Robert's simple cross grave nearby. We hiked over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watched the single sentry walk back and forth over and over. It couldn't be as bad as all the walking we did today. On the way down we also saw the grave of the Brown Bomber. (Joe Louis) While we were there, at least 3 burials were going on with the horse drawn caissons and the soldiers firing the volleys of rifles in honor of the deceased. They say that there are an average of 24 burials a day. There are over 290,000 graves in the cemetery.

After there we took the long hike over the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial. Another moving place where we read the words of the great emancipater. It is quite a view from the top of the steps looking down the reflecting pool. It makes you think of all the great people who stood there including Martin Luther King and Forrest Gump.

It was a short walk (for a change) over to the Vietnam Memorial. There was a gentleman tracing a name from the wall for what seemed a family member. Everyone watching seemed to be moved by the experience.

By this time we were ready to eat, so we decided to walk past the White House and find a place to eat. Thankfully no-one jumped the fence while we were there.

After a nice lunch at Ruby Tuesdays we stopped at a nearby CVS drugstore for some essentials. (Not what you're thinking) The highlight was a double amputee African American walking around on his stubs and yelling about what city he thought he was in. It was an eye opener for the boys, but they weren't too worried as they were both taller than him.

After walking back to the room (6.3 total miles) we got a little rest. We took a drive to Mount Vernon, but got there a little late to take the tour. Jack was disappointed, but we talked about how we walked on the same ground as George Washington and he felt a little better. After I got lost a few times trying to find a card shop, we finally found some cards at Target and had a nice dinner at Outback.

Gus's Best: Arlington Cemetery

Gus's Worst: All the walking.

Jack's Best: Vietnam Memorial

Jack's Worst: Missed George Washington's grave.