Sat. April 14th: MARYLAND: Annapolis

Annapolis Maryland is the most beautiful, quaint little town, that I think I would love to live here.  It’s the site of our nations first capitol where George Washington worked when he was President.  The buildings are all brick, and absolutely beautiful!

We met up with Shelley’s friend Jenna who is in her Junior year at Annapolis.  She walked us through the downtown first on the way to the College campus.  We went to the most authentic Starbucks building that I’ve ever been to . . .   it was down underneath the cobblestone buildings, and the inside was the original brick.  I don’t know what the building was before Starbuck’s but it once was part of the Underground Railroad. 

Next we walked by the Tavern where Ben Franklin would always go!

Then we entered the Annapolis campus from the downtown area. 

Janae, is blessed this year because Juniors do not have to wear her uniform on weekends.  All freshman and sophomores have to wear their uniform 7 days a week, so we was saw many handsome Navy “plebes” walking around downtown in their very professional navy uniforms.  She showed us where she ate, what her room looks like (she couldn’t take us to it but there was a model of it in the main building), where her room is from the outside, where her classes are, where they have fitness drills, and best of all where the gift store is. 

At the end of the day we walked back through Annapolis and decided to eat at Chick and Ruth's because Janae said it was great, and we were starving.   It is also famous for being on Man vs. Food and is known for their 3 pound burgers and 6 pound milk shakes.  Wow!!    Our waiter Adam was hysterical and he talked like Wooton on
Adbentures in Oddesey.    He talked our heads off and kept making the kids laugh!!  We didn't get the 3 pound hamburger but Dave ordered their famous Pastrami sandwich, Brooke ordered their famous waffles, Brittany ordered their huge langagna, and I ordered an amazing chickend wrap!  A great little hole in the wall type resturant with nationally known food.  Amazing!  Also, the resturant is know for doing the national anthem every morning at 8:30 am and anybody can join them.  The owner started the tradition 30 years ago and they still do it everyday to honor those who serve our country.  What an wonderful tribute!!

After dinner we weren't full enough because we just had to go the their famous ice cream shop downtown that was totally packed with people to get some yummy ice cream on their homemade waffle cones.  I guess Brooke gets two kinds of waffles tonight!!  I was amazing and well worth the wait!

What a beautiful day and the temperature was perfectly amazing.   I think I loved Annapolis and could live there.  Don't know what it's like in the winter, but the weather couldn't have been better today, and the homes are beautiful too!!   

Fri. April 13th: WASHINTON DC: Ford's Theater, National Arhcives, Navy Museum, Capital, Union Station, Air & Space Smithonian

Again, Shelley and I left early this morning for DC without Dave and the kids .. . . . . hmmmm  seems that we can get going pretty easy without “the blob” lagging behind.   We got to Ford’s Theater just in time for the last set of tickets at 11:30 today.  Phew!!

Then we ran down the street 2 blocks to the National Archives to stand in the already long line for viewing the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, & Bill of Rights.  We got there just in time too so that we could get in at 10:00 (note to self . . . spring break in Washington DC is crazy so next time come at an off season time!!!)  The rest of the group met us in line, after riding the subway and getting Starbucks of course, just in time to walk into the building.  We went straight to the rotunda which is where they have all the original documents.

 First we saw the Magna Carta which is 1 out of the 4 original in the world.   I didn’t know this about the Magna Carta but America used it as an example for their basic model of liberty.  It is quoted many times in president’s speeches – particularly Teddy Roosevelt’s and JFK, and used as an example in many books.  It was a document written in 1215.  It required King John of England to proclaim certain liberties, and accept that his will was not arbitrary, by explicitly accepting that no "freeman" could be punished except through the law of the land, a right which is still in existence today.  Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.
 The Declaration of Independence was so incredibly faded that we could hardly see the writing.   It was hard to even see the different signatures. 

The Constitution was long and also faded, and the beautiful signatures of all those who signed it were barely visible but the outline of John Hancock’s famous signature was evident.  The papers were protected in special cases that have the perfect temperature regulated constantly.  Also the lights were very dim in the room to help preserve the documents from more fading, and of course no photography was allowed. 

The Bill of Rights was also long with the 10 amendments.  It was hard to see as well, but a good visual for the kids to see.  They have a hard time remembering what the Bill of Rights are so hopefully now they have a good understanding. 

We went back to Ford’s Theater for our 11:30 ticket and they ushered us into the balcony of the theater.  They still have the area where Lincoln was shot exactly set up the same as it was on April 14, 1865.  A Ranger spoke to us about how John Wilkes Booth managed to get into the theater and stash a gun that we was able to access after getting into the Presidents sitting area.  Booth worked at the theater and was an actor himself, so no one questioned him when he wanted to get into the presidential sitting area.   He timed it perfectly to shoot Lincoln in the back of the head right as the play was at a funny part so the audience was laughing loudly.  No once heard the shot because of the noise until they saw Lincoln face down on the balcony.  Booth then drew a knife and stabbed major Rathbone, who was sitting next to Lincoln, violently in the arm. Rathbone quickly recovered and again tried to grab Booth as he was preparing to jump from the sill of the box. Booth again stabbed at Rathbone, and then vaulted over the rail of the box down to the stage below (about a twelve-foot drop). In the process, his riding spur became entangled on the Treasury flag decorating the box, and he landed awkwardly on his left foot, fracturing his left fibula just above the ankle.   He raised himself up and began crossing the stage, making the audience believe that he was part of the play. In an act of flamboyancy, Booth held his bloody knife over his head, yelled "Sic semper tyrannis!" the Virginia state motto, meaning "Thus always to tyrants" in Latin. Other accounts state that he also uttered "The South is avenged!"

    

The kids did the Junior Ranger Book and graciously the ranger let us all down into the museum that was all booked for the day, to find the rest of the answers.  Never hurts to ask!

Next we went over to The Peterson House where Lincoln was carried that night and died the next morning, April 15^th, 1865 at 7:12am, after never regaining consciousness.  Mary Todd Lincoln had to be moved out of the room at 7:12am because she was crying so loudly and wasn’t by her husband’s side when he died.  She also was so grief stricken that she did not go to his burial service.    It’s a very sad ending to a wonderful president. 

After the Peterson House we went to the Navy Memorial museum.  Dave made a good friend out of the director of the museum by asking him a bunch of questions, and after an hour of talking he gave Dave two wonderful picture books about the Navy to take home.  Funny how God blesses friendliness and kindness towards others!! 

Next we went to the Smithsonian Postal Museum which is the history of the postal system.  For a topic that can seem so boring – mail – this museum was very well done and definitely worth seeing.  I loved seeing the mail train!!

We walked over to Union Station because I wanted to show the kids where and what the old train station looked like, but unfortunately it was majorly under construction.  That didn't stop us from eating down below at the beggest food court that we've ever been too!  The kids and Dave were in heaven! 

After stuffing ourselves and eating a large amount of Haggen Dazs Ice Cream, we walked back to the Air and Space Museum for the rest of the evening.  We decided to watch the IMax 3D movie on the Hubble Space and it was amazing.  It was a great movie explaining the Hubble Space Satelite as well as the Space Suttle and what they have done with it.  Loved watching it and a great way to end our time in DC. 

After leaving the Air and Space we walked the Capital Mall to look at the beautiful lights.  The air was amazingly perfect and not cold.  The Capital Building, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial all lit up was spectacular.  We tried to get it on camera but we just couldn't get the wonderful affect!  Our week at Washington DC was amazing . . . what a priviledge to be here and learn about our country!

               

Thurs. April 12th: WASHINGTON DC: Arlington Cemetary; Jefferson Memorial; Air & Space Museum; Federal Bureau of Printing & Engraving (Money)

This morning Shelley and I got up really early to get tickets to the Federal Bureau of Imprinting and Engraving.  Basically if you don’t get into the line by 8:30 am you won’t get a ticket for the tour that day.  Everything is doubly crowded these last two weeks in DC because of all the school groups and spring break.  We wouldn’t have chosen this time to come but it just happended that we ended up here during that time.  But we did it . . . we got tickets by being here early!  That’s why I’ve been so behind on my blog – going to bed late, getting up early, travelling an hour into the city, and doing it again for 6 days!!  It’s been wonderful though to see all that we’ve seen in DC. 

Dave was miraculously able to get the kids going early too and met us off the subway stop right at 9am.  So we decided to get back on the subway to Arlington Cemetery.   Wonderfully the subway takes you right to the cemetery and we literally walked right into the visitor center.  We decided to take the tram tour around the cemetery because it tells you all about the important people  laid to rest there. 

The Arlington property was originally owned by George Washington Parke Custis who was the grandson to Martha Custis and George Washington.   In 1802 the Washington Memorial was starting to take shape right across the Potomac River to honor his grandfather George Washington. 

When his grandmother died in 1802, George Custis inherited her estates and slaves which included the 1,100 acres on the Potomac.  Custis called the estate Mount Washington but later named it Arlington after an early Custis plantation.  He modeled his house on a Greek temple and gathered many Washington treasures in their mansion.  In 1804 he married Mary Lee Fitzhugh.  In 1831 their only surviving child, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, married Lieutenant Robert E. Lee, a childhood playmate and distant cousin.  Mary and Robert Lee had seven children and divided their time between Arlington house and Lee’s duty posts. With the coming of civil war, Arlington House ceased to be a home of the Custis and Lee family when on April 19^th , 1861 Robert E. Lee learned that Virginia had secceeded from the union, he resigned his position with the Union Army and made the difficult discussion of fight for his home country of Virginia realizing that he could not “raise his hand against my relatives, my children, my home.”   Mrs. Lee left the house in May of 1861 just as Union troops prepared to occupy Arlington House in defense of the Capital.  She entrusted her house keys to a close friend who kept a close watch over the house and when items began disappearing, Mary’s friend insisted that their furnishings be moved to Washington.   In 1863 the U.S. Government demanded that the Lee’s pay their property taxes  and when Mrs. Lee didn’t appear in person to pay,  the government took possession of the house.   As it became necessary, Union soldiers were buried in the back yard of the house during the Civil War and eventually became a burial ground. 



The bus first dropped us off at Kennady’s burial site with his wife Jackalyn and his two children who died in childhood.  Over Kennady’s tomb is eternal flame. . . and in front of all the tombs is Kennady’s famous speech . . . “Let the word go forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike that the torch has been passed  to a new generation of Americans.”  Also buried to JFK’s right and left is Roberty and Ted Kennedy. 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was the next stop.  This is where the military do the changing of the guard every 30 minutes. 

The army soldiers guard the tomb 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the tomb honors all the men who have been killed or missing in any war that have not been identified.  They do the present arms as they change guards and they pace back and forth in front of the tomb exactly 21 steps each way.  The soldier may not get distracted or disturbed at any time – they are highly trained for this position and consider this to be one of the highest positions in any military branch.  The soldier must be between 5’10” and 6’ tall and weight no more than 150 (they are very thin) .



(Will finish this post when I can!)

Jefferson Memorial

 

Air & Space – Wright bros, Amelia Earhart;

Federal Bureau of printing & engraving

Last subwary ride home!!

Wed. April 11th: WASHINGTON DC: Library of Congress, Capital, Air & Space Museum

Again this morning we rode our bikes to Metro.  It was quite chilly this morning and because we forgot to bring mittens, Dave told the kids that they might want to use socks to cover their hands.  They were all excited about that idea and the next thing I see is five kids with socks on their hands!  It was a hilarious sight!!  The bike ride was fast and easy this morning. 

First on the agenda today is the Library of Congress.   We met Shelley’s cousin and his family there (they live in New Jersey and we will stay with them in a week).  We just made the 10:30 tour and I’m so glad because the tour guide was awesome.  He was incredibly knowledgeable and one of the best clear communicators that we’ve had so far.    The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States.   Located in four buildings in Washington D.C,  it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and number of books.   Thomas Jefferson was instrumental the Library's early formation, signing  into law on January 26, 1802, the first law establishing the structure of the Library of Congress and it was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th century.     The Library of Congress was destroyed in August 1814, when invading British troops set fire to the Capitol building and the small library of 3,000 volumes.   Within a month, former President Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement. Jefferson had spent 50 years accumulating a wide variety of books, including ones in foreign languages and volumes of philosophy, science, literature, and even cookbooks.  In January 1815, Congress accepted Jefferson's offer, giving him $23,950  for his 6,487 books.    Although it is open to the public, only Library employees, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and other high-ranking government officials may check out books; any resident may get a library card and do research at the Library.   France needed money after World War I  tried to sell their original Gutenberg Bible all around the world but no one would buy it.  They finally came to Washington DC and Congress decided  that it would be worth buying  it along with thousands of other books for 1.5 million dollars.  It is now displayed at the Library of Congress in a protective case to preserve it and is one out of only 4 copies.   Also in the 1800’s the Library  only housed books from male authors even though the most popular and well read book mid 1800’s  was Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe.    All over the ceiling and walls on the 2^nd floor balcony were tiles inscribed with famous authors and philosophers of all times – even Harriet’s brother John Beecher was up there.  Have you heard of him??

After the wonderful tour we headed back out into the chilly air and decided we must get a Starbucks – which by the way, are everywhere, even just a block or two apart, every place that we have been!    I decided that I just had to have one of their famous large mugs from Washington DC. 

We had our Capitol tour set up through our local House congressman, Mike Thomson so next we walked to his office to meet his assistant for the tour.   We walked to  the Canon Building, went through security, and waited at his office.  His sweet intern, Alison, was assigned to our group and gave us an incredible tour.  We started the tour by walking underground, in their secret passageway to the Capital Building, which was really exciting for all of us.  We had to go through security again to go up to the Rotunda (security is everywhere, in every DC building after the 9/11 attacks).   

 

The rotunda was a beautiful circular room with a dome 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet in height.   It is the center of the capital connecting the House and Senate on either side and because it was the very center our tour guide showed us where the exact center is of the whole building. 

 

Designed in 1793 by William Thorton, the central rotunda was intended to imitate the Pantheon from the ancient Rome temple.  The walls are made of sandstone from the dirt around the building area.    Painted at the very top  of the dome are Roman goddess.  Eight historical paintings surround the Rotunda – four of the Revolutionary era all commissioned by Congress from John Trumbull in 1817: The signing of the Declaration of Independence, Surrender of General Burgoyne, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and General George Washington resigning his commission. 

The other four are of early exploration:  The landing of the Columbus; the Discovery of the Mississippi,  The Baptism of Pocahontas, the embarkation of the Pilgrims. 

 The statues and the busts in the Capital are mostly of presidents, but each state also chose 2 people who were important & influential in their state, to have a full statue of them.  Do you know the 2 chosen from our State?  Ronald Regan and Father Serra.  

During the war of 1812, in 1814 the British tried to burn down the White House and the Capitol building . . . . we saw the original burn areas of the walls from that war, just right after the Revolution.    Also, we went into National Statuary Hall, the original House of Representatives, and we looked at the spot where the once 6^th President and House of Representative John Quincy Adams suffered a fatal stroke at his desk, and we were told the story that Adams used to pretend to be dozing while listening in to political rivals via a quirky little audio trick.   Alison walked over to the other side of the room and whispered into the floor, allowing our group to listen in to what she said.  He was a sly old fox to do that without anyone else knowing!

At the end of the Capitol tour we sat in the House of Representatives room.  They were not in session, but it was fun to see where they meet!  We walked back underground to the Cannon Building to gather our bags and then we went to the Air & space museum until it closed. 

Statue of Ulysses S. Grant in front of the Capital commemorating the battle of the North & South during the  Civil War!!

We discovered that one of the first commercial airlines was called Douglas , , ,, that made our day!!    They had seats with measurements of the different sizes in the different airlines and the Douglas airline had the largest seats measuring at 20 inches.  Too bad they are not still around now!  We also went into the World War II exhibit which was fascinating.  The Air & Space Museum is absolutely incredible and we just got a taste of it tonight.

WASHINGTON DC: White House, Memorials, Smithsoinans

Today we are NOT driving into DC, we are going to experience their handy Metro system.  Shelley and I took a  bike ride to the Metro station from our campground on Easter to see how far it was and if the kids can ride their bike.   It is a beautiful bike path, off the main roads, and flat.   It’s about a 20 minute ride, but a half an hour for this group, but  easy.  We lock up the bikes right outside the Metro Station and were off for our first (the kids & Shelley) subway ride ever.

The Metro has stops at everywhere you would want to go in DC, but you have to know what you are doing because the stop you want to get off at might require that you change trains.  Well, we all had to do that today and it was very confusing.  We just ended up asking several people to help us that they were very happy to do so.  The Metro went fast even though we started at the second to last stop in Maryland.

We got off at the White House visitor center – sadly our Congressman did not get us tickets to the White House this week because it is spring break and there are hundreds of school tours groups here.  Oh well . . . . the visitors center is very well done and the movie shows all the different rooms in the house and more, and the displays are very detailed. The history of the nation's capital began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.

Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in with four months left in his second term. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions.

The White House has a fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman’s presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Truman’s lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Although there have been changes, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed 200 ago.

Presidents can express their individual style in how they decorate some parts of the house and in how they receive the public during their stay. Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805. Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. President Jefferson also opened the house for public tours, and it has remained open, except during wartime, ever since.

After Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Cleveland’s first presidency,  did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House. This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today. Receptions on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July continued to be held until the early 1930s.

Here is a list of facts:

1.       There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.

2.       At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.

3.       Presidential Firsts while in office... President James Polk (1845-49) was the first President to have his photograph taken... President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama... President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45) was the first President to ride in an airplane.

4.       With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.

5.       The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.

6.       For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling lane.

Then we walked to the front of the White House to take pictures like all the rest of the tourists!!

Next we went to the Smithonian Portrait Gallery.  It’s full of all kinds of portraits from all types of art styles.  We wanted to just see all the Presidents portraits which were incredible.  Every president had a portrait and it seemed that they were in order of Presidency.   We took some pictures with our favorites! 



After leaving the Smithonian we walked towards the Police memorial but on the way we found this gorgeous old church . . . St. Patrick’s Parish built in 1792.  It was the first church built in the federal city, also designed by James Hoban.  Beautiful!!



The Police and Navy Memorial’s were within a block from each other so we had to stop and honor them.  The Police Memorial had a water fall and 2 walls with all the names of officers who died in the line of duty.  The Navy Memorial was an actual museum with a movie and historical artifacts about the Navy.  Outside were also 2 walls with sculpted pictures of all the different fields of work that the Navy does.  It was also beautiful and fascinating.  Brittany found a sailor friend. 

The last stop of the day was the American History Smithonian Museum.  Starting on the bottom floor it had the whole detailed history of electricity and light with Thomas Edison as well as the history of travel.  Upstairs had a special displays of Thomas Jefferson’s Bible.  What Bible you might say, just like I did??  Well, Jefferson read the Bible, but didn’t agree with several areas, especially the gospels.   He wrote his own journals about the Bible, leaving out the Gospel stories, and called his “book” The Thomas Jefferson Bible.   He never intended to sell them or have others read them – he wrote them exclusively for himself.  Once he died, these journals were discovered, and now are on display.  My conclusion of the whole situation is that Jefferson had a brilliant mind and was constantly thinking . . . He over intellectualized everything so he was unable to see God’s work in everything.   It’s not really clear if he believed in Jesus as his Savior, but he definitely lived a very Godly life. 

Also at the Museum was the original Star Spangled Banner flag.  Can’t take pictures inside the display area, but it was amazing to see the old beautiful flag!! 

 

We also found the first Dumbo ride chair from Disneyland!!  My girls used to LOVE Dumbo!!

 Our last rooms were all about the First Ladies gowns and White House china.  The dresses were fun to see the different eras of style as well as the individual personalities in each one.  These dresses were just a few of many:  the red one is Mamie Eisenhower’s from the 1950’s, and the other two are Grace Coolidge from the 1920’s, flapper style.   They were incredibly fun to see.

!

The next room was all about the president and his jobs.  Of course one of them is to give speeches, so Brittany and Brooke tried being the president for a moment at gave a speech!!  I’m not sure who to vote for!!  J  Another fabulous day!!