2002 November 7-12 Trip to Washington DC with my Grandson Jake

2002 ~ November 7-12 Washington, D.C

Rode bus to Washington D.C. the weekend of Veteran’s Day with a group of gifted kids from the Lauderdale county school system. 
All the kids and parents, grandparents had to meet  at the board of Education in Florence, Alabama. At 4:30 p.m. where we load into a tour bus.  

Day 1: Thursday, November 7, 2002  

We left Florence, Alabama on highway 72 heading to Huntsville, Alabama. 60 miles

565- Huntsville we took I565 East 2.4 miles to 72 easts for 37.7 miles, 

35 south merge onto veterans drive for 2.1 miles toward Fort Payne, 

35 souths turn right onto Al-35 South for 23.4 miles.

59 North – merge onto I-59 via the ramp on the left toward Chattanooga for 41.9 miles

24 East –merge onto I-24 toward Chattanooga for 17.4 miles.

75 north- merge onto I-75 North via exit 185 B on the left toward Knoxville, Tennessee. 

40 East- take I-40 east toward Knoxville, TN.

81 north – merge onto I-81 north via exit 421 on the left toward Bristol crossing to Virginia.

66 East- merge onto I66 East via exit 300 toward Fort Royal Washington crossing into Virginia. 

We traveled all night on the bus and most of the kids slept. We swapped drivers sometime during the night for drivers cannot drive non-stop for twelve hours.

Day 2: Friday, November 8, 2002

We arrived early the next morning and our first stop was the Arlington National Cemetery. 
We watched changing of the guards.
Arlington National Cemetery

Changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery 

We saw all the graves of the unknown soldiers, the eternal flame of President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and his brother Robert Kennedy.
We saw the memorial for the seven crew members who lost their lives when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.
On January 28, 1986, Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds after blasting off, killing  Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe. 

Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe

Also inside the Arlington National Cemetery is the Arlington House formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion it was the former home to one of the most famous southern generals, Robert E. Lee.
Arlington House The Custis Lee Mansion

Arlington National cemetery is located on 500 acres site in on the East side of the Potomac River. 

We saw the Pentagon, which is on the West side of the Potomac River.
Pentagon

Pentagon, on the West side of the Potomac River

Arlington National Cemetery 

 Smithsonian National Castle  

We visited the Washington National Cathedral Church located on 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW DC. The Gothic Cathedral with dramatic architecture, soaring vaulting magnificent stained glass sculptures carvings, gargoyles, peaceful gardens, and daily worship. 
The Cathedral is the sixth largest Cathedral in the world offering magnificent views of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are has 57 acres. 
Washington National Cathedra

Washington's National Cathedral  

Jake in front of the Washington's National Cathedral 

We went to the National Zoological Park located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW it has 1000 exotic animals, including the Panda Bear. 
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

It was getting close to time for the zoo to close when we arrived but I did get to see the two new Panda Bears before they closed.

Day 3: Saturday, November 9, 2002

We walked along the gates of the White House; we stood in line for over and hour to get tickets to go into the Capital Building. 
US Capitol Tours

Tickets are free and are on a first come first serving basis. 
Distribution began at nine and we arrived there about 7:30. A.M. 

US Capitol Building with our school group 

Ticket to see Washington Capitol

We came back later that day for a 45 minute guided tour.
Inside the capitol building were statues that represented every state of the Union. 
The statue that represented Alabama was General Joseph Wheeler from Pond Springs, Alabama.

There were painting on the walls and ceiling. 

The constitution of our country was under glass in the capital building. 

Washington National Capitol building is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW DC.

The white House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW DC. 

To visit the White House of a party of ten or more only – request must be made through ones member of congress 6 months in advance. 

We went to the Ronald Reagan building for lunch. 

Ronald Reagan Building

We used the restroom in the US Botanical Gardens.
The United States Botanic Gardens
We visited in the Smithsonian History Museum.

The Smithsonian Museum of National Air and Space Museum is located on 6th street and Independence Ave SW. 
Inside the National Air and Space Museum is many icons such as the original Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louise, Space Ship one, the Apollo II Command Module and a touchable Luna rock. 

smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

We saw the Jefferson Memorial a 19-foot statue of our third president. 
Jefferson Memorial

We saw the FDR Memorial with four out door “galley rooms” featuring ten bronze sculptures depicting the life and times of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his beloved dog “Fala”

National Park Service

We saw the Korean Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument all of these are in the West Potomac Park.

Ticket Washington Monument

Day 4: Sunday, November 10, 2002

We went to Mount Vernon, (Washington’s home in Virginia) which is 16 miles South of DC.
George Washington's Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon 

Ticket to visit Mt Vernon

We ate lunch at the Fashion Center at the Pentagon City of 100 shop.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City

We also visited the house were Lincoln our sixteenth president died. 

We shopped in some of the gift shops on the same street were Lincoln died. 

We went up in the elevator in the Lincoln Memorial, and I had a sick stomach and had to rush back down to find a restroom.
Lincoln Memorial District of Columbia
We saw FDR memorial and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt.

 FDR Memorial

We saw the Gettysburg address where Lincoln was sitting; he was the size of a two-story building. 

Gettysburg Address

We could see across the Potomac River to the White House. 

We ate lunch at McDonalds. 
We saw Fort Knox where they make money. 

We saw where the terrorist had destroyed the building in D.C. and it being restored. 

Pentagon being repaired after 911

We saw dinosaur bones in the Smithsonion Natioanl History museum. 

That weekend they were having a memorial and was reading of the names written on the Vietnam Wall. 

My stomach stayed tore up the entire weekend and I think I used every restroom in DC. 

We ate breakfast every morning at our hotel. 

There were four to a room and the parent or grandparent had to sleep with the child. 

We ate lunch and dinner at several different places in Washington DC.

Day 5: Monday, November 11, 2002

We started our trip back and my stomach started hurting the minute we got on the bus. 
I was having hot flashes, and I felt the urge to throw up.
I told my grandson to get me a Wal-Mart bag to barf in.
He brought me one but it had a hole in the bottom needless to say my barf went in one side of the bag and out the other spilling all over the bus floor.

It smelled awful so the driver of the bus found a place to stop and everyone got out so he could clean the bus.
Everyone went inside the store where we stopped and I went to the restroom, barfed, and pooped again.

Someone gave me some medicine for motion sickness and sick stomach. 

I slept until we stopped at a mall in Knoxville, Tennessee for supper.

My stomach was now settled down so I went shopping at the Disney store, where I bought my granddaughter a Lelo stuffed animal. 

I also bought the movie Snow Dogs that everyone on the bus watched on the way home.
I went back to sleep and I slept the rest of the way home.
A fun trip but no one will forget the time I barfed on the bus on our return trip home.