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

2002 ~ November 7-12 Washington, DC

I rode a bus to Washington, DC, on the weekend of Veteran's Day with a group of gifted kids from the Lauderdale County school system. 
All the kids, parents, and grandparents had to meet at the Board of Education in Florence, Alabama, at 4:30 P.M., when we loaded onto 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 because drivers cannot drive nonstop for twelve hours.

Day 2: Friday, November 8, 2002

We arrived early the following day, and our first stop was the Arlington National Cemetery. 
We watched the 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 Arlington National Cemetery is the Arlington House, formerly the Custis-Lee Mansion. It was the former home of one of the most famous Southern generals, Robert E. Lee.
Arlington House The Custis Lee Mansion

Arlington National Cemetery is on a 500-acre site on the East side of the Potomac River. 

We saw the Pentagon 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 at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, DC. This Gothic Cathedral has dramatic architecture, soaring vaults, magnificent stained glass sculptures, carvings, gargoyles, peaceful gardens, and daily worship. 
The Cathedral is the sixth largest in the world, offering magnificent views of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It is 57 acres long. 
Washington National Cathedral

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

When we arrived, the zoo was closing fast, but I did get to see the two new Panda Bears before they closed.

Day 3: Saturday, November 9, 2002

We walked along the White House gates and stood in line for over an hour to get tickets to enter the Capital Building. 
US Capitol Tours

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

US Capitol Building with our school group 

Ticket to see the 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. 
General Joseph Wheeler from Pond Springs, Alabama, was the statue that represented Alabama.

There were paintings 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 PennsyHousea Avenue NW DC. 

To visit the White House of a party of ten or more, a request must be made through a member of Congress six 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 the Smithsonian History Museum.

The Smithsonian Museum of National Air and Space Museum is on 6th Street and Independence Ave SW. 
Inside the National Air and Space Museum are 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, which has four outdoor "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 which are in West Potomac Park.

Ticket Washington Monument

Day 4: Sunday, November 10, 2002

We went to Mount Vernon (Washington's home in Virginia), 16 miles from SoDCh 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 shops.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City

We also visited the House where Lincoln, our sixteenth house resident, died. 

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

We went up in the elevator at the Lincoln Memorial, but I had a sick stomach, so I had to rush back down to find a restroom.
Lincoln Memorial District of Columbia
We saw FDR's 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 terrorists had destroyed the DCilding in DC, and it is being restored. 

Pentagon being repaired after 911

We saw dinosaur bones in the Smithsonian National History Museum. 

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

My stomach stayed torn up the entire weekend, and I think I used every room in DC. 

We ate breakfast every morning at our hotel. 

Four were in 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 hurt when 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 bus driver 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 a sick stomach. 

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

My stomach had 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, which everyone on the bus watched on the way home.
I went back to sleep and 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.