United States Holocaust Museum

Next we got our car out of the garage and drove over to the Holocaust Museum.  We ate our lunch in the park and then walked across the street and into the museum.  

First thing we picked up an identity card that had the story of a real person, and then we went through the history of the Holocaust, starting from the economical and political environment in the 1930s and how Adolf Hitler came into power.  Then we learned how and why Hitler developed his "Final Solution" and how he implemented it--first publishing stories about how Jews were abusing other Germans with their shops and successful businesses, calling for a boycott of Jewish businesses, and then identifying Jews with stars sewn on their clothing.  Next he began to round up all Jews and send them to Ghettos which were sections of the city which were then walled up and barricaded so that other Germans could not go in and the Jews could not leave.  Eventually German soldiers began to put Jews on trains and send them to work camps.  Things just got worse and worse for Jewish people.

We saw many short movies or photo essays of protests about Jews and the burning of synagogues, and long lines of Jewish people being herded onto rail cars.  We walked through an actual rail car to see how small it was for 100 people.  There was a very moving video of real  people who had survived the concentration camps and their memories of the camps and their lives there.  There were some photos of the liberation and some of the people were as skinny as a skeleton with skin on it.  It was very sobering.

At the end we went through Daniel's Room, which tells the story of a 10 year old boy.  The story is told by way of pages from his diary.  First we started at his house and he told of how his father's bakery was damaged, and then how his mother had to sew stars on their clothes, and then how they had to leave their nice house.  The next room was the room Daniel's family was assigned in the ghetto.  They only had one loaf of bread and a turnip to eat for the week and their room was dark and sad compared to their house they had to leave.  But then things got worse as they were separated and sent to different camps.   This part of the museum gave us a real idea of what it was like for a kid our own age.

We all left the museum with our sad thoughts about this period in history and about how we must never forget. When we got home Grandpa said no tv.  He wanted us to think about what we had learned.

 Parking is very hard to find in Washington DC and this is what Grandpa saw as he was approaching our car after touring the Museum. It was only one car away from being towed.  We had overstayed the parking limit by 20 minutes.

Sloppy Joes and Jello for dinner and then we played a bit before showers and bed.  GG collected all of our clothes for the last time and put them in the wash.  She has a collection of odd socks and unclaimed socks and is hoping that the mates will show up and one of the boys will claim them again.  A few pieces of clothing are missing and GG speculates that some of these things may have been left under the bed at the hotel in Williamsburg.  Oh, well.  And,another note about clothes--she hates Aidan's orange outfit which seems to be his fav, and thinks that Bryce's gray muscle shirt looks punkier that any other outfit.  On the positive side--Chayton and Aidan have some really nice plaid shorts.  Just an editorial comment.  She loves them all in any clothing.

 

SPY MUSEUM

Last day of the trip and we spent the day finishing up in DC.

First thing in the morning we headed out to the International Spy Museum. Grandpa made a reservation at a parking garage so we could get decent parking and as we were walking from the garage along the sidewalk to the museum GG caught her foot on a sandbag that was holding down a barricade and she took a very bad fall, hitting her back and kidney area on a metal pole.  This knocked the wind out of her and she had to lay on the sidewalk for several minutes with passersby stopping to help, call an ambulance, police, etc.  She finally convinced everybody that she was ok to proceed, but boy! does her back and waist hurt.  Tomorrow we will check out her bruises.

Getting to the Spy Museum early on Monday morning was a good strategy.  There was no line to get in.  First we got  into the elevator and listened to the spy instructions.  Then, when we got out of the elevator we had to choose a spy identity and memorize it--our spy name, birthplace, occupation, country of residence,  purpose of visit, duration of trip.  Then we entered the realm of spies.

  There were several rooms, each about a different spy technique--how to blend into a crowd and not be noticed, how to do a dead drop, a brush pass, how to open a lock.  There was also an area about famous spies and another about the history of spying, which goes all the way back to biblical times, and probably earlier than that.  We crawled through the air ducts to get from one room to another and we could look down through the slats to see what GG and Grandpa were doing.

We all had a great time at the spy museum and wished that we had saved some of our spending money to buy some of the tricky gadgets at the spy museum store.

Next we got our car out of the garage and drove over to the Holocaust Museum.  We ate our lunch in the park and then walked across the street and into the museum.  

HONORING OUR HEROES

Today we spent the day remembering all of the brave men and women who have given their  lives to defend  our country, allowing us to live in freedom.  It was very important for the boys to behave in a respectful and controlled manner as we visited several memorials.

The first memorial we visited was the beautiful US Air Force Memorial.  The structure is three huge steel spires arching into the sky, arranged in the "missing man" formation.  We can see this memorial from the freeway and now we got a chance to visit and examine it up close.  At the base of the structure are plaques with the names of the Air Force Medal of Honor recipients.  Across the way are plaques inscribed with some meaningful quotations about honor and integrity--the two cornerstones of the Air Force philosophy.  It is an inspiring sight.

Next we went to the Pentagon to see the moving 9/11 Memorial.  This memorial includes a granite wall with the names and birth years of every person who died in the attack on the Pentagon, and there is a bench for each person with their name inscribed upon it.  The youngest person to die was a passenger on the airplane, Dana Falkenburg.  She was only 3 years old.  It was very moving to think about this little girl.  On the website about the memorial there is a photo of her with her mom and dad and sister.  Her daddy and sister also died in the crash.  The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Biographies

From the Pentagon we went to the very famous US Marine Corps statue which is inscribed "In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775."  This is the famous statue of the 6 Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima.  Three of them later lost their lives on the island.  Around the base of the statue is inscribed all of the wars in which  Marines have lost their lives.  We didn't realize how many wars we have fought in since 1776.

Next we went to Arlington National Cemetery.  This is a huge cemetery in which thousands of headstones of fallen servicemen and servicewomen stretch for what seems like forever.  Also, John F. Kennedy is buried here.  We visited the Visitor Center and then walked up to observe President Kennedy's burial site and the eternal flame.  From there we walked across the acres of headstones, passing by Robert Kennedy's humble cross, reading a statistic or two about the people buried there, to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Many statesmen, servicemen and astronauts are buried here, including Audie Murphy, James Doolittle, and Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Time to go home and get out of the heat and feed the ever-hungry tummies.  The kids spent the afternoon watching cartoons on tv until Grandpa kicked them outside.  They claimed to be too tired to play, so they just sat on the deck and had a nice chat, and probably a history lesson or two, from Grandpa.  They very politely call him out when he starts telling the story of how he would take the train to Iowa every summer to spend time on the farm with his Grandpa Gary.  He just can't believe he has shared that story with them, but they can tell the whole thing from start to finish with all of the side stories about the boots dropping on the porch to wake him up in the morning and the submarine ride for the kitty, so he has to believe they may have heard it once or twice (or 30 times) before.

Tomorrow is our last day of activities--the International Spy Museum and the Holocaust Museum--and then on Tuesday we have to clean up the house and go to the airport for our flight home.       

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

We are getting close to the end of our trip and we are wrapping up with a few of the places we haven't had a chance to visit yet.  And Grandpa needs a break from kids.  So, GG and the four boys went to the Capitol Mall with plans to visit the Indian Museum and the Air and Space Museum.

 

Grandpa dropped us off so GG didn't have to find parking and we all stopped in front of the Indian Museum, by the waterfall, and GG told us that we could explore the museum on our own or stay with her while she explored the museum.  We all agreed to meet back at the waterfall at 12:30.

There was a special Choctaw exhibition going on in the museum this week, with songs, dances and rituals being performed by real Choctaw Indians.  The first floor was filled with special exhibits and tables with crafts, tribal information, etc.

One of the things that I like about the Indian culture, and it comes out very clearly in the exhibits, is how close the Indian culture is with nature.  Reverence and respect for nature, the importance of living in harmony with nature and the appreciation for the gifts of nature are entwined and intrinsic in the Indian culture.

I started my visit by going to the fourth floor to see the film, "Who We Are".  Last time we visited the museum we found it to be very "preachy" about the abuses Indians have suffered over the years.  As a child of the 1940s I accept no responsibility for these abuses and resent attempts to make me feel bad about it.  I am a child born of many different cultures--true, they are all European--and our clan has adapted and integrated into American life.  We don't stand around feeling dissed or slighted because we are Portuguese, German or Swedish.  So, don't you stand around feeling dissed or slighted because you are Indian.  Anyway, I found the film to be less "poor me" than the last time we visited.

One part of the museum that I always love are the Indian stories about the stars.  These stories are rustically illustrated and presented in video shows and are interesting and fun to watch.  I spent some time at both screens watching about 8 short stories.

I strolled through the area that highlights several different tribes, their industries, lives and customs. Then I watched a live performance of a prayer that looked almost Hawaiian in hand movements, and some dances, and various Choctaw chieftains were introduced.  There was a very nice display of Indian pottery, some of it very old, and pottery techniques.

By then it was time to meet the kids, so I went to the waterfall and they were all there.  We went to the food court where they all had buffalo burgers for lunch.

On to the Air and Space Museum.  I made the same deal with the boys--they could explore on their own or stay with me--and they all opted to go on their own.  We agreed to meet in front of the museum at 2pm and I called Grandpa, who was reveling in his day off, and told him to pick us up at 2pm.

In the Air and Space Museum I enjoyed the large exhibit about Amelia Earhart and her disappearance in the South Pacific, and then I went in search of Orville and Wilbur Wright's Flyer.  They have done a very nice job of presenting a photo biography of the brothers, describing their parentage, childhood experiences and training that lead to their interest in inventing a flying machine.

There was a good section about WWI and how the new invention of aircraft was utilized in this war, and then there was a WWII section with an example of an aircraft carrier and the kind of aircraft used, with wings that fold up for more compact storage.

I strolled through the spacecraft display, wondering at the tight space capsules, examining the lunar module, exploring the International Space Station model, and the missile pit.  Now it was time to see if the boys would show up at the meeting place.  

I parked myself on a wall outside the exit and sure enough, here they came and then we had to wait for grandpa for a bit, but the whole excursion went very smoothly.  Good job boys, for meeting on time.  And, good job Grandpa for picking us up on time.

We had bbq chicken and corn for dinner and then it was time for showers, phone calls and bed.  Later that night Grandpa Skyped with Grandpa Jerry and when he explained that he needed to have a day off, Grandpa Jerry, the most patient person in the world, agreed and said that he has become a "two-hour grandpa".  Don decided he would be a "5 hour grandpa".

   

MOUNT VERNON, GEORGE WASHINGTON'S HOME

Today we all voted to go to Mount Vernon to see where our first president, George Washington lived.

First we took a tour of the mansion and we got to see all of the first floor and most of the second floor.  We saw several guest bedrooms, one where Lafayette stayed when he visited.  And we saw the parlor and the dining room and the room where George Washington got dressed.  The paint colors in the rooms were very vibrant--bright green,

blue and red--not the subdued pastels we have today.  These bright colors were the height of fashion in the day.

We sat on the pleasant porch in back of the mansion.  They have removed the rocking chairs that used to be there and replaced them with stationary chairs fixed to rails.  There was a pleasant breeze off the water as we sat admired the beautiful view of the Potomac and pondered the life of our first president and watched the boys somersault down the hill.

The kitchen is a separate building so that there was less chance of the mansion catching fire.  And we looked at many other outbuildings too--the blacksmith shop where the smithy was making iron brackets to hold flower pots, the male and female slave quarters, the washing house where the laundry was done, the weaving room, the overseer's quarters, the stables and barn.

Next we walked around the estate, visiting the tomb where the Washington family, including George and Martha Washington are buried.  This tomb was built to the specifications and in the location described by George Washington in his will.  Congress had plans to bury him in the rotunda of the Capitol, but the Washington Family declined and followed his burial instructions.

There was also a farm with some animals and a large garden with fruit trees, vegetables and herbs used in the kitchen.

We returned to the Visitor Center and watched a film about George Washington's life, how he met Martha Custis, how he became such a great leader and the difficulties and trials of the Revolutionary War.

Then we went to the Education Center where the Ladies of Mount Vernon have done an outstanding job of creating a dynamic multimedia presentation of the life of George Washington.  There were several movies throughout the chronological presentation, showing how artists worked to build mannequins that are very accurate representations of Washington at different ages, and one about how George and Martha met, and one about Washington's service for the British in the French and Indian Wars.  The film about the Revolutionary War had very dramatic effects during the movie, with the floors shaking when cannonballs landed, and flashes of light and even snow in the sad scenes about the desperate winter at Valley Forge.

GG saw a film about some of the spy tactics used by Washington.  One ploy was to have the woman who owned the tavern eavesdrop on the British soldiers as they discussed their battle plans and then she would write them in a little note and sew them into a button on her little boy's jacket.  He would go for a walk in the woods and meet up with a soldier who would take the button to General Washington,.  Another scheme was to assign numbers to different words and send innocuous seeming letters with some numbers interspersed and that was the secret code.

There was a large display of Martha's clothing, shoes and hats.  She was a bit of a fashion hound, although she dressed quite conservatively, and we saw beautiful jewelry, fancy embroidered shoes, plumed hats and colonial dresses she wore.  Also displayed were a sword actually used by George Washington and his famous "wooden" teeth.  There was a short film about how the dentures were made, using animal teeth and lead.

Boys getting restless!

It was a long hot, but very interesting, day and we returned home hot, sweaty, tired and starving.
GG made tacos and we ate about 5 each.  Then it was a bit of downtime and off to bed.


    

CAPITOL BUILDING TOUR

After the White House tour we went to a food court for breakfast.  We were all starving by this time.  Then GG said we could have some free time on the Capitol Mall to revisit some of the museums and have some time in the gift shops, which they never give us time to explore. We 4 boys took off with the promise that we would meet them at the Capitol Building at noon for our 1pm tour.  

We had a great time deciding our own itinerary and ended up in the Air and Space Museum before we went over to the Capitol Building.  We met up near the Visitor Center and went through another search and screening.  

We started our visit with a movie about the history of the Capitol Building--who designed it, when it was built, various changes and additions that were made.  The official tour of the building was lead by a very enthusiastic gal who took us all around and talked about all of the artwork in the rotunda.  Every state has two bronze or marble statues in the capitol building. 

The newest one is of Rosa Parks.  The states get to decide who they will honor with their statues and they can change them out from time to time.  She also told us about the construction of the dome and the artwork around the top of the dome, and the huge paintings depicting various important historic events.

 

After the tour we went into the senate and listened to

Senator Ted Cruz give a passionate speech about the abuse of power, using the IRS to persecute causes that the President did not like.  We kids got pretty interested in the speech and didn't want to leave.  Later that evening we saw the speech on TV with comments from the announcer.

When we left the capitol we had an appointment to visit the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, but we were so tired we decided to go home and rest.

     

WHITE HOUSE

Today, June 26, GG and Grandpa got us up at 4am and piled us in the car for the drive back to Washington, DC.  We had a 7:30am appointment at the Obama's house.  All of the boys were hoping they would offer us a bite of breakfast.

The drive was quite smooth, with little traffic until we got within 20 miles of DC.  Luckily there are nice, dedicated HOV lanes that we could use to sail right into the city.  Grandpa drove around trying to find some parking, but the street parking was not available until 9:30, so he had to bite the bullet and pay $10 hour to park in a garage.

There was a long line of people waiting to go into the White house.  We got in line and waited

for a bit, but it didn't seem to be moving, so the guy in front of us went to check with the guards.  We were able to move right up to the front with our 7:30 appointment.

The White House tour is self-guided.  First we had to go through several security checks.  They checked our reservation printout, looked up our names on their list, verified GG and Grandpa's government issued IDs, called off all of our names and finally let us into the grounds.  Next we went through the same process again, and this time they also X-rayed us too and we went through a metal detector.

The entry to the White house was a big hall with photographs of many past presidents doing various presidential things--greeting important leaders, playing or drinking tea with their families,  Roosevelt giving one of his fireside chats, waving as they get on their helicopter.  

Next we got to see the library, where there are 2700 books lining the walls.  All of these books were either written by American authors or written about American subjects.

The Vermeil room had several pieces of Vermeil--silver dishes coated with a thin layer of gold.  There were also several portraits of past first ladies on the walls in this room.

The China room is a place to display china.  There were several cabinets full of the custom designed china used for official events.  Edith Wilson was the first to display the china in this room in 1917.

The East room was a big hall used for events that are attended by several people, such a weddings, receptions, and special performances.

The Green room is a small sitting room where tea or luncheon may be served for small parties  On display were some old pieces of silver--an urn and some candlesticks--from the 1700s.


The Blue room is right underneath the oval office.  It is also oval-shaped and is used for receptions.  Grover Cleveland got married there.  Every year the chandelier in this room is taken down so that a huge Christmas Tree can be set up here. 

The Red room is the First Lady's sitting room.  There is a famous painting of George Washington in this room.  This painting was saved by Dolly Madison when the White House was burned down during the War of 1812.

The State Dining Room is a huge hall with a big dining table and fancy velvet chairs.   Over 135 people can be seated in this room.  We also saw the ballroom.

We were all disappointed that we didn't get to see the swimming pool or the bowling alley or anybody who lived there or any of the places they really live.

 A Virtual Tour of the White House Using Google Street View Photography