We started out at Mt. Vernon with a bus tour. The tour was good since we had transportation, but we aren't very good at staying with a group and following the rules. We stayed in an amazing hotel called the Gaylord that had just been opened in February. There weren't any places to eat locally that didn't cost an arm and a leg, but we were invited to dinner a few times and had incredible meals. Order the crab cakes whenever you can=)
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My cousin, Judy, and her husband, Mike, live in Virginia so they sacrificed a day to hang out with us and we had a great time. We started with a tour of the Capitol with their friend who works there. Then we headed to the Library of Congress and Arlington Cemetary with a quick tour of Georgetown by car. Don't forget the lunch and dinner that we had together. We had a great day and it was so good to see family. Thanks Judy and Mike. Did I mention that it was hot and humid???
Arlington is a beautiful place that has a very somber spirit. It is truly awe inspiring to think of all of the people who have paid the ultimate price for this country. We stayed for a long time walking and talking.
Of course, we had to go to the Mall and see the monuments and memorials. You can see from this picture that it was tiring and we did need to rest a couple of times. What a beautiful city.
We got on the bus early in the morning to go to the train and travel to Kensington, Maryland to go to the Temple. It was about a two hour travel time, but it was very worth the effort. The Temple looks like Oz and is totally beautiful. After we left the Temple we went back to the Mall and checked out the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
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We got pretty good at getting on the bus, remembering to get a transfer, buying the proper fare, getting on the train, and then figuring out where to get off. The people were always very willing to help us out and answer questions. One time we were eating a pretzel while we were waiting for the train. A guy standing and waiting told us that if we took food on the train we could get a big fine, you better believe we finished it up=) The trains were clean and free of newspapers and other junk. We saw a cute little mom with a baby strapped to her in a pack and two little boys. She had her system down and kept everyone happy, although I did see some Capri Sun packages.
