We started the day off at Arlington. The weather has changed drastically from our first two days that were in the 80s. We are now in the upper 50s and rain. It's also looking like it may be like that for the foreseeable future. Oh well, nothing we can do about that, we'll keep marching on!
Arlington National Cemetery is home to more than 400,000 graves! Can you imagine? Home to military folks, two presidents, a boxer, and many more. It's also quite a hike when you don't take a tram. And of course, we don't take trams!
Foggy, drizzly morning.
At the eternal flame and President John F. Kennedy's gravesite.
Robert F. Kennedy's grave.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Changing of the Guard.
Instructions to the wreath layers.
Malie, Kimiko, Chaelia, and Kaizen represented Kualapu'u School and did the wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. They did a phenomenal job!
Kualapu'u School's wreath.
The boxer, Joe Lewis.
After a long morning in the fog, rain, and chilly air, it was lunch time! We went to Shake Shack. It was pretty good and can see why people all over like it.
We then went to Ford's Theater. This is the theater that President Abraham Lincoln went to on the evening of April 14, 1865. While he was watching the play Our American Cousin, the famous actor, John Wilkes Booth, snuck behind him and assassinated him by shooting him in the back of his head.
Maybe they could've had this on April 14, 1865?
Too soon?
Hi'ilani and Genesis with the statue of Mary Surratt. She was the first woman executed by the United States Government for her role in the Lincoln assassination.
The actual derringer that fired the single shot that killed Lincoln.
Diary kept by Booth while he was on the run.
Boot worn by Booth that Dr. Mudd took off to help with Booth's broken leg.
Guns on Booth when he was captured and killed by the army.
Door that Booth drilled a hole in so he could peek in to see Lincoln as he watched the play.
Lincoln's blood on the pillow which he lay dying on.
The box that Lincoln was watching the play in when he was shot.
A fun butterfly exhibit you can go in with butterflies flying all over and sometimes landing on you.
Real mummies
Rarr
The famous Hope Diamond. It is rumored to be worth 200 - 350 million dollars!
Joobi and Akima used a machine that would show you what you'd look like if you were a primate. Can you tell which one is Joobi or Akima?
Batmobile from the Michael Keaton version.
Behind the metallic flag is the flag from Fort McHenry in Baltimore that the National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, was the inspiration for.
Some kids went on a ride simulator.
After our Smithsonian visits we then went to the Holocaust Museum. We see the Holocaust through a child's eyes. The exhibit is called Daniel's Story. It starts off as normal childhood, then the Nazi's start taking away rights. Then the boy is forced to move away, eventually to a concentration camp, and his mother and sister are killed while he survives.
One of the neatest things the kids did was have the chance to talk with a Holocaust survivor. His name is Louis de Groot. He was a boy when the Nazi's came to his town in Holland. He didn't go to a concentration camp. He was hid for two years. His family unfortunately was shipped away to Auschwitz and was murdered. He was very nice to answer all the children's questions and took pictures.
After that experience we went to dinner. We got to go to a Mexican place that was pretty good. On top of that, they treated the mothers to a Mother's Day dessert of flan. Happy Mother's Day!!!!!
Happy Mother's Day!
After dinner was one final stop in Alexandria, Virginia. The ever exciting ghost tour! We had a great guide and the kids loved talking with him. Great times.
I love Genesis's expression here.
A couple of the stories.
After then it was off to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The drive took about three hours altogether. We watched the movie National Treasure along the way as it has so many places that we've been to or are going to. We started in Virginia, went through Maryland, Delaware, and ended in Pennsylvania. We are staying directly across from the United States Mint that produces money. Benjamin Franklin's grave is also next door and we are a few blocks from Independence Hall. Good times!
Forgot to share this yesterday. I always explain to people how exhausting this trip can be. We do and see so much and at the end of the day, we are beat. We walk more than seven miles each day and can run on limited sleep. As it has been wet out lately some of us needed to dry our shoes and socks off. Shoes cause nobody likes wearing wet shoes. Socks so they don't get nasty in the bag....
Here, Kaileena fell asleep drying her socks while the dryer was going. We are getting some extra sleep tonight as we are not meeting at 7:00 like we have been. We are meeting at 9:00 so we shall be rested!
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