Best trip not on a bike! - part 2

The Thanksgiving trip to Washington DC was a great experience to share with my son and wife.  Read about the first three days of the trip in an earlier post.

Day 4 of our visit began with a tour of the White House.  No photography was allowed until we exited the building.  Since no bags, purses, or backpacks were allowed, all we had with us were cell phones.  My son and wife took some photos, but they have been lost.  The tour is self paced, but groups are scheduled for entrance every 30 minutes starting at 9am.  It was inspiring to walk through rooms where great discussions took place and decisions were made.  The guides in each room were able to relate interesting facts about the room and different historic moments that occurred in each room.

The different presidential portraits displayed throughout the White House really caught my attention.  The portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan were my favorite.  The historic furniture accented each room, and it was easy to see why a room was called the "Green Room" or the "Blue Room."  Architecture enthusiasts would really enjoy the tour, as well as many buildings in DC.

After the White House tour we stopped by the famous Old Ebbitt Grill.  This establishment was founded in 1856 and proclaims to be the oldest and most historic saloon in Washington DC.  Many past and present power brokers have enjoyed the bar and grill.  We enjoyed a great brunch, and I would highly recommend eating at the Old Ebbitt Grill when you are in DC - try the Strata, a combination of ham, cheese, egg bread, and egg custard baked in an iron skillet!

After brunch we walked to the National Archives and viewed the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence.  The documents are kept in climate-controlled cases.  It was impressive to see the documents in person. Once again photography was not allowed.

Next on our list was a trip to the National Museum of American History.  This building houses an amazing amount of national artifacts - original trains, cars, presidential items, First Ladies' items, national icons, and so much more.

1942 Harley-Davidson was among the many vehicles on exhibit

There were many artifacts not as well known but that have significant historic value.  One such item that really struck me was the George Washington statue that was commissioned for the 100th birthday of our first president.  The statue is rich with symbolism, but many felt he was inappropriately dressed.

President George Washington

The highlight for us was getting to see the flag flown over Ft. McHenry that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would ultimately become our national anthem.  Photographing the flag was not permitted.  It is encased in a climate-controlled room.  The history of the flag is very intriguing.  It was interesting to see some pieces of the flag were cut and given as gifts to different people many years ago.

We strolled through the many exhibits learning many details of our rich history.  I learned that I have a lot to learn.

Martha and Richard near entry to see Old Glory.

 The chairs used when General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House

 Metal from the Twin Towers after the evil terrorist attack on 9/11/01

Dorthy's famous ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz

It was another full day of walking, learning, and absorbing history.  Upon leaving the National Museum of American History, we were ready for a good dinner, and pizza sounded good.  We found  Aria Pizzeria & Bar in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and decided to try it.  The inviting restaurant was comfortable and the staff was friendly and attentive.  We started with some Garlic Pizza Knots.  They were freshly baked and very good.

Fresh, hot garlic pizza knots

We followed up the pizza knots with a large half pepperoni & sausage and half sausage and mushroom pizza. Once again we were not disappointed.  It was a great way to end day four.

Great pizza that hit the spot

Day 5: Wednesday Nov. 23.  We rode the subway to the Pentagon for our 9:30 tour.  We arrived early enough to visit the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.  The memorial creates a very solemn atmosphere and is a place to reflect and remember.  The empty benches, one for each victim, make an overwhelming impression on visitors. It was a great opportunity to discuss important issues with my son.  I regrettably lost all the photos I took while at the memorial and the Pentagon.  (I borrowed the following photo from www. blog.travelpod so that I could post a photo.)

National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial

Tours of the Pentagon are quick and no photography near the entrance or inside is allowed except in the small press conference room where we waited for our tour to start.  The size and activity of the Pentagon is impressive.  Our tour guides, current servicemen, were friendly, smart, and attentive to our many questions.

The Washington National Cathedral is about 5 miles north of the Pentagon.  We rode the subway to the Cleveland Station and walked 1.4 miles to the cathedral.  It was a cool, overcast day with a light breeze.  The cathedral could be seen many blocks away.  The spires of the fourth tallest structure in DC rose above the trees and surrounding buildings.  The cathedral is the sixth largest in the world and second largest in the United States.

The Washington National Cathedral

We could see scaffolding around several of the spires where repair was underway due to the damage caused by the August 23, 2011 earthquake.  Once inside we saw several pieces that had fallen during the earthquake on display.

Broken pieces from the cathedral spires

The workmanship of the building was inspiring.  My photos do not do the building justice.  Tours are free, but a donation is recommended.  We viewed the foyer, the fallen pieces exhibit, and part of the sanctuary prior to the tour.  The stained glass is so pretty.  There are over 200 stained glass windows with many depicting scenes from the Bible or national events.

One of the amazing stained glass windows

The tour allowed us to see many great works of art and amazing architecture.  It was impressive to see where funerals, memorials, and prayer services for many historic figures took place.  We viewed the pipe organ which has 10,647 pipes!  The tour included the different rooms/worship centers (not sure what terminology to use).  We enjoyed our time at the cathedral.

 An impressive pulpit

 One of smaller alters

 Painting of the risen Christ

The front of the cathedral

On the walk back to the subway we strolled down Massachusetts Avenue a.k.a. Embassy Row looking at the various national embassies.  It was time to head to dinner and back to the hotel.

Day 6 - Thanksgiving

We slept in and enjoyed a relaxing morning.  I was ready to head out before they were so I took off to get some photos of the Capitol and to enjoy the sunny day.  On the walk around the Capitol I stopped by the Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon, the Peace Monument, the General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, and the James A. Garfield Monument.

Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon

The Capitol dome

 The Peace Monument east of the Capitol

While I waited for the family to catch up, I visited the National Museum of American Indians.  The collection of artifacts was extensive.  The exhibits were informative, interesting, and lively.  I met the family on the ground level and enjoyed lunch in the museum's cafeteria.

After lunch we made our way to Arlington National Cemetery.  The visitor center exhibit was inspirational and humbling.  We walked passed many rows of the white iconic headstones.  The sheer number made a lasting impression on all of us.  We arrived at the Tomb of the Unknown a few minutes before the changing of the guard.  

The rows go on and on - very solemn

Tomb of the Unknown Solider

We watched reverently as the guard made his rounds.  Everyone respectfully stood during the famous changing of the guard ceremony.  It is nearly impossible to explain the emotions and reverence experienced being there and viewing the tomb and the ceremony.

 Changing of the guards

After the ceremony we visited Audie L. Murphy's grave which is directly in front of the amphitheater.  Audie was the most decorated WWII combat solider before becoming a successful actor in Hollywood.  We walked over to the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame and grave site.  It is located on a hillside below the historic Arlington House, Robert E. Lee Memorial. 

The JFK eternal flame and grave site

Seeing the Pentagon, the 9/11 memorial, the changing of the guards, and the graves of so many of the brave men and women who sacrificed for our country was quite appropriate for Thanksgiving Day.  We discussed the many reasons we are thankful, not the least being our country, our freedoms, and our prosperity.  It was a great day, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with a great dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  

Day 7:
After packing our luggage and checking it with the hotel doorman, we began our last day in DC.  All three of us wanted to see the Giant Pandas at the National Zoo.  It was at the zoo that we experienced the largest crowds of the trip.  It was a nice sunny day and families were taking advantage of the holiday and the weather.  The zoo has a great collection of animals and some very creative exhibits.  We enjoyed them all, but the highlight was seeing the Giant Pandas.

Bengal Tiger - one of many cats at the zoo

Everyone loved seeing the Giant Panda

We left the zoo and had time for one more site before catching our flight home.  The Marine Corps War Memorial a.k.a. Iwo Jima Memorial is outside Arlington Cemetery and next to the Netherlands Carillon.  The cast bronze memorial honors all Marines who have served our country.  The size is so powerful and makes an awesome impression on all who visit.  

 Amazing memorial

Powerful image and fitting memorial

Great conversations, grateful and solemn moments, contagious laughter, and times of intense reflection were part of this trip.  We learned and experienced a lot.  Our national pride grew as well as our concern for the future of this great country.  We left DC with big smiles, a lot of photos, and lifelong memories.

I hope you get the chance to visit DC.  It is a great experience.

The Ninja hits the parking lot!

The Christmas morning surprise was great, but a busy schedule and weather issues it took us a while to get the Ninja to a parking lot where my son could do some riding.  Finally on MLK day the time had for some riding.

Looking good

We took the Ninja to a local park parking lot that was not busy.  Only a few people were there for soccer practice, with kids not much bigger than the ball, and a few on one side visiting the playground.

Keeping his eyes on where he wants to go

He maneuvered around the parking lot well.  Never dropped it and only killed it once.  If all proceeds as planned he will get his driver's permit on Feb 27th, take the motorcycle safety course on March 10th & 11th, get wisdom teeth extracted on March 12th, and take motorcycle license test on March 16th.

Getting a little lean with the bike

Great start in a new chapter of life

Then the real fun begins!  More post will follow from a proud dad.

Big Christmas surprise for my son.

I have greatly enjoyed my son riding with me on the bike for the past 7+ years.  We have ridden a lot of miles to and from school, around town. and with friends.  We have enjoyed some great summer trips to Colorado, Yellowstone National Park, Deals Gap, Mount Rushmore, and more.

He is now taller than me and riding as a passenger have become less comfortable for him.  We saw this day approaching and have been planning on the next course of action.  My wife and I decided to let him get a bike when he was old enough.

He turns 15 at the end of February and will be eligible to get licensed.  During the summer he told me he wanted to start with a Ninja 250.  I told him to start saving because I would pay 1/2 when the time came.  He thought we would start shopping this coming spring.

I started looking a few months ago without his knowledge.  I found some poor overpriced Ninjas.  I kept looking and came across a 2005 Ninja 250 in great condition.  A friend and I looked it over and I took it on a test spin.  I liked it and we came to agreeable terms.  Since it was six weeks before Christmas I stored it at a friend's house (Thanks Mac).  We cleaned it, added a Bad Boy air horn, and some additional lights.

Wrapped with a bow - just like the commercials

This morning we surprised Richard with the bike. I told him to wait a minute and then bring mom to the garage for a special gift, he thought it would be for him mom.  We rendered him speechless.

He realizes that I did not really have a gift for him mom, but for him

After breakfast he was ready to start it up and sit on it for a while.

We visited my parents and some sisters so we have not take the bike out for a ride yet.  We will visit a local school parking lot this week and let him ride his first street bike.

I am looking forward to this new chapter in our riding stories.  I am sure there will be future posts concerning our new arrangement.

Merry Christmas!

Best trip not on a bike!

I really don't think I have ever complained about a trip that involved riding.  Even if the destination, accommodations, or food were sub par, if I was riding it was "all good."  There were trips that I enjoyed but wished I was on the bike for all or part of the trip.  Our recent trip over Thanksgiving to DC was a great trip and I did not even miss my FJR!

We arrived in DC on Saturday November 19, 2011.  It was a nice mostly sunny day with temperatures in the mid-50's.  Congress was not in session.  The 435 Representatives and 100 Senators, as well as their staff members, had left town for the holidays.  Lobbyists, reporters, protesters, and pages had also abandoned the Capitol leaving the area much less crowded and we were very thankful.

Capitol dome seen from the front walk of our hotel

Due to the absence of so many people we were able to stay in a nice hotel very close to the Capitol Building at a very good price.  The absence of the "regulars" made a lot of things easier and quicker than what I expected; i.e., public transportation, restaurants, museums, coffee shops, and attractions.

Day 1:
After checking our bags with the doorman (rooms were not ready) we walked to the Supreme Court Building (did not get to go in) and the Capitol Building Visitor Center.  On the way spent some time at The Japanese-American Memorial to Patriotism in World War II.  This is a very moving memorial with great symbolism.  I can not image what the families suffered and the devastation they endured.  I had a great opportunity to educate my son about our history and how it applies to him today.

 After taking some photos of the Supreme Court building we made our way to the Capitol Visitor Center and toured the Congress and the Civil War exhibit and Emancipation Hall.  The Congress and the Civil War and the E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many One exhibits was very interesting and had many artifacts from previous presidents and early Capitol Buildings.

We continued around the outside of the Capitol. The building is so massive and so pretty.  I took a lot of photos, but none really justice to the building.

East view of the US Capitol Building

It was beginning to get dark and it was time for dinner so we made our way to My Brother's Place just one block off Constitution Ave on 2nd St. (I will post about some of the restaurants later) We saw our first motorcycle of the trip and my son figured I should share the photo he took.

Nice Triumph

Day 2:
We were up early and prepared to do a lot of walking.  The forecast called for a cloudy, but dry day.  We planned to visit one museum and then the monuments/memorials throughout the national mall area.  We walked 2 miles to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  My son and I have visited the Holocaust museums in Dallas, TX and Maitland, FL, but nothing prepares you for the overwhelming volume of photos, artifacts, shoes (taken from the prisoners of the concentration camps), and evidence of such deliberate and calculated hatred and evil.  We had more conversations and life lessons with our son.  No photography allowed inside the museum, visit the museums website to see photos.

Upon leaving the museum we made our way to the National Mall to see the monuments/memorials.  The Washington Monument is visible for miles in all directions so we had "seen" it, but we wanted a closer look.  Tours have been suspended due to damage sustained during the August 23, 2011 5.8 earthquake.  We were able to get close. It is an impressive monument.  From the Washington Monument we could see across the mall to the Lincoln Memorial with the World War II Memorial between them.  The famous reflection pool was being repaired, it has been leaking for several years.  The view was still awesome.

Lincoln Memorial with WWII memorial

We spent some time at the WWII memorial and talked about my dad and the men and women of that generation, The Greatest Generation.  On our way to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial we viewed the District of Columbus War Memorial.  The memorial had recently been renovated and it looked great.  Before it got dark we visited the MLK Memorial (where we looked across the Tidal Basin and saw the Thomas Jefferson Memorial), the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

District of Columbus World War Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Wall in the evening with Washington Monument

By the time we visited the solemn Vietnam Wall it was beginning to get dark.  The Vietnam Memorial invokes strong feelings and is one of the most moving of the memorials. We walked down the long walkway to the center.  A sense of the vastness of the fallen was overwhelming.  The early darkness added to the solemness of the surroundings.

There was one more memorial close by that we wanted to visit.  The Albert Einstein Memorial is just north of the Vietnam Wall across Constitution Ave.  Martha and I hold teaching certificates in Mathematics and we encourage Richard in the disciplines of math and science (and I encourage the discipline of motorcycling :) ), so the Einstein memorial was a must-see for us.  Richard engaged in the recent fad of "planking" while at the memorial before going to dinner and back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

The theory of relative planking 

Day 3:
The helpful people at the office our Texas Senator, John Cornyn, scheduled our tour of U.S. Capitol and the White House (not on the same day).  Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared a great amount of information.  We learned that a tomb for George Washington was build in the U.S. Capitol, but only because he had specified in his will, he was buried at Mount Vernon instead.

The Apotheosis of Washington - top of the rotunda

The famous rotunda was the highlight of the tour.  Getting to see the historic paintings of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, George Washington Resigning his Commission, and others was inspiring.  Eleven statues of great American leaders encircle the rotunda.  I really liked the one of Ronald Reagan.  

Texan Sam Houston in U.S. Capitol

 John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence 

Our next stop was the Library of Congress.  As with all the government building the architectural design and detail was magnificent.  Every figure, quote, bust, statue, and painting had significance.  Being avid readers and educators, Martha and I were looking at every book and reading all the exhibit information.  I loved seeing books of great historic importance, especially the Gutenburg Bible (photo above).

Being the largest library in the world, in terms of number of books, the Library of Congress was very impressive and a great source of information.  It is amazing what all the library catalogs and maintains.

After lunch we made our way to the National Air and Space Museum.  It would be easy to spend an entire day in this one museum.  My favorite exhibit was The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age.  It was so cool to see the original  1903 Flyer (the canvas covering has been replaced).

The original flying machine

It was simply amazing to see the advancement in flight.  We saw the first airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis (first non-stop flight from New York to Paris), rockets, jets, and so much more.

Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis

Last stop before dinner for the day 3 was the National Museum of Natural History.  Dinosaur bones, wildlife exhibits, stuffed animals, The Hope Diamond, and so much more.  

 T-Rex

 Scary looking dinosaur

 That is one large shark!

 Statue from Easter Island

Another packed day was completed and it was time for dinner and then some "down time" at the hotel.

My post about days 4-6 will be next.