Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington Cathedral, Cherry Blossom Parade, and more...
Washington D.C. at Cherry Blossom Festival Time, Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and more!
As host, I introduced myself early on and shared some of my background as a TV News broadcast journalist. For many years I was the main Sports Anchor at legendary television station WSBT TV, a station known for a foundation of "Together, Making a Difference" and emphasis of positive news coverage. I explained that I am now Senior National Speaker for the National Collegiate Scouting Association of Chicago. I educate families on how to connect with College Athletic Scholarships. I also deliver motivational presentations to companies, associations and educators.
Edgerton's had secured the gorgeous Marriott Westfields Hotel in D.C. for the first three nights. Upon arriving, a "Welcome" Dinner arranged by Edgerton's was waiting: Pesto Farfallini Pasta Salad, Green Beans Almadine, Roasted Salmon with Lemon. Grilled Chicken with Forstierre Aus, Horseradish Whipped Potatoes. Desserts. It was delicious. After a night of rest, the excitement was evident as we prepared for three unforgettable days of seeing D.C., including premium seats to the Cherry Blossom Parade. On the morning of Friday April 9th, we met walk-on tour guide Jim Heegeman. Jim is a native of Wisconsin. He served in the Navy and worked at The Pentagon for many years. A bundle of energy, his ability to know everything about D.C. and walk like the Energizer Bunny would have us hopping! As a certified master guide, his depth of knowledge inspired much of the writing below. Edgerton's always makes sure to get tremendous guides on trips. That makes a world of difference, when you have someone like Jim that sets the stage for each part of the visit.
Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery a deeply moving experience. Everything became quiet as we boarded shuttles to see the grounds.
Among our veterans on this trip was Rodger Hendrickson of Auburn, IN. He had served in the Army or National Guard for 25 years, and was in combat in Vietnam. I asked him what it was like to be here at Arlington. He said, "This is hallowed ground." Rodger had been in choppers that had been shot down in Vietnam. He has a permanently injured knee from service. Combat left scars with him, not all physical. Canoeing has become a kind of therapy for him. At age 50, he canoed the AuSable River Canoe Marathon from Grayling, Michigan to Oscoda, Michigan. That's 120 miles. It is the longest non stop canoe race in North America. In addition to paddling for 14-19 hours straight, competitors must also make portages over six dams along the river race route. He did it in 8 days at age 50. At age 60, he did it in 7 days. He will be in another big canoeing experience in Arkansas soon. He told me his wife had once wanted to put up his war medals on display. He couldn't let her because there were too many bad memories. He said he had been able to exercise most of his demons, but that so many came back as "walking dead." He said the Vet Center in Fort Wayne had been so important for him because it was a place he could go and talk. Rodger said he could not have dealt with Vietnam had it not been for his wife Patricia, who was on this trip along with their son, Alan. It is an unforgettable experience to go through Arlington National Cemetery and see the rows of markers. To this day there are 27-30 burials a day. Jim, our guide, said the major criteria to be buried there is to have died on active duty or to have high honor or to have served honorably for at least 20 years. Rodger qualified to be buried there. When I asked him if he would be, he said no. He wanted his ashes to be scattered on the river he has canoed so much in his life. Edgerton's arranged for us to experience the Tomb of the Unknowns. We arrived at the Memorial Amphitheater and watched as impeccably dressed sentinels marched with precision. We saw the Changing of the Guard, a time honored ritual, executed with great precision and filled with American pride. I took the picture below of the Changing that we were able to witness.
If you have never experienced this, I strongly encourage you to make it a priority to one day see it. When they play Taps, and everyone takes off their hats and places their hand on their hearts, it is one of the most patriotic moments of one's life. We also saw the where President Kennedy was laid to rest. For the gravesite, the family selected irregular Cape Cod granite paving stones, which had been quarried in 1817 from near the president's home. The Eternal Flame burns on over the grave. We visited Arlington House, where the view of the city is spectacular. We saw the statue of U.S. Army officer Phillip Kearney, who fought in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. In a calvary charge in the War with Mexico, he suffered a grapeshot wound and had to have his left arm amputated. In the Civil War, he led his Union troops onto the field shouting, "I'm a one-armed Jersey son-of-a-gun, follow me!" He led the charge with his sword in hand and reins in his teeth. He used to inspire his troops by saying, "Don't worry, men, they'll all be firing at me!" In the Battle of Chantilly in 1862 he went to check on a part of the line, despite warnings of danger. He said the Confederates had yet to mold a bullet that could kill him. Sadly, he rode into Confederate troops and ignored their demand to surrender. A single bullet in his spine killed him. He is laid to rest at Arlington. His statue is one of just two equestrian ones on the grounds. As a young man, Kearny inherited over 1 million dollars in 1836. He could have led a life of luxury. Instead, he joined the military to serve his country, ultimately giving his arm and then his life. Seeing statues like that and learning his story makes a visit to Arlington life changing. You come away so appreciative. Upon getting back on the motor coach, we asked all our veterans to rise, and honored them with applause. In a reflective state, we were driven to the Smithsonian Museums. Our guide Jim said that visitors from Europe are often surprised to learn the Smithsonian Museums have free admission. They are used to paying to enter their Museums over there. Jim said the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History one vie to be the most visited Museums in the world. As we came up on the National Mall, Jim shared a funny story. He often guides 8th graders around D.C. One time he said they were coming up on the National Mall. He said the teen girls shrieked, "Mall!? There's a Mall!!? Where!?" Everyone had time to visit the Museums of their choice. I went into the Natural History one. There was a line out front so I went around back and was able to go right in and spend a couple of hours looking around. I was able to see the Hope Diamond and made a mental note to myself to purchase something similar for my wife when I got back home. Edgerton's then had us driven to the Washington National Cathedral. The first stone was laid in 1907. It took 83 years to build. In Europe, it takes hundreds of years to build a Cathedral. You know how we are in the U.S.! We have to be fast!! By golly, get it done in 83 years! None of this 200 year business!
The famous are laid to rest there, like President Woodrow Wilson, and the not-so-famous. The story goes that during construction, a carpenter's wife passed away. He asked a Bishop if she could be buried there. While respectful, the Bishop said she did not meet qualifications. A few weeks passed and the carpenter passed the Bishop and told him everything had been taken care of. "What do you mean?" the Bishop asked. "Oh, my wife had asked to be cremated. She was, and then I took her ashes and mixed them in with the mortar here. So, she is buried here. Have a nice day, Bishop." The cost of the Cathedral ended up being much higher than expected. Some people had issues with that, but Master Mason Billy Cleland sized it up this way: "What does a Stealth Bomber cost? In 20 years, it would be obsolete. This Cathedral will stand for 2000 years." He is right. To walk through the Cathedral, the 2nd largest in the U.S. and the 6th largest in the world, is an indescribable experience. The Cathedral has conducted funerals or memorial services for ten of the fourteen presidents who have died. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr preached his final Sunday sermon there. Billy Graham preached there. Saturday April 10th was a gorgeous day. Edgerton's had arranged the weather and premium seating for the Cherry Blossom Parade. These were the best seats in the parade! The TV announcers booth was across the street. All the floats stopped in front of us to perform for the TV cameras. I took the photo below from our vantage point. Getting seats like these shows that Tom Edgerton is truly the John Wayne of Travel Service. Entertainers that performed right in front of us included American Idol finalist Justin Gaurini and R&B vocalist Deborah Cox. Giant balloons included Kermit the Frog, Elmo, Veggie Tales, cherry blossoms, and Japanese lanterns. The Youth Choir and All-Star Tap Team showcased the talent of approximately 750 and 350 youths from around the country, respectively. So many of our travellers commented on all the hard working young people in the Parade. The News today is so negative, that you don't realize how many good kids there are out there. The military was in the parade. There were classic Mustangs. All in all, a first class event! The photo I took below shows the nicest smile that came our way.
The Shriner's Clowns arrived, and a man in the bleachers next to us said, "Here come the current members of Congress!" That got a big laugh. After the Parade, Edgerton's had it arranged for us to tour the Capitol Building. I took the photo below as we approached the entrance. Look at that blue sky! I had not been to D.C. in decades, and had forgotten just how big the Capitol is there at the end of the National Mall! This dome, completed during the Civil War at a cost slightly more than one million dollars and composed of 8,909,200 pounds of cast iron, is a marvel of architectural engineering. Inside, the Rotunda is so big that the Statue of Liberty could fit in it with 30 feet still to spare. Construction on the Capitol was begun in 1793. The British burned it down in 1814. It has been rebuilt, extended, and restored over the years. To walk inside it is to truly feel the history in the hallways. We saw the area where President John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke while speaking to the House of Representatives.
Next, our guide Jim took us on a brisk walk to the Library of Congress. Then, it was over to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and dinner. The wind was still fairly strong. As we drove past the Washington Monument, Jim told us of the time an 8th grader asked him how they were able to get all the U.S. flags to fly in the same direction at the same time. 8th graders may ask an occasional goofy question, but it was so good to see so many of them in the city during our trip. 8th grade is the year U.S. History is taught. My daughter Abby will be in D.C. in May with Grissom Middle School 8th graders. We then visited the White House. Along the way on the entire trip, I shared "Presidential Trivia" with the travellers. For example:
President Grover Cleveland personally answered the White House phone. Can you imagine calling there today and getting the President on the line?!
When England's Prince of Wales visited the White House in 1860, so many guests came with him that President James Buchanan had to sleep in the hall.
To set a good example for the country, President Rutherford B. Hayes banished liquor and wine from the White House.
President Benjamin Harrison was the first president to use electricity in the White House (1889 - 1893). After he got an electrical shock, his family often refused to touch the light switches and sometimes would go to bed with the lights on.
Theodore Roosevelt was the first to call it the White House, in 1901. Before, it was called the Executive Mansion or the President's House.
During Woodrow Wilson's presidency a flock of sheep was raised on the White House lawn. The wool was used to raise money for the Red Cross during World War I.
President Calvin Coolidge refused to use the phone while in office in the 1920's. I doubt he would take well to Tweeting and Texting today.
Harry Truman used to get up 2 hours early there to practice the piano.
Richard Nixon talked to astronauts on the moon from the White House by radio-telephone on July 21, 1969.
Standing there, all that history catches up to you. To be able to look at the West Wing and the Oval Office and think about all of the decisions made there is quite the experience.
With the sun going down, Jim guided us to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. On the way, Jim told us of the origin of the Wall, and the criteria that went into the design:
There were four:
1. be reflective and contemplative in character;
2. harmonize with its surroundings;
3. contain the names of those who had died in the conflict or who were still missing;
4. make no political statement about the war.
By the deadline of March 31, 1981, 1,421 design entries had been submitted. The Memorial (wall) was designed by an undergraduate at Yale University, Maya Ying Lin, born in Athens, Ohio in 1959. Her parents fled from China in 1949 when Mao-Tse-tung took control of China, and she is a native-born American citizen. She was 21 years old. Jim said. She learned of the opportunity to enter her design when she was in a Funerary Art class at Yale. Her Professor entered as well. She won. He lost. She ended up with a B + in his class. The Wall has been very healing for many who served in Vietnam. While there, Jim helped our Rodger find the name of a fellow soldier who had died in Vietnam. At night, we went on an enchanting drive of D.C. We went past a Hotel where former President and Civil War hero U.S. Grant used to visit. It is said Grant used to escape from the White House and visit the Willard Hotel, at which he would smoke cigars and drink whisky. People seeking jobs, contracts, and particular positions in legislation would approach Grant in the lobby of the Willard. Grant is said to have referred to them as "those damned lobbyists" So, you can attribute that word to him! One of the most vivid memories of the trip would be that night when we crossed the Memorial Bridge in pitch darkness. You could see the Eternal Flame way up ahead on the hill below Arlington House. I had no idea the flame stood out that clearly.