Monday, July 20, 2009

Washington DC Trip Round Up and a Video .....

So........

After getting back from DC after an amazing family vacation I thought I would post a few pictures on here but instead you get this very nice video thanks to the wonderful Mr and Mrs Mielke. You see, heres the deal, I am kinda stupid when it comes to posting videos online. I am kinda stupid when it comes to videos period. Cant get them to load, cant get the sound to work, cant cant cant ....ugh ...Anyway !
Dont get me wrong ....I can make a video just fine ....I just cant watch them online that much ...

Enjoy the video .....



more about "Untitled on Vimeo", posted with vodpod

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Is That Capitol with an O or A ??




Sam Adams....











So......

Yesterday was spent mainly at the US CAPITOL in downtown DC. We had a very nice tour given to us by a staffer from Congressman Brights office.


Most of what we saw was on the public tour but because we had a guide we were able to just walk through all lines what had formed. We got to see the house in session but were not able to see the Senate in session due to the confirmation hearings for Judge Sotomayor.
Perhaps one day the kids can look back and say that they were in the Capitol during these hearings.


A few things we learned .....
The Capitol is built mostly of concrete....
Parts of the inside are built from the timbers of an old pirate ship.....
There is a spot in the basement area called the "crypt" that was orginally meant for the remains of Gen. Washington......
Over 1 million people visit each year.....

Yeah ....some of those might not be totally true
After the tour we walked around to the Lib Of Congress and the Supreme Court. After that we headed to the Air and Space Museum .
Today we head to Gettysburg and perhaps Amish Country up in Lancaster county....















Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A Monument to Their Cause......












So .....
Yesterday we went and toured many of the mounments on the National Mall. As many of you know there is a monument to just about anything big that has happened in out nations history ...
There are monuments to former presidents and war leaders. Men and women who paved the way to help make our nation great.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt has an amazing memorial on the Tidal Basin but once again we were not able to make it to that one....Its ironic that he has such a grand monument but only wanted something small....
When asked about a monument or memorial in the mid 1940', FDR patted his desk in the Oval office and said he thought something no bigger than " this desk" would serve as a monument to him if someone decided to build one.





Sunday, July 12, 2009

Known But To God......












So...........

Today was another full day and I am pretty sure everyone is getting tired of me saying that but it is what it is ...
Instead of talking too much about it I am just going to post some of the pictures from the day ...
Tomorrow we head to a tour of the monuments on the Mall and at least one of the Smithsonian museums ...most likely The Museum of American History.





Saturday, July 11, 2009

An Afternoon with a Gentleman......

















So.....

Its day two here in our nations capital and it was quite the busy one for sure. We started out with a very nice breakfast served at the hotel where we are staying ....I know what you might be thinking " OH MY GOD ....BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL?????" I am telling you this though ...It was wonderful ....delicious sausage, fresh waffles, fruit, oatmeal, real eggs and good coffee.

We then headed into town for our tour of Fords Theater.

Before we went to the theater we had a chance to ride around and have a quick look at things before going back next week for a more indepth tour of things like the capitol, all the mounuments...etc.

After lunch we headed out to Mt Vernon for an afternoon tour and walk about the grounds....I gotta admit ....This was pretty dang cool.

I am a huge history buff.....and to stand there in General Washingtons bedroom...next to his bed that he died in ....Or to stand in his office and see the chair that he used the whole time he was president....It just left me thinking......

Thinking about what ?

Thinking about how he was asked to serve as commander of the armed forces going to battle aginst Great Britain.....and how he knew that if he said yes he was giving up his life at his beloved Mt Vernon and with his wife. He left and returned 8 years later .......

Thinking about how he planned the battle of Yorktown after his return to Mt Vernon.....knowing that the men and women of the colonies had won.....talk about catching a tiger by the tail !

Thinking about how he was once again asked to serve his country by becoming its first president....knowing that he would once yet leave his wonderful home on the Potomac.
Thinking about how he told his wife on December 13,1799 that he had a sore throat but would not let her send for help because he did not want her to worry too much ....
He died December 14,1799.

His home is very nice and warm but not grand ....to me anyway. It is a simple building filled with collections of art and furniture befitting a farmer from Virginia.

Today was nice .....

Friday, July 10, 2009

HOLIDAY ROAD ........

The American Family Truckster !!!!!!!!



So.........

We made it to DC....WHEW!! It is a long long drive but we had a blast on the way up ......We LAUGHED alot about different things ....Talked about those not with us anymore and how much they would have enjoyed this trip.

Tomorrow we head to Ford's Theater and Peterson House and then we are riding out to George and Martha's place ....Never been to Mt Vernon so am really looking forward to that one.....



Friday, July 03, 2009

Happy 4th (although, technically its still the 3rd) of July !!


"As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government . I hope ever to see America among the formost nations of Justice and liberality."

President George Washington.


So as has been my custom the past few years I like to post some fun facts about our great nation on or near the Fourth Of July!!

Hope there are not many repeats ...

Happy Independence Day everyone


1. Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.


2. Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century. The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.


3. Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn't adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.


4. There are many precise rules for taking care of the American Flag. And speaking of flag traditions, we're sorry to report that contrary to legend, historical research has failed to confirm that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.


5. Not all members of the first continental congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it. One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence


6. The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast. The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.


7. The American national anthem, the " The Star Spangled Banner ," is set to the tune of an English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").


8. The iron framework of the Statue of Liberty was devised by French engineer Pierre Gustave Eiffel.


9. The patriotic poem "America the Beautiful" was published on July 4, 1895 by Wellesley College professor Katherine Lee Bates.


10. Father of the country and architect of independence George Washington held his first public office at the tender age of 17. He continued in public service until his death in 1799.


11. It was once asked if July the Fourth is celebrated in Great Britain. Of course not but for years they celebrated the day as "Good Riddence" day... so no...the fourth of July is just another day across the pond.