Monday: Mount Vernon and Arlington Cemetery

We drove to Mount Vernon to see George Washington's house and toured the grounds. Elizabeth pointed out there was no bathroom in his mansion and so we told the girls about outhouses. His property was very impressive and so beautiful on the Potomac River. He led a very full life and it was very cool to see how he lived. After lunch at Nandos in Alexandra, we went to the Arlington Cemetery and then to the Iwo Jima Memorial.  We headed back to the hotel and were tired--8 miles today! The kids swam a little and we got some carry-out for dinner.

He and his family is buried on the grounds

We couldn't take pictures inside the house, but this is the back porch looking over the Potomac River

Arlington Cemetery

The Kennedy's Graves

The Tomb of the Unknown Solider. This was so cool to see. We got to see the changing of the guard and the wreath ceremony. The training of these soldiers who guard the tomb is so interesting. They train for about 9 months. Their shift is 24 hours on and they take turns doing 30 minute (summer) or one hour shifts. They walk 21 steps, about face for 21 seconds, switch their gun on the outside shoulder and then start waking again-21 steps. The 21 is symbolic to the 21 gun salute that is the highest honor given to a solider. The tomb has been guarded 24 hours a day since the 1930s. 

Changing of the wreaths

President Taft's grave

Iwo Jima Memorial. There was construction, so we could not go up close to it.

The Washington Monument was closed. Jack was bummed, he really wanted to go up inside of it. This is the closest we got to it.

The Capital Building