Touring the Capitol

Today was quite the amazing day.
We visited the United States holocaust Memorial Museum which, every time I visit it just makes me have this somber feeling of incomprehension, sorrow, faith and gratitude. The exhibits are so powerful and the photos and videos make the people come to life as if it were happening today somewhere away from home. I highly suggest that everyone visit this at some point in their life.


One of the more unique exhibits in the museum is Daniel's Story. It's an exhibit that takes you through the diary of a young boy and through his eyes you see the changes that took place from his once happy life to a life of hiding and to a concentration camp. I think the exhibit is geared towards helping young kids learn about the holocaust in a less graphic way but it is still one of my favorite exhibits.
The other is the exhibits of the hair and of the shoes that were collected from a number of victims. At the museum you learn of the weight of hair and the number of shoes and it's so incomprehensible. It is one of those things you have to see to believe. But it definitely isn't easy to see.




This quote reads, "The things I saw beggar description... The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering... I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations to propaganda." -Dwight Eisenhower
I suppose that it is important since some people today are teaching it never happened. Yet, there is evidence...

After the Holocaust Museum we visited the national Museum of American History.

We saw Abe Lincoln's top hat and a whole exhibit dedicated to him actually. But it was great because we learned that he was like everyone's favorite president. Well 3/5 of us!...
We saw Dorothy's red slippers and the boat "The Philadelphia," Kermit the Frog, and the original American Flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. However, one of the funnest things that we did was wind surf. Inside. Yes. It was pretty interesting and everyone agreed that I was a natural. (Seriously, I was the best at it...)




You may remember from Julia & Julia...
Julia Child's kitchen:
On to the Monuments!!!


The Washington Monument

I liked the view so much I asked everyone to take a picture with me here. (It's so "Bones." I kept looking for David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel but didn't see them anywhere!)



Lincoln Memorial



Of all the times I had visited the Lincoln Memorial before this, I NEVER knew that the sculpter put Robert E. Lee's profile into the memorial. Isn't it crazy!?



VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL




It was a fabulous day and this was our view as we walked back to the car: