washington dc

To most Memorial Day is an extended weekend of fun to kick off the summer, but this year I was able to see the true meaning of the holiday. We went to Washington DC last weekend so we could see the sights and check off another city from our Northeastern city tour and it ended up being much more than that. This was Jason's first visit to our nation’s capital and my third but sadly the first two times I didn't appreciate the memorials so this trip was much more meaningful.

The first stop on our list after we arrived was to check out the paddle boats in the Tidal Basin. That night we walked around the memorials and I loved seeing them all lit up. Before we left everyone kept telling us that DC is a walking city and there was no need to rent a car, and while I didn't think a car was necessary, I do remember thinking the memorials were a lot closer together than they actually are.

We had read before we left that there is a huge parade in DC for Memorial Day called the Rolling Thunder ride to the Vietnam Memorial, and that we would be seeing several motorcycles but I totally didn't expect to see thousands. Most of them rode in that night and were surrounding the Vietnam Memorial. I wasn't alive to witness the tragedies of this war, therefore, seeing the memorial doesn't affect me as it should, but it was so touching to walk among these grown men in their leather vests and long gray ponytails as they wept for the friends they had lost. I am so glad we were able to see this at the beginning of our weekend because I was able to remember what this weekend meant to all the veterans and it helped me gain a greater appreciation for those who have served our country.

The next morning we caught the first tour bus of the day and we were off to see the sights. Once again the sightseeing tour did not disappoint and we were able to see all that we wanted of DC. The next day we visited the Holocaust Museum and were reminded of the hardships many have endured throughout history. This was Jason's favorite stop. We took our time and were able to read everything that took place. We heard stories from survivors of Auschwitz and it was so sad to hear of their losses. We then visited the American History Museum and got to see everything from the First Ladies gowns to Julia Child's kitchen to Jerry Seinfeld’s pirate shirt. We were able to see the Rolling Thunder parade with it's estimated 100,000 motorcycles but most of all we were able to just relax and have an enjoyable weekend with each other before Jason starts his Bar classes.

While in Washington we learned that Monuments are built during someone’s life and Memorials are built after the person passes, and that the Washington Monument was started during his life but was not finished until after his death. We were able to brush up on our history on this vacation but more importantly remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

The White House

Jerry's Shirt

Supreme Court Building

Exorcist Stairs - Jason just had to see them

Georgetown

The National Cathedral

The Rolling Thunder Parade